Researcher hits back at study comparing egg consumption to smoking

An expert on dietary cholesterol has hit out at Canadian research review which drew unfavourable comparisons between the effect on the body of consuming eggs and smoking or eating fast food.

Bruce Griffin, Professor of Nutritional Metabolism at the University of Surrey, described the paper published last week, and reported by a variety of main steam media outlets, as “emotive” and “unbalanced”.

“Its condemnation of dietary cholesterol in eggs is emotive, unbalanced and its comparisons with burgers and smoking outlandish,” Professor Griffin says.

Published in The Canadian Journal of Cardiology the review attacks research by scientists, including Professor Griffin, into egg consumption which suggests that there is no convincing evidence to restrict the consumption of eggs in healthy people.

“Recent media reports reflect the remarkable effectiveness of the sustained propaganda campaign of egg producers’ lobby,” the review “Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: Not for patients at risk of vascular disease” said.

“The evidence presented in the current review suggests that the widespread perception amongst the public and health care professionals that dietary cholesterol is benign are misplaced and that improved education is needed to correct this misconception.”

The paper draws comparisons between eating eggs and consuming fast food as well as smoking and lung cancer.

“Stopping the consumption of eggs after a stroke or a myocardial infarction would be like quitting smoking after a diagnosis of lung cancer; a necessary action, but late,” the review said.

Professor Griffin took issue with the review drawing the comparisons between smoking and eating food high in saturated fat.

“Worst of all, the review draws comparisons between dietary cholesterol in eggs and the cholesterol in a monster burger that is packed full of saturated fat, and even worse, smoking and lung cancer. These comparisons are absurd and frankly professionally irresponsible,” Professor Griffin says.

“It is inconceivable that even these authors, who are all MDs, would consider that eating eggs confers the same risk to vascular disease as smoking does to lung cancer; this is ridiculous.”

The authors compare eggs to a type of “monster burger” which, they say, contains less cholesterol than a large egg yolk.

“But (the burger) delivers 1420kcals, 107 grams of fat, 45 grams of which is saturated fat (compared to an egg which contains less than 2g of saturated fat and only 80kcal),” Professor Griffin says.

“The authors have totally disregarded the cholesterol raising potential of the saturated fat in this burger which is no less than 20 times greater than the cholesterol-raising potential of a large egg yolk.”

While Professor Griffin agreed with the authors that restricting cholesterol intake is a good idea for those diagnosed with vascular disease, diabetes and raised LDL cholesterol he said limits should not apply to the majority of people.

“From a nutritional standpoint, restricting the consumption of eggs is inappropriate for attaining a balanced healthy diet in a large percentage (70-80%) of the free-living population,” he says.

The British Heart Foundation and the Food Standards Agency in recent years have both removed limits on the consumption of eggs and suggest they are eaten as part of a balanced diet.