Study further unscrambles egg-cholesterol myth

New research has taken another crack at the myths surrounding eggs. The study found that not only will eggs not raise cholesterol levels, eating two a day while on a calorie-restricted diet could actually help you lose weight, thereby lowering cholesterol.

A research team from the University of Surrey led by professor of nutritional metabolism Bruce Griffin fed two eggs per day to overweight but otherwise healthy volunteers for 12 weeks while they followed a reduced-calorie diet prescribed by the British Heart Foundation. A second group followed the BHF diet also but cut out eggs altogether.

Both groups lost between 3 to 4 kg (7- 9 lbs) and saw a fall in the average level of blood cholesterol, the research, to be published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found.

When blood cholesterol was measured at both six weeks and 12 weeks, both groups showed either no change or a reduction, particularly in their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. That was despite the fact that the egg group had increased their dietary cholesterol intake to around four times that of the non-egg group.

The research supports the growing belief that it's saturated and trans fats in the diet that are responsible for raising blood cholesterol levels, rather than cholesterol-rich foods such as eggs.

"There is no convincing evidence to link an increased intake of dietary cholesterol or eggs with coronary heart disease through raised blood cholesterol," Griffin said. "Indeed, eggs make a nutritional contribution to a healthy, calorie-restricted diet. We have shown that when two eggs a day are eaten by people who are actively losing weight on a calorie-restricted diet, blood cholesterol can still be reduced."

It's thought that only 20 to 30 per cent of blood cholesterol can be attributed to diet. More significant factors linked to high cholesterol levels are being overweight, a lack of exercise, and smoking.

The British Heart Foundation used to restrict egg intake to three to four per week, but recently removed those restrictions.

Common food additive linked to lung cancer in mice

A common food additive has been found to increase the risk and speed of spread of lung cancer in mice, say South Korean researchers.

While previous studies show results of animal trials cannot always be replicated in humans, the researchers say dietary restrictions of the additive may be critical for lung cancer treatment as well as prevention.

The Seoul National University study suggests a diet high in inorganic phosphates could speed growth of cancerous tumors and contribute to the development of tumors in those predisposed to the disease.

Inorganic phosphates are found in a variety of processed foods, including meats, cheeses, beverages and bakery products. They are added to increase water retention and improve food texture.

Moderate levels of phosphate play an essential role in living organisms, but the rapidly increasing use of the chemical as a food additive has resulted in significantly higher levels in average daily diets.

The Seoul study appears in the first issue for January of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Lung cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer deaths in the world and is also the most frequently diagnosed solid tumor.

Earlier studies showed that about 90 per cent of the most common form of lung cancer cases were associated with a disruption of signaling pathways in lung tissue that can cause normal cells to become malignant. This study revealed that high levels of inorganic phosphates may disrupt those same pathways, said study co-author and veterinary medicine professor Myung-Haing Cho.

He and his team used mice genetically engineered to be susceptible to lung cancer. They randomly assigned the mice to receive a diet of either 0.5 or 1.0 per cent phosphate, a range roughly equivalent to modern human diets. After four weeks, they analyzed the mice's lung tissue.

"Our results clearly demonstrated that the diet higher in inorganic phosphates caused an increase in the size of the tumors and stimulated growth of the tumors," Cho said in a release.

Cho said future studies will help refine what constitutes a "safe" level of dietary inorganic phosphate.