Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: January 14th

January 14th, 2013

Selections from Richard Lehman’s Literature Review: January 14th

Richard Lehman, BM, BCh, MRCGP

CardioExchange is pleased to reprint selections from Dr. Richard Lehman’s weekly journal review blog at BMJ.com. Selected summaries are relevant to our audience, but we encourage members to engage with the entire blog.

BMJ 12 Jan 2013 Vol 346

Egg Consumption and Risk of CHD and Stroke: “I had an excellent repast—the best repast possible—which consisted simply of boiled eggs and bread and butter. It was the quality of these simple ingredients that made the occasion memorable. The eggs were so good that I am ashamed to say how many of them I consumed ….It might seem that an egg which has succeeded in being fresh has done all that can be reasonably expected of it.” Henry James here expresses himself soundly on the question of eggs, though many would argue that scrambled eggs are even better, since they incorporate larger amounts of butter. Nor should one’s egg consumption be confined to those of the hen. Most birds and fish produce eggs which are perfectly delicious, and seagull eggs combine the qualities of both. As for the fabled eggs of the sea-urchin, however, these are not eggs at all, but the delicious gonads of the spiny creatures. By contrast, the eggs of snails and slugs, while attractive, are for the most part insipid and earthy. Why anyone should be troubled by the consumption of eggs as a medical issue, I cannot imagine, but this dose-response meta-analysis of the subject simply reinforces my advice to eat lots of eggs. They do not increase your risk of stroke or coronary disease, but even if they did, it would simply be a good reason to eat as many as you can while you still have the chance.

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January 14th, 2013