EATING A HEALTHY DIET INCLUDES EGGS
Forget omelettes. Sometimes you have to break a few eggs to dispel a myth. Take the idea that people with type 2 diabetes shouldn’t eat eggs. One researcher from the University of Alberta has found that simply isn’t true for everyone.
“The randomized control studies done so far, which are the gold standard, all pointed to egg as part of a healthy diet,” said Dr. Caroline Richard, a registered dietitian and assistant professor of nutrition at the university.
For decades, eggs have been trying to beat the bad rap they were given in broad population studies that concluded eating saturated fat was directly related to cardiovascular disease.
“Then, dietary cholesterol kind of got dragged into this,” Richard noted. “There’s no real evidence that dietary cholesterol causes cardiovascular disease.”
Still, those with type 2 diabetes are often coached to avoid foods rich in dietary cholesterol, and eggs are the richest source of all. Those with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. “That’s why eggs were thought to be bad,” Richard said.
Problem is, those broad studies that concluded saturated fat and dietary cholesterol are harmful to a healthy heart didn’t assess the cause and effect relationship between an individual’s specific lifestyle and diet and disease risk. In the end, those studies don’t actually provide evidence that eating eggs is related to type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Type 2 diabetes is when your body doesn’t use insulin properly and builds up resistance to it.
Richard relied on what she described as the most accurate research about egg consumption related to type 2 diabetes. She scoured six randomized control studies involving participants who were pre-diabetic or had type 2 diabetes. They consumed a set amount of eggs each day to see if their risk of cardiovascular disease changed compared to those who didn’t eat any eggs.
“We saw egg consumption increased HDL (good) cholesterol in some studies,” she said.
In other studies, both good and bad cholesterol levels increased, but they balanced each other out, so there were no adverse health effects.
The key to enjoying the health benefits provided by eggs, however, is in how you eat them, Richard noted. “Most people will consume eggs in a healthy way,” she said. “Then you have those that consume them with sausage, bacon and fried potatoes. That whole package is not very good. When you consume them with a healthy salad, and not the whole package of bacon and fried potatoes, it would be good.”
Still, Richard recommended those with type 2 diabetes be prudent when reintroducing them to a diet. Most people don’t absorb dietary cholesterol but there’s always a small number who do. She advised keeping an eye on things with your doctor.
“If there’s a change in your yearly check-up and suddenly your cholesterol levels go bad, it may not be good to re-introduce eggs.” Richard also suggested eating a diet high in fibre to counteract cholesterol.
Looking for ways to incorporate more eggs into your diet? Visit pureprairie.ca for recipes and resources for creating a diabetic meal plan using fresh foods, including eggs.