Eggs Decrease Risk of Macular Degeneration
25 Mar 2009
"Don’t you worry about cholesterol in eggs?" a friend recently asked me. I had ordered ham-and-eggs for breakfast which I often enjoy. But my friend was sure that eggs were a nutritional relic of the past, only good for a display at the Smithsonian Institution. I told him he was suffering from "cholesterolphobia", should upgrade his thinking about eggs, and that if he would order the same breakfast it would decrease his risk of heart disease and macular degeneration.
I’ve written for years that we should trust farmers, hens and cows and cast a suspicious eye at manufactured processed foods. I have not changed my mind after many years of research.
Blaming farmers and hens for the epidemic of heart disease is like blaming the iceberg for sinking the Titanic. It was a foolish captain that sunk the Titanic and it’s ill informed people who blame heart disease on ham-and-eggs for breakfast. Rather, they should point fingers at the epidemic of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and a lack of exercise that are responsible for making heart disease the number one killer.
So why should my friend stop worrying about ham and eggs for breakfast? A study conducted by Harvard University followed 120,000 people for 14 years. They concluded that there was no correlation between egg consumption and the risk of heart disease. In fact, those who consumed two or more eggs per day, had almost the same risk of heart disease as those who consumed no eggs at all. Besides, today’s eggs are healthier than at any other time in history. Humans are what they eat, and similarly chickens are what they’re fed. For instance, Naturegg Omega Pro eggs, are nutritionally enhanced by feeding chickens an all-natural flax-based diet along with a small amount of fish oil, alfalfa and corn. This provides an abundant source of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are not produced by the human body. But they’re essential for cardiovascular health in a number of ways. For instance, they keep blood platelets well oiled, decreasing the risk of blood clots in coronary arteries.
Studies show that death from heart attack may also be associated with inflammation caused by too much homocysteine in the blood. And that vitamins B6, B9 and B12 found in eggs help to reduce the level of homocysteine.
My friend, by denying eggs, was also losing another important benefit. Eggs contain lutein and zaaxanthin, known as carotenoids, that help to decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This disease affects central vision and is the leading cause of blindness for people over 65 years of age. It’s a devastating problem that makes it impossible to drive a car, read a book or see grandchildren smile.
Dr. John Landrum, at Florida International University, Miami, is a world authority on macular pigments. He reports that lutein and zeaxanthin are two pigments in the macula. His studies show that patients with the highest intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin had a 43 percent less chance of developing macular degeneration.
Another study from the National Institute of Health also found that those with the lowest level of carotenoids had the highest risk of AMD.
Dr. Linda Nebeling, of the National Cancer Institute, has also presented data that show the overall decline of lutein intake. This decrease in dietary lutein was particularly striking in those groups at risk of macular degeneration. For instance, since 1987 lutein intake has decreased by 16 percent in men and women aged 40 to 69.
Researchers believe that lutein and zeaxanthin protect the macula by absorbing harmful blue light rays from the sun’s rays. In addition, they act as antioxidants that neutralize free radicals, the end products of metabolism that are believed to cause aging.
To help decrease the risk of AMD Naturegg Omega Pro eggs have been fortified with one milligram of lutein. This carotenoid is also present in fruits and leafy vegetables.
Today cholesterolphobia has made many people, including my friend, shy away from farm products that have stood the test of time. But next time we meet I believe he’ll also order ham-and-eggs for breakfast.
