Frequent egg consumption is associated with a lower risk of...
Nicholas Fabiano, MD@NTFabiano
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Feb 17, 2025
~2 min read
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Frequent egg consumption is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia.
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These findings are from a study in @Els_Nutrition which examined the association of egg consumption with Alzheimer’s dementia risk. sciencedirect.com/science/articl… 2/12
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The neuropathology of Alzheimer’s disease is an imbalance between the production and clearance of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in the brain that results in the accumulation and aggregation of Aβ plaques, soluble Aβ oligomers, and intraneuronal Aβ cause injury to synapses. 3/12
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The toxicity of Aβ is dependent on the presence of microtubule-associated protein tau and hyperphosphorylated forms that aggregate and deposit in the brain as neurofibrillary tangles. 4/12
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This persistent accumulation ultimately leads to cholinergic neurodegeneration and resultant dementia. 5/12
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Egg yolks are a rich dietary source of choline, omega (ω)-3 fatty acids, lutein, and other nutrients thought to affect cognitive health. 6/12
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They are the top food source of choline, an essential nutrient that is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and a critical component to many phospholipids that comprise cell membranes. 7/12
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Dietary intake of choline has been hypothesized to rescue this loss in cholinergic function; evidence suggests that ω-3 fatty acids have the potential to modulate a number of molecular and cellular processes that affect brain and visual health and inflammatory reactions. 8/12
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Weekly consumption of >1 egg/wk (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.34, 0.83) and ≥2 eggs/wk (HR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.81) was associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s dementia. 9/12
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Subgroup analysis of brain autopsies from 578 deceased participants showed that intakes of >1 egg/wk (HR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.76) and ≥2 eggs/wk (HR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.90) were associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in the brain. 10/12
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Mediation analysis showed that 39% of the total effect of egg intake on incident Alzheimer’s dementia was mediated through dietary choline. 11/12
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Overall, these findings suggest that frequent egg consumption is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia and disease pathology, and the association with Alzheimer’s dementia is partially mediated through dietary choline. 12/12
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Read more about risk factors for dementia:
Nicholas Fabiano, MD@NTFabiano
153 million people will be living with dementia by 2050.
This figure can be cut in half by addressing these 14 risk factors.🧵
This figure can be cut in half by addressing these 14 risk factors.🧵
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If you like eggs, checkout this experiment by @nicknorwitz whereby he ate 720 eggs in a month.
Nick Norwitz MD PhD@nicknorwitz
I just completed an Eggs-treme experiment: eating 720 eggs in a month—averaging one egg per hour for a whole month🥚
Here's what happened:
↔️First 2 weeks: my LDL cholesterol was stable
⬇️Final 2 weeks, my LDL cholesterol DROPPED by 18%
These results were possible, even predictable, given
understanding of physiology - related to carbohydrates, a recently discovered hormone (cholesin), and the Lipid Energy Model - and it's application to my own metabolic context
🙉Call the concept clickbait if you’d like, but I prefer to think about it as the application of interesting physiology to provoke curiosity and make learning about metabolism more “sticky.”
⚠️Warning: do not watch this video if you dislike puns. This science and these data will certainly 'scramble' your brain
Here's what happened:
↔️First 2 weeks: my LDL cholesterol was stable
⬇️Final 2 weeks, my LDL cholesterol DROPPED by 18%
These results were possible, even predictable, given
understanding of physiology - related to carbohydrates, a recently discovered hormone (cholesin), and the Lipid Energy Model - and it's application to my own metabolic context
🙉Call the concept clickbait if you’d like, but I prefer to think about it as the application of interesting physiology to provoke curiosity and make learning about metabolism more “sticky.”
⚠️Warning: do not watch this video if you dislike puns. This science and these data will certainly 'scramble' your brain
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For clarification, here is the KM plot with (A) clinical diagnosis and (B) pathological diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
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Who had eggs for breakfast today?
