Should you buy omega-3 enriched eggs?

I do. Although I was never sure if it made a difference.

Now, researchers from Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden report that eating 1 enriched egg each day leads to changes that might lower the risk for diabetes and death due to cardiovascular disease.

First, the details.

• 19 healthy volunteers ate 1 extra egg per day — a standard egg or omega-3 enriched egg — for 1 month.
• Then, they repeated the process with the other egg — crossover design.
• The volunteers and the researchers were not aware of the type of egg being eating — double-blind.
• Changes in inflammatory proteins, cholesterol and blood sugar were measured.

And, the results.

• Eating omega-3 enriched eggs resulted in higher levels of apolipoprotein A1, and thereby a lower ApoB/ApoA1 ratio, as well as lower blood sugar levels.
• The ApoB/ApoA1 ratio decreased from 0.72 to 0.68.
• LDL cholesterol declined from 3.92 to 3.85 mmol/L (153 to 150 mg/dL).
• Blood sugar levels declined from 5.40 to 5.21 mmol/L (97 to 94 mg/dL).
• Adding 1 regular egg per day to the normal diet had no impact on cholesterol levels or apolipoprotein.

The bottom line?
True, this study doesn’t show improved health.

However, the benefit in lowering blood sugar levels is obvious.

More interesting are significant favorable changes in the ApoB/ApoA1 ratio and LDL (bad) cholesterol. A lower ApoB/ ApoA1 ratio is associated with less atherogenic LDL cholesterol particles, which are the cause of plaque formation in the lining of the arteries.

Accordingly, the researchers concluded, “These effects have been associated in previous studies with a reduced risk for cardiovascular mortality and diabetes.”

11/14/08 20:29 JR