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Omega-3 fatty acids: a comprehensive review of their role in health and disease. Yashodhara BM, Umakanth S, Pappachan JM, Bhat SK, Kamath R, Choo BH. Postgrad Med J. 2009 Feb;85(1000):84-90. PMID: 19329703 doi:10.1136/pgmj.2008.073338

A Systemic Review of the Roles of n-3 Fatty Acids in Health and Disease. Riediger ND, Othman RA, Suh M, Moghadasian MH. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Apr;109(4):668-79. PMID: 19328262 doi:10.1016/j.jada.2008.12.022

Many postmenopausal women are looking for alternatives to hormone therapy, especially in light of research findings in 2003 from the Women's Health Initiative. With major funding from the National Institutes of Health, this initiative studied the risks of combined estrogen and progestin therapy, among other health issues of critical importance to postmenopausal women. Of particular interest are phytoestrogens, which have been gaining popularity because they are marketed as "natural," because of the alleged health benefits they provide, and because they are available in a wide range of foods and supplements. This fact sheet provides an overview of phytoestrogens and discusses their potential role in osteoporosis prevention and treatment.

A prospective study of egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women. Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Rimm EB, Manson JE, Ascherio A, Colditz GA, Rosner BA, Spiegelman D, Speizer FE, Sacks FM, Hennekens CH, Willett WC. JAMA. 1999 Apr 21;281(15):1387-94. PMID: 10217054 CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that consumption of up to 1 egg per day is unlikely to have substantial overall impact on the risk of CHD or stroke among healthy men and women. The apparent increased risk of CHD associated with higher egg consumption among diabetic participants warrants further research.

Enriched eggs as a source of N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for humans. Lewis NM, Seburg S, Flanagan NL. Poult Sci. 2000 Jul;79(7):971-4. Review. PMID: 10901195 Plasma triglycerides (TG) are decreased by addition of n-3 PUFA-enriched eggs to the diet. N-3 PUFA may influence LDL particle size, causing a shift toward a less atherogenic particle. Blood platelet aggregation is significantly decreased in participants consuming n-3 PUFA-enriched eggs. Overall results of studies to date demonstrate positive effects and no negative effects from consumption of n-3-enriched eggs. Three n-3 PUFA-enriched eggs provide approximately the same amount of n-3 PUFA as one meal with fish. It is recommended that n-3 PUFA-enriched eggs be used as one source of n-3 PUFA to increase individual consumption to meet the current Canadian recommendations

Egg consumption and coronary heart disease: an epidemiologic overview. Kritchevsky SB, Kritchevsky D. J Am Coll Nutr. 2000 Oct;19(5 Suppl):549S-555S. Review. PMID: 11023006 When dietary confounders were considered, no association was seen between egg consumption at levels up to 1 + egg per day and the risk of coronary heart disease in non-diabetic men and women.

Egg consumption, serum cholesterol, and cause-specific and all-cause mortality: the National Integrated Project for Prospective Observation of Non-communicable Disease and Its Trends in the Aged, 1980 (NIPPON DATA80). Nakamura Y, Okamura T, Tamaki S, Kadowaki T, Hayakawa T, Kita Y, Okayama A, Ueshima H; NIPPON DATA80 Research Group. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Jul;80(1):58-63. PMID: 15213028 In men, egg consumption was not related to age-adjusted total cholesterol. Cox analysis found that, in women, all-cause mortality in the 1-2-eggs/wk group was significantly lower than that in the 1-egg/d group, whereas no such relations were noted in men. CONCLUSION: Limiting egg consumption may have some health benefits, at least in women in geographic areas where egg consumption makes a relatively large contribution to total dietary cholesterol intake.

[Egg intake and cardiovascular risk] Schärer M, Schulthess G. Ther Umsch. 2005 Sep;62(9):611-3. Review. German. PMID: 16218496 The egg - rich in proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals - should be part of our nutrition, and it is not justified to recommend a general limitation of egg intake. However, we do not advice unbalanced high egg consumption. A cardioprotective diet is characterized by high variability and contains plenty of fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates.

Consumption of one egg per day increases serum lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations in older adults without altering serum lipid and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. Goodrow EF, Wilson TA, Houde SC, Vishwanathan R, Scollin PA, Handelman G, Nicolosi RJ. J Nutr. 2006 Oct;136(10):2519-24. PMID: 16988120 These findings indicate that in older adults, 5 wk of consuming 1 egg/d significantly increases serum lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations without elevating serum lipids and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations.

Dietary cholesterol from eggs increases plasma HDL cholesterol in overweight men consuming a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Mutungi G, Ratliff J, Puglisi M, Torres-Gonzalez M, Vaishnav U, Leite JO, Quann E, Volek JS, Fernandez ML. J Nutr. 2008 Feb;138(2):272-6. PMID: 18203890 Carbohydrate-restricted diets (CRD) significantly decrease body weight and independently improve plasma triglycerides (TG) and HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) . [..] Eighteen subjects were classified as having the metabolic syndrome (MetS) at the beginning of the study, whereas 3 subjects had that classification at the end. These results suggest that including eggs in a CRD results in increased HDL-C while decreasing the risk factors associated with MetS.

Egg consumption and risk of heart failure in the Physicians' Health Study. Djoussé L, Gaziano JM. Circulation. 2008 Jan 29;117(4):512-6. Epub 2008 Jan 14. PMID: 18195171 doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.734210 CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that infrequent egg consumption is not associated with the risk of HF. However, egg consumption of > or = 1 per day is related to an increased risk of HF among US male physicians.

Nut consumption and risk of hypertension in US male physicians. Djoussé L, Rudich T, Gaziano JM. Clin Nutr. 2009 Feb;28(1):10-4. Epub 2008 Oct 2. PMID: 18834651 doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2008.08.005 CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that nut consumption is associated with a lower risk of hypertension in US male physicians and that such relation may be influenced by adiposity.

Egg consumption in relation to cardiovascular disease and mortality: the Physicians' Health Study. Djoussé L, Gaziano JM. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Apr;87(4):964-9. PMID: 18400720 Conclusions: Infrequent egg consumption does not seem to influence the risk of CVD in male physicians. In addition, egg consumption was positively related to mortality, more strongly so in diabetic subjects, in the study population.

Probiotics could be used to protect critically ill patients from developing pneumonia, according to scientists. The friendly bacteria can block the colonisation by dangerous bugs of the airways of ventilated patients, the Swedish study concluded. The probiotic solution performed just as well as normal antiseptics used to keep pneumonia-causing bacteria at bay, the journal Critical Care reported. Being more natural it could pose fewer side effects, the authors said

Cross-sectional association between fish consumption and albuminuria: the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer-Norfolk Study. Lee CT, Adler AI, Forouhi NG, Luben R, Welch A, Khaw KT, Bingham S, Wareham NJ. Am J Kidney Dis. 2008 Nov;52(5):876-86. Epub 2008 Jun 4. PMID: 18534731 doi:10.1053/j.ajkd.2008.02.307 CONCLUSIONS: Greater fish intake was associated with a lower risk of macroalbuminuria in a self-defined diabetic population. These findings merit confirmation in prospective studies and intervention trials and suggest that fish intake may be beneficial for albuminuria in people with diabetes.

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol changes after continuous egg consumption in healthy adults. Mayurasakorn K, Srisura W, Sitphahul P, Hongto PO. J Med Assoc Thai. 2008 Mar;91(3):400-7. PMID: 18575296 CONCLUSION: In the majority of healthy adults, an addition of one egg per day to a normal fat diet could raise HDL-c levels and decreased the ratio of TC toHDL-c. Therefore, egg consumption might benefit blood cholesterol.

Egg breakfast enhances weight loss. Vander Wal JS, Gupta A, Khosla P, Dhurandhar NV. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Oct;32(10):1545-51. Epub 2008 Aug 5. PMID: 18679412 doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.130 Conclusions: The egg breakfast enhances weight loss, when combined with an energy-deficit diet, but does not induce weight loss in a free-living condition. The inclusion of eggs in a weight management program may offer a nutritious supplement to enhance weight loss.

Biochemical effects of consumption of eggs containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Ohman M, Akerfeldt T, Nilsson I, Rosen C, Hansson LO, Carlsson M, Larsson A. Ups J Med Sci. 2008;113(3):315-23. PMID: 18991244 Addition of one regular egg per day to the normal diet had no negative impact on blood lipids or inflammation markers. Consumption of omega-3 enriched eggs resulted in higher levels of ApoA1, lower ApoB/ApoA1 ratio and lower plasma glucose. These effects have been associated in previous studies with a reduced risk for cardiovascular mortality and diabetes.