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A study done by Australian researchers shows that eating just one egg a day can increase your risk of diabetes by up to 60{85424e366b324f7465dc80d56c21055464082cc00b76c51558805a981c8fcd63}.

Eating just one egg a day increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 60 per cent, according to a new study.

Australian researchers who studied a sample of 8,545 Chinese adults found a positive correlation between higher egg consumption and high blood sugar levels.

Eggs are versatile and nutritious and are promoted as a ‘healthy fast food’ in the UK, but have proved the ultimate conundrum for diabetes researchers. Previous studies have indicated that eating eggs can actually keep diabetes at bay. This new research suggests regular consumption of an egg a day – either boiled, scrambled, poached or fried – makes you more prone to the condition, which occurs when a person’s blood sugar is too high.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat.

There are two main types of diabetes:

  • Type 1, where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin, which helps your body use glucose for energy.
  • Type 2, where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells do not react to insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is far more common than Type 1. In the UK, around 90{85424e366b324f7465dc80d56c21055464082cc00b76c51558805a981c8fcd63} of all adults with diabetes have Type 2.

‘Diet is a known and modifiable factor that contributes to the onset of type 2 diabetes, so understanding the range of dietary factors that might impact the growing prevalence of the disease is important,’ said study author Dr Ming Li at the University of South Australia. ‘While the association between eating eggs and diabetes is often debated, this study has aimed to assess people’s long-term egg consumption of eggs and their risk of developing diabetes.’

The study specifically focused on people in China, which has undergone a transition away from a traditional diet comprising grains and vegetables, to a more processed diet that includes greater amounts of meat, snacks and eggs, according to Dr Li. From 1991 to 2009, the number of people eating eggs in China nearly doubled – from 16 grams in 1991-93, to 26 grams in 2000-04 and 31 grams in 2009.

Diabetes was responsible for at least $760 billion in health expenditure in 2019 – 10 per cent of the global total spent on healthcare. While in China, diabetes-related costs have exceeded $109 billion.

For the study, Dr Li and her team analysed data on the adults 8,545 adults who attended the China Health and Nutrition Survey from 1991 to 2009. China Health and Nutrition Survey is an ongoing survey backed by the US government’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) that aims to examine the effects of the health policies and nutrition in China.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat.

Original source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk