Eating an egg every day could increase good cholesterol which helps protect against heart issues, according to a new study.
The study was carried out by a group of universities, including Oxford, and looked at 4,778 Chinese adults who were aged 30 to 79.
The participants were picked from five urban and five rural areas across China and had to fill in a questionnaire about their food consumption over the past year.
One major benefit uncovered in those who ate eggs was high levels of APOA1, a building block of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or 'good cholesterol'.
HDL can help reduce blockages and will transport fatty substances to the liver where it can be broken down.
The study says: "Eggs are one of the richest sources of dietary cholesterol, but they also contain a wide variety of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds, such as high-quality protein, fat-soluble and B vitamins, phospholipids, and choline."
It adds: "the percentage of total cholesterol and cholesterol esters in large HDL were positively associated with egg consumption."
Published in the journal eLife, the researchers say that participants who ate eggs were also getting 14 other proteins linked to heart disease, with some which protect against it and others that contribute to it.
The study concluded: "Egg consumption is associated with several metabolic markers, which may partially explain the protective effect of moderate egg consumption on cardiovascular disease."
The editor of the study mirrored this view saying: "In general, there was some impact on metabolic markers which could protect against CVD."
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