Eggs Are Worse Than Cigarettes?
Eggs are the Dr Jekylll and Mr Hyde of the breakfast world. One day they’re a diet darling, chockful of healthy fats, vitamin E, and protein. The next thing you hear: Eggs are bad for you—as bad as cigarettes, in fact, according to a recent study in the journal Atherosclerosis. Confused? We’ve got you covered. First, here’s the deal on that new study. Researchers from Western University in Canada examined over 1,200 men and women to come to the conclusion that regularly eating egg yolks was two-thirds as bad as smoking when it comes to carotid plaque in the arteries, a known risk factor for stroke and heart attack. But before you ditch the eggs, experts point out that this study doesn’t exactly give the whole picture. The main crack: The research shows an association between egg consumption and plaque buildup, rather than a cause-and-effect relationship, says cardiologist Gordon Tomaselli, MD from the American Heart Association. (In other words, there’s no way to tell which ...