Caution To Egg Lovers!!!

Eggs are body building foods that contain essential nutrients such as vitamin A, D, iron, choline, linoleic acid amongst others. These nutrients are very necessary for the perfect functioning of the human system. Despite these wonderful body building functions, eggs have also been implicated in several cardiovascular disorders although a weak link has been established. An emerging health complication of eggs is their association to cancer risk.

A multisite case-control study in Uruguay led by Aune Dagfinn and published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention has revealed an association between higher intake of eggs and increased risk of several cancers at 9 different organ sites including the breast, colon, lung, prostate, bladder and oesophagus. The author and colleagues during this study took into consideration the adjustment of other parameters that can influence the outcome of the results such as age, sex, smoking, alcohol intake, fruits intake, BMI and fatty food/meat intake.

A two fold increase in prostate cancer risk has also been revealed in a study conducted by researchers from Harvard University, the University of California in San Francisco and the Women’s Hospital in the USA. An 81% high risk of lethal prostate cancer was reported in men who ate an average of 2.5 or more eggs per week as compared to those who had only less than half an egg per week. Smoking habits, age, sex, BMI and other confounding factors of the 27, 607 subjects were controlled.

At the school of population health, University of Queensland Medical School, Australia, Sandi Pirozzo has shown a similar link where high intake of eggs resulted in increased ovarian cancer risk.

Increased cholesterol associated with egg consumption was thought to be the reason for the increased cancer risk, however, this assertion has been flawed by many findings including that of Sandi Pirozzo of the University of Queensland Medical School. Studies have shown that up to one egg a day is unlikely to cause increase in cardiovascular related disorders in health individuals.

Eggs are highly concentrated with choline which has been shown to increase the risk of cancer initiation, spread and lethality; increase in choline is associated with 70% increased risk of prostate cancer. In healthy cells, oxygen and citrate serve as the main raw materials for energy production. However, in cancer cells, choline is used to generate energy for the growth of malignant cells. The choline is converted to trimethylamide oxide (TMAO) in the gut and liver which leads to inflammation and ultimately carcinogenesis.

Regardless of the fact that choline is a known contributing factor of several cancers, other studies have reported its health benefits such as maintaining the integrity of cell membrane and the synthesis of neurotransmitter for the effective functioning of coordination signals. It is therefore imperative for researchers to determine the dietary reference intake (DRI) to ensure the safe dose of choline. Also, there is the need for further investigation of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of choline in carcinogenesis to identify promising therapeutic targets. A clear understanding of the function of choline will be beneficial in designing potential treatment modalities for cancer patients.

Individuals should exercise caution not to abuse the consumption of eggs in their quest to achieving their full health benefits since a growing evidence has shown the association between higher egg intake and increased cancer risk.