Eating eggs regularly could lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a study carried out by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland has found.
The study analysed the eating habits of 2332 men aged between 42 and 60 in Finland. Over the course of the 19-year study, 432 men in the study were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
The study found that eating eggs was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, as it can help to reduce blood glucose levels. Men who ate four eggs per week had a 37% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than men who only ate approximately one egg per week.
The studies authors said: 'This association persisted even after possible confounding factors such as physical activity, body mass index, smoking and consumption of fruits and vegetables were taken into consideration. The consumption of more than four eggs did not bring any significant additional benefits.'
The researchers suggested that the effect was due to the fact that egg consumption in Finland is not associated with unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, low physical activity or consumption of processed meats. While many people associate eggs with the risk of raising cholesterol, they contain beneficial nutrients that can have an effect on glucose metabolism which lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The researchers added: 'The study also suggests that the overall health effects of foods are difficult to anticipate based on an individual nutrient such as cholesterol alone. Indeed, instead of focusing on individual nutrients, nutrition research has increasingly focused on the health effects of whole foods and diets over the past few years.'