University of Sydney researchers aim to help clear up conflicting dietary advice around egg consumption, as a new study finds eating up to 12 eggs per week for a year did not increase cardiovascular risk factors in people with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition  the research extends on a previous study that found similar results over a period of three months.

In the initial trial, participants aimed to maintain their weight while embarking on a high-egg (12 eggs per week) or low-egg (less than two eggs per week) diet, with no difference in cardiovascular risk markers identified at the end of three months.

The same participants then embarked on a weight loss diet for an additional three months, while continuing their high or low egg consumption. For a further six months -- up to 12 months in total  participants were followed up by researchers and continued their high or low egg intake.

At all stages, both groups showed no adverse changes in cardiovascular risk markers and achieved equivalent weight loss  regardless of their level of egg consumption

A healthy diet as prescribed in this study emphasised replacing saturated fats (such as butter) with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (such as avocado and olive oil).

The extended study tracked a broad range of cardiovascular risk factors including cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure, with no significant difference in results between the high egg and low egg groups.

While eggs themselves are high in dietary cholesterol  and people with type 2 diabetes tend to have higher levels of the 'bad' low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

this study supports existing research that shows consumption of eggs has little effect on the levels of cholesterol in the blood of the people eating them.