Category: Food Products
Does an egg a day increase the risk of coronary heart disease?
There are many people who avoid eating eggs because they believe that eating eggs can increase the risk of heart disease. A recent study done by Harvard researchers have proved that having an egg a day does not affect your heart.
For their study, the researchers studied the impact of eggs the health of about 115,000 men and women. At the end of the research, the researchers concluded that eating an egg a day does not increase the cholesterol levels. Also, researchers did not find any short-term or long-term risk of coronary heart disease in people who ate one egg every day.
The participants of the study included about 790,000 nurses that were aged 34 to 59 and whose medical history was followed for 14 years. The study also included about 36,000 males that included pharmacist, dental assistants and other healthcare professionals.
One of the main causes for problems in the heart is high cholesterol levels in people. The cholesterol increases the fatty deposits in the body that blocks the arteries which can lead to stroke and other heart diseases. To reduce the risk of heart problems, people should not consume more than 300 mgs of cholesterol in a day. Since one large egg has about 213 milligrams of cholesterol, most nutritionists are of the view that people should not have more than 1 or 2 eggs a week. However, researchers at Harvard noted that egg contained several nutrients that helped in reducing the negative effects of cholesterol. Some of the nutrients that an egg contains include amino acids, unsaturated fats and vitamins. Researchers further added that good cholesterol that is present in eggs helps in preventing the formation of fatty deposits in the arteries. Eating egg also helps in reducing the harmful effects of carbohydrate-rich foods that increase the blood sugar levels.
Foods that Cause Cold Sores
Even though there are several food products that help in reducing cold like cloves and ginger, there are certain items that can trigger the attack of cold sores. These items usually contain amino acid which is known to cause cold sores. Here are some of the items that can trigger cold sores:
Acidic Foods
These foods could cause tissue damage which can hasten cold sore outbreak in people. Certain foods like lemon, pineapple, grapefruit, pomegranate and cranberries are highly acidic and can cause cold sore outbreak. Apart from these highly acidic fruits some medium acidic fruits like plums, berries, pears, cherries and berries can also cause cold sores.
If you are one of these who suffer from cold sores because of acidic fruits, it is best that you avoid fruits juices, puree and preserves as their concentration level is high. Even though vegetables are not known to cause tissue damage, some canned versions of vegetables like tomato can trigger cold sore because acids are added to these vegetables to increase their shelf life. You must also avoid eating pickles and foods that contain salad dressing as they contain vinegar which is known to contain acids.
Nuts and Seeds
Some seeds and nuts contain amino acid called arginine which is known to promote the growth of herpes simplex virus. A study conducted Craig S. Miller to find out the affect of amino acid on humans confirmed that arginine intake causes cold sores in people.
However, not all nuts and seeds are known to trigger cold sores. Certain nuts like Macadamia nuts that contain high levels of arginine can cause cold while pistachio nuts that have very low levels of arginine can cause cold sores. Some nuts and seeds that contain medium levels of arginine include pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds. If you plan to avoid seeds and nuts, you must also avoid foods like tahini and pesto that contain these nuts. However, oil that is extracted from these nuts and seeds can be safely taken as they don’t contain any seeds and nuts.
Hot Foods
If you eat food and beverages that is hot, it can burn some delicate tissues in your mouth which can cause cold sores. Hot beverages cause the maximum damage as they are known to cause severe damage to mouth tissues. Therefore it is important that you assess the temperature of the food before you eat it. If the food or beverage is excessively hot, allow it to cool before you consume it.
