14 DAY TRIAL // You may associate eating too many eggs with health issues. But a new research to be published in The FASEB Journal shows the contrary. The dietary consumption of choline, an amine included in the group of vitamins B and considered an essential nutrient, abundant in eggs, has been found to decrease the risk of breast cancer with 24%.
A 2003 Harvard research showed that women who ate one egg daily during adolescence had a 18% decreased risk of developing breast cancer when adults. A 2005 Chinese study found out that women reporting the consumption of at least six eggs weekly had a 44% lower risk of developing breast cancer, compared with those who ate two or less eggs weekly.
The new research was made on more than 3,000 adult women. Those considered to have the highest choline intake consumed at least 455 mg of this amine daily, mainly from coffee, eggs and skim milk. A daily amount of less than 196 mg was considered low choline intake.
"Choline is needed for the normal functioning of cells, no matter your age or gender. Increasing evidence shows that it may be particularly important for women, particularly those of child-bearing age," said co-author Dr. Steven H. Zeisel of University of North Carolina.
Adequate daily choline intake is considered 550 mg for men and breastfeeding women, 425 mg for women, and 450 mg for pregnant women. Only 10% of the Americans achieve this.
One egg yolk (only this part contains choline) deliver 125.5 mg of choline, thus four eggs would make the daily dose. Choline is to be found in abundant quantities in liver, wheat germ and cauliflower.
Choline is essential in the functioning of the brain cells (it is involved in memory and learning abilities), liver cells and nutrient transport throughout the body. Choline deficits are believed to increase by 4 times the risk of spina bifida in newborns, even when supplements of folate have been taken. Like folate, choline degrades homocysteine, a blood amino acid connected to an increased risk of heart disease. This explains why egg consumption does not increase the risk of heart disease.