One common breakfast food stuff may lower cholesterol and protect brain health

A new study by the University of California San Diego has suggested the high cholesterol food item could actually contribute to lower blood cholesterol levels

Eating an egg a day may lower your cholesterol and protect your brain health, a new study has suggested.

Billions of people across the globe eat eggs as part of their diet and now researchers at the University of California San Diego have presented a study that suggests eating two to four of the high cholesterol food item could actually contribute to lower blood cholesterol levels.

Scientists at the university studied 890 men and women in a so-called ‘healthy ageing’ study that apparently began in 1988 and looked to study three types of brain function in middle aged and older adults over four years. 531 women were studied and those who claimed to have eaten more eggs demonstrated less of a decline in memory, both short and long term.

However, this particular study found men did not display such results. But a separate study using the same database but a cohort of participants from an earlier decade did find that men who consumed more eggs scored better on cognitive tests.

Speaking to sciencealert.com, public health researchers Donna Kritz-Silverstein and Ricki Bettencourt, from University of California San Diego, said: “Despite having high levels of dietary cholesterol…(their results show)…eggs do not have a detrimental effect and may even have a role in the maintenance of cognitive function over time.”

Scientific advice has fluctuated throughout the years, with many animal products being found to be high in cholesterol, like eggs, butter, or cream.

These foods are thought to raise cholesterol levels in the blood and thereby increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

However, current studies suggest that otherwise healthy people are more at risk from food high in saturated fats, sugar, and sodium, due to their contribution to plaque buildup in the arteries.

Many foods rich in cholesterol also carry a robust dose of saturated fats.

Eggs and shellfish are two key exceptions- but it depends on how they are cooked.

Eggs are low-fat, high-protein and nutrient-dense and studies suggest they may lower your body’s cholesterol levels and thereby protect against cognitive decline.