Eggs may help prevent Alzheimer's disease, the most common degenerative brain disorder causing dementia, according to a new study. The finding that even small amounts of egg consumption are linked to lower disease risk is drawing attention to eggs as a brain-health food.
Britain's Daily Mail recently reported that researchers at Loma Linda University in California have released a study analyzing the link between egg consumption and Alzheimer's disease risk. The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition.
The researchers tracked approximately 40,000 adults for an average of 15.3 years, analyzing their egg consumption and Alzheimer's incidence. During the study period, 2,858 participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
The analysis showed that people who ate eggs five or more times per week had up to a 27% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than those who rarely ate them.
Even small amounts showed benefits. Those who ate eggs one to three times per month had a 17% lower risk, while those who ate them two to four times per week saw their risk drop by about 20%.
The researchers focused on the possibility that nutrients in eggs have a positive effect on brain health. Eggs are particularly rich in choline, which plays a key role in memory and neural transmission. Choline is used to produce acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine, which are needed for signaling between brain cells.
Eggs are also rich in carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids, and phospholipids, which the researchers said may help protect cognitive function and reduce oxidative stress.
B vitamins, selenium and iodine were also identified as potentially playing positive roles in maintaining neural function and brain health.
The study analyzed not only eggs eaten on their own — scrambled, fried or boiled — but also eggs included in baked goods and processed foods. Similar trends appeared when participants ate protein foods such as nuts or legumes instead of eggs. The researchers stressed that an overall balanced diet is more important than any single food.
"The findings show that eggs can be part of a healthy diet," said Jisu Oh, a professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the study's lead author. "It's important to manage overall lifestyle and dietary habits, not just egg consumption."
Not all experts, however, conclude that eggs have a preventive effect. Some point out that the results are difficult to generalize because study participants had relatively healthy lifestyles.
The study focused on a group with low smoking and drinking rates, and other factors such as exercise and dietary habits may have influenced the results.
The Daily Mail reported that "while some studies show positive effects from egg consumption, others find the effects are not significant, and academic opinion has yet to fully align."
