Korean J Community Nutr.  2011 Jun;16(3):364-374. 10.5720/kjcn.2011.16.3.364.

Egg Consumption and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults: Based on 2007-2008 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

• Kim HJ
• Park K

• KMID: 2265179
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2011.16.3.364

Abstract

There is a great public concern that higher consumption of eggs may increase the risk of chronic disease due to high levels of cholesterol in eggs. In contrast to this concern, limited studies have examined this relationship, and the study results have been inconsistent. This study was to evaluate the cross-sectional associations between egg consumption, blood markers and metabolic syndrome in Korean adults. We analyzed data from the combined 2007-2008 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Egg intakes were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Metabolic syndrome was ascertained using criteria of the NCEP ATP III (2001) and abdominal obesity criteria of the WHO. In 5,548 subjects, 937 subjects were defined as having metabolic syndrome. In linear regression models, subjects reporting one or more egg consumption per day had significantly lower levels of triglyceride, fasting blood glucose and blood pressure, and a higher level of HDL cholesterol, compared to those who rarely consumed eggs (P-trends < 0.05). After adjustments for potential confounding factors, the associations were no longer significant except for total cholesterol, showing higher levels with frequent egg consumption. More frequent intakes of egg (1 egg or more/day) were associated with lower risk of metabolic syndrome in a logistic regression model (OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50-0.96), but this association also became insignificant after adjustments for multiple confounding factors (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.71-1.57). In healthy Korean adults, frequent intakes of eggs did not adversely affect the risk of metabolic syndrome. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Keyword

egg intakes; cholesterol; metabolic syndrome; Korean

MeSH Terms

Adenosine Triphosphate
Adult
Blood Glucose
Blood Pressure
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, HDL
Chronic Disease
Eggs
Fasting
Humans
Linear Models
Logistic Models
Nutrition Surveys
Obesity, Abdominal
Ovum
Prevalence
Surveys and Questionnaires
Adenosine Triphosphate
Blood Glucose
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, HDL

Reference

1. Aune D, Ursin G, Veierød MB. Meat consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Diabetologia. 2009. 52(11):2277–2287.

2. Ballesteros MN, Cabrera RM, Saucedo Mdel S, Fernandez ML. Dietary cholesterol does not increase biomarkers for chronic disease in a pediatric population from northern Mexico. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004. 80(4):855–861.

3. Bartov I, Reiser R, Henderson GR. Hypercholesterolemic effect in the female rat of egg yolk versus crystalline cholesterol dissolved in lard. J Nutr. 1973. 103(10):1400–1405.

4. Chakrabarty G, Bijlani RL, Mahapatra SC, Mehta N, Lakshmy R, Vashisht S, Manchanda SC. The effect of ingestion of egg on serum lipid profile in healthy young free-living subjects. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2002. 46(4):492–498.

5. Dawber TR, Nickerson RJ, Brand FN, Pool J. Eggs, serum cholesterol, and coronary heart disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 1982. 36(4):617–625.

6. Djousse L, Gaziano JM, Buring JE, Lee IM. Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women. Diabetes Care. 2009. 32(2):295–300.

7. Djousse L, Kamineni A, Nelson TL, Carnethon M, Mozaffarian D, Siscovick D, Mukamal KJ. Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in older adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010. 92(2):422–427.

8. Flynn MA, Heine B, Nolph GB, Naumann HD, Parisi E, Ball D, Krause G, Ellersieck M, Ward SS. Serum lipids in humans fed diets containing beef or fish and poultry. Am J Clin Nutr. 1981. 34(12):2734–2741.

9. Flynn MA, Nolph GB, Flynn TC, Kahrs R, Krause G. Effect of dietary egg on human serum cholesterol and triglycerides. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979. 32(5):1051–1057.

10. Ford ES. Risks for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes associated with the metabolic syndrome: a summary of the evidence. Diabetes Care. 2005. 28(7):1769–1778.

11. Hegsted DM, McGandy RB, Myers ML, Stare FJ. Quantitative effects of dietary fat on serum cholesterol in man. Am J Clin Nutr. 1965. 17(5):281–295.

12. Hopkins PN. Effects of dietary cholesterol on serum cholesterol: a meta-analysis and review. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992. 55(6):1060–1070.

13. Keys A. Serum cholesterol response to dietary cholesterol. Am J Clin Nutr. 1984. 40(2):351–359.

14. Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Fourth Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Manual (2007-2009). 2010.

15. Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & Korea Health Industry Development Institute. In-Depth Analysis on the 3rd Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: Nutrition Survey. 2007.

16. Mattson FH, Erickson BA, Kligman AM. Effect of dietary cholesterol on serum cholesterol in man. Am J Clin Nutr. 1972. 25(6):589–594.

17. Porter MW, Yamanaka W, Carlson SD, Flynn MA. Effect of dietary egg on serum cholesterol and triglyceride of human males. Am J Clin Nutr. 1977. 30(4):490–495.

18. Pyörälä K. Dietary cholesterol in relation to plasma cholesterol and coronary heart disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 1987. 45:5 Suppl. 1176–1184.

19. Resnick HE, Jones K, Ruotolo G, Jain AK, Henderson J, Lu W, Howard BV. Strong Heart Study. Insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome, and risk of incident cardiovascular disease in nondiabetic American indians: the Strong Heart Study. Diabetes Care. 2003. 26(3):861–867.

20. Shi Z, Yuan B, Zhang C, Zhou M, Holmboe-Ottesen G. Egg consumption and the risk of diabetes in adults, Jiangsu, China. Nutrition. 2011. 27(2):194–198.

21. Song Y, Manson JE, Buring JE, Liu S. A prospective study of red meat consumption and type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and elderly women: the women's health study. Diabetes Care. 2004. 27(9):2108–2115.

22. Srilatha B, Adaikan PG, Ng SC, Aulkumaran S. Effects of feeding egg yolk on the serum lipid levels in rabbits. Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 1997. 19(7):489–492.

23. van Dam RM, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB. Dietary patterns and risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus in U.S. men. Ann Intern Med. 2002. 136(3):201–209.

24. Weggemans RM, Zock PL, Katan MB. Dietary cholesterol from eggs increases the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in humans: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001. 73(5):885–891.