Regular consumption of eggs may be associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to the results of a large-scale American study published in the scientific journal The Journal of Nutrition.
Researchers at Loma Linda University analyzed data from 39,498 participants in the long-term Adventist Health Study-2 and compared them with Medicare medical data. The average observation period was 15.3 years. During this time, Alzheimer's disease was diagnosed in 2,858 participants.
Scientists divided the participants depending on the frequency of eating eggs — from completely or almost completely refusing them to five or more times a week. After controlling for demographic factors, lifestyle, other dietary components, and comorbidities, people who ate eggs were found to have a statistically lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Compared to people who never or hardly ever ate eggs, the risk of developing the disease was about 17% lower for those who ate eggs 1-3 times a month, 17% for once a week, and 20% for 2-4 times a week. and by 27% when consuming five or more times a week.
Additional analysis showed that completely avoiding eggs was associated with an approximately 22% increased risk of Alzheimer's disease compared to consuming about 10 grams of eggs per day.
The authors of the study note that eggs are a source of important nutrients necessary for normal brain function. The results obtained, in their opinion, indicate a possible neuroprotective effect of the nutrients contained in eggs when they are consumed as part of a balanced diet.
However, the study is observational and shows a statistical relationship, and does not prove that the consumption of eggs directly prevents Alzheimer's disease. In addition, the authors emphasize that the conclusions were obtained from the sample of participants of the Adventist Health Study-2, which is generally characterized by increased attention to a healthy lifestyle.
The source is a study in the PubMed database (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42002260).
