Eat an egg a day to reduce Alzheimer’s risk

Eating an egg or two for breakfast can dramatically reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s especially important that the over-65s eat an egg at least five days a week as they are the most likely to suffer from cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s, say researchers from Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center.

They estimate that eating an egg a day reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s by as much as 27 percent.  But even those who don’t eat quite as many eggs can also enjoy a protective effect:  eating eggs just one to three times a month reduces the Alzheimer’s risk by 17 percent, while those who ate eggs two to four times a week saw around a 20 percent lower risk.

The researchers followed the diets and health of around 40,000 people, all Seventh Day Adventists, for around 15 years.  Seventh Day Adventists follow a healthier diet, anyway, and many eat only a vegetarian food; eggs are just one part of a balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, the researchers say.

Eggs contain several nutrients that are important for the brain. They are a rich source of choline, which the body uses to produce compounds such as acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine that are essential for memory and communication between brain cells.

They also provide lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids that build up in brain tissue and have been linked to better cognitive performance and lower levels of oxidative stress. In addition, eggs contain omega-3 fatty acids, and the yolk is especially high in phospholipids, making up nearly 30 percent of total egg lipids.

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