Daily consumption of one or two eggs does not change the lipid profile of healthy women/ CONSUMO DIARIO DE UM OU DOIS OVOS NAO ALTERA O PERFIL LIPIDICO DE MULHERES SAUDAVEIS

The egg is a low-cost food, rich in proteins of high biological value, vitamins and minerals. For a long time, egg consumption was restricted in dietary recommendations as a result of its high amount of cholesterol (213.5mg/unit). However, recent studies indicate that cholesterol intake has little influence on the increase in mortality from cardiovascular diseases. Also, it is known that dietary cholesterol has little effect on the increase in LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c), with saturated fat being the main responsible for the increase in cholesterol and LDL-c levels. Herein, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of egg consumption on the lipid profile of healthy women. A prospective intervention study was carried out with 22 women, nondiabetic, normoglycemic and without renal or hepatic impairments. The participants were divided into three groups, with group 1 being instructed to consume one egg/day, group 2, two eggs/day and group 3 maintaining their usual egg consumption. All participants consumed the stipulated amount of eggs for 30 days and had their lipid profile and anthropometric data assessed before and after the study. The body weight and BMI of all participants remained unchanged. The measures of abdominal circumference increased significantly only in the control group (G3). Only G3 showed a significant increase in LDL-cholesterol. Thus, it was possible to conclude that the consumption of one or two eggs/day did not significantly alter the levels of plasma cholesterol and its lipoproteins.