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Egg yolk is as bad for heart health as smoking
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Scientists from the University of Western Ontario, located in London, Ontario, Canada, have stated that eating egg yolk is as harmful to heart health as smoking (two-thirds).
According to them, it leads to atherosclerosis - a chronic disease characterized by damage to the arteries, in which focal deposition of lipids occurs in the walls of medium and large caliber arteries (the so-called atherosclerotic plaques, the rupture of which in 80-90% of cases is associated with the occurrence of heart attacks and strokes).
A team of specialists monitored the health of more than 1,200 men and women visiting cardiovascular disease prevention centers. The average age of the patients was 61.5 years. Using ultrasound, the experts measured the volume of arterial plaques. All subjects completed a questionnaire regarding their lifestyle (eating habits, smoking, etc.). As a result, it turned out that after 40 years, the area of plaque coverage of the carotid artery increased, but this was within the normal range. A dangerous expansion of the affected area was noted with regular smoking and eating egg yolks.
The study also found that those whose diet contained three or more yolks per week had significantly more arterial plaque compared to people who ate fewer yolks. "Egg yolks contain a large amount of cholesterol, and heavy consumption of it increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Eggs cannot be called a healthy product, because yolks accelerate the process of deposition of cholesterol plaques," comments Dr. David Spence.
According to D. Spence, this effect does not depend on the person's gender, cholesterol level, blood pressure, body mass index, or diabetes. The author stated the need for additional research and emphasized that people at increased risk of developing CVD should avoid regular consumption of egg yolk.
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