Egg Cholesterol is not related with Heart Disease : A Review

Department of Animal Products and Food Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, KoreaABSTRACT The objective of this literature review is to prove that egg cholesterol is not related with heart disease based upon research results of the past 50 years. As a result, it was reported that the dietary intake cholesterol did not affected cholesterol levels in blood. Moreover, it was reported that adding two eggs a day to a healthful diet did not significantly increase blood cholesterol levels in young or middle-aged men and women with normal or even moderately elevated blood cholesterol levels. Cholesterol feeding studies demonstrate that dietary cholesterol increases both LDL and HDL cholesterol with little change in the LDL:HDL ratio as an important risk indicator of heart disease. Especially a good indicator in the elderly from increased HDL-cholesterol, so cholesterol intake appeared to be good for the prevention of heart disease. Thus the consumption of eggs is bad for your health is not known as a fact, but rather was found to be effective in preventing heart disease. Also, all consumers may consume without worrying because there are no official standards regarding egg intake. Therefore, these evidences would clear up some misunderstanding and mistrust on egg cholesterol regarding the consumption of egg as well as give some desirable advice on how to maintain healthy life.(Key words : egg, heart disease, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol)