Statement by the Egg Nutrition Center and American Egg Board on Diabetes Care study on egg c...( Park Ridge Ill. (February 4 2009) A...)

Park Ridge, Ill. (February 4, 2009) A large body of science supports the beneficial role eggs play in a healthful diet. Eggs provide high-quality protein for growth, muscle strength and energy and promote weight management. Key nutrients found in eggs have also been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects and promote eye health. An article published in the November 2008 issue of Diabetes Care that examined data collected in the Physicians' Health Study I and the Women's Health Study found an association between egg intake and increased incidence of type 2 diabetes ¹. Given the large body of research supporting the health and nutritional benefits of egg consumption, this finding is unexpected. However, in light of the importance of this research and its implications, further research is warranted to replicate the finding and to identify potential physiological mechanisms.

"Healthy adults can continue to enjoy eggs as part of a healthful diet," said registered dietitian Marcia Greenblum, Director of Nutrition and Food Safety Education at the Egg Nutrition Center. "Eggs provide many nutrients and make an important contribution to overall diet quality. This study does not offer a biological mechanism to explain the findings and fails to adequately address a number of known factors which could have influenced the results."

Statistical associations do not prove cause and effect. Rather, they show relationships and are best used in guiding the direction of future research. In the analysis reported in Diabetes Care, participants who reported frequent egg consumption also had higher BMIs, were older, more likely to smoke, reported greater consumption of alcohol, were more likely to have hypertension, and for women reported higher total calorie, saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol intakes. Therefore, it is important to consider that for the population included in the analysis, egg intake could simply hav
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