The Main Artery

Eggs may be the enemy again.

A new study suggests that egg yolks may clog your arteries almost as much as smoking.

Wonderful. This is especially welcome news with back-to-school season upon us. I’m challenged to find a breakfast other than eggs that keeps my 16-year-old behemoth somewhat full until lunchtime.

However, the study’s lead author, Dr. David Spence, professor of neurology at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada, says, “People at risk of vascular disease should not eat egg yolks.”

Spence’s team collected data on more than 1,200 men and women who were taking part in an initiative aimed at curbing heart disease. The researchers used ultrasound to look at the amount of plaque in each patient’s arteries. They then asked patients about smoking, their frequency of eating eggs, other lifestyle factors and any medicines they were taking.

Results showed:

• Regular consumption of egg yolks sped up plaque deposits in arteries at a rate that was about two-thirds the rate seen with smoking, Spence said.
• People who ate three or more yolks a week had significantly increased plaque compared with people who ate two or fewer yolks a week.
• The effect of egg yolks on plaque was independent of the person’s sex, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, smoking, weight and diabetes.

Not everyone is buying it. Not unexpectedly, a statement from the American Egg Board said that the findings come from “an observational study that can only suggest potential relationships, not determine actual cause-and-effect conclusions.”

The Egg Board also noted in the statement that “study subjects with higher egg intakes tended to also be heavy smokers, and only a small percentage of the population consumed more than five eggs per week, meaning that the conclusions were based on a small number of subjects.”

A spokesman for the American Heart Association who is also a cardiologist said the “jury remains out” on the issue pending further study and citing inconsistencies in the evidence for and against egg yolks for decades.

In the meantime, the American Heart Association sticks with its recommendation to eat a variety of nutritious food from all the food groups, with emphasis on vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products and fat-free or low-fat dairy products as well as eating fish at least twice a week.”

At this point, I don’t think our family will eliminate egg yolks from our diet. But, I certainly welcome your ideas for egg-free, healthy breakfast alternatives.

Heart Healthy snacking is a popular topic among patients. 

And new ideas can provide excellent content for outreach tactics from newsletters to blogs.

Here’s a great list I recently found at iVillage for 10 heart-healthy snacks under 150 calories.

On a side note, I’m stealing this list for my son. He is eating me out of house and home this summer. Trying to keep a 16-year-old boy satisfied without too much junk food is proving next to impossible. I’m hoping some of these ideas may work.

Here’s the list:

1. One kiwi with 7 walnut halves – antioxidants, potassium, fiber, omega 3s and more. Plus, who doesn’t love the cheerful color of kiwi?
2. Low-fat cottage cheese with a tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter stirred in – I haven’t previously thought of this as a yummy combo, but it sounds pretty good. I bet it might be even better with a sprinkle of cinnamon
3. A whole wheat wrap (under 100 calories) with two egg whites scrambled with a pinch of Parmesan cheese – sounds like a nice balance of protein and “good” carbs. I think I would add a few leaves of spinach.
4. Fat-free Greek yogurt with slivered almonds – an excellent combo of calcium and protein. My local Costco was demo’ing this one the other day. The nice sample lady added just the tiniest drizzle of honey. That can’t be too bad, right?
5. Low-sodium turkey wrapped around an avocado slice – sounds kind of like a lettuce wrap, only better.
6. One hard-boiled egg mashed with ½ teaspoon low-fat mayo and the spices of your choice (curry powder anyone?) spread on a small whole-wheat pita – great boost of both protein and fiber along with several important vitamins.
7. Dark chocolate bar (4 teaspoon serving) with 6 whole almonds – sounds delicious, and I love that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants. Portion control on this one sounds pretty hard, though.
8. Low-fat cottage cheese with a teaspoon of fat-free lemon Jell-O powder stirred in – let set in fridge for 3 hours and top with fat-free whipped cream. Hmmm…. I have to say I’m not totally sure about this one. Will someone please try it and send me a report?
9. Half a whole-wheat English muffin topped with two tablespoons of low-fat ricotta and two tablespoons of Parmesan, broiled in a toaster oven – I can already smell this heavenly combo of complex carbs and protein.
10. Half a banana sliced into “coins” topped with a dollop of peanut butter and a couple of dark chocolate chips – sounds like a plethora of potassium and protein that could almost masquerade as a dessert.

Sounds good to me!