A breakfast staple is getting fresh attention, this time for what it might mean for brain health later in life.
Researchers at Loma Linda University Health reported that eating eggs may be linked to a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in adults aged 65 and older. The study found that people who ate at least one egg a day for five or more days a week had up to a 27 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Compared to never eating eggs, eating at least five eggs per week can decrease risk of Alzheimer’s,” said Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, a professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the study’s principal investigator.
The researchers also found benefits at lower levels of egg intake. Eating eggs 1 to 3 times a month was linked to a 17 percent reduction in risk, while eating eggs 2 to 4 times a week was tied to about a 20 percent lower risk, Sabaté said.
The study, titled Egg intake and the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort linked with Medicare data, was published in the Journal of Nutrition.
Scientists said they carried out the research to better understand how diet, a factor people can change, might affect the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Sabaté said eggs contain several nutrients that are important for the brain. He said eggs are a rich source of choline, which the body uses to produce compounds such as acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine that are essential for memory and communication between brain cells.
Eggs also provide lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that build up in brain tissue and have been linked to better cognitive performance and lower levels of oxidative stress, Sabaté said.
He said eggs also contain omega-3 fatty acids, and that the yolk is especially high in phospholipids, making up nearly 30 percent of total egg lipids. These compounds play a key role in how neurotransmitter receptors function.
The study followed about 40,000 participants in the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort. Researchers counted both direct and indirect egg intake, including eggs eaten on their own, such as scrambled, fried or boiled, and eggs in baked goods and packaged products.
Researchers identified Alzheimer’s cases through physician diagnoses recorded in Medicare data. They determined eligibility using the Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary Files, and followed participants for an average of 15.3 years.
The research team said eggs should be part of an overall healthy eating pattern, rather than viewed on their own.
“Research supports eggs as part of a healthy diet,” said Jisoo Oh, DrPH, MPH, an associate professor of epidemiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the study’s lead author. “Seventh-day Adventists do eat a healthier diet than the general public, and we want people to focus on overall health along with this knowledge about the benefit of eggs.”
Some funding for the study came from the American Egg Board. Support for establishing the original cohort and its data was provided by the National Institutes of Health.
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