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Breast Cancer May Reduce
Through Essential Nutrient in Egg
Choline, an essential nutrient found in foods such as eggs, is
associated with a 24 percent reduced risk of breast cancer, according
to a study supported by a grant from the U.S. National Institutes
of Health (NIH), to be published in The FASEB Journal's print issue
in June. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that links
egg consumption to a decreased risk of breast cancer.
In this new case-control study of more than 3,000 adult women,
the risk of developing breast cancer was 24 percent lower among
women with the highest intake of choline compared to women with
the lowest intake. Women with the highest intake of choline consumed
a daily average of 455 mg of choline or more, getting most of it
from coffee, eggs and skim milk. Women with the lowest intake consumed
a daily average of 196 milligrams or less.
" Choline is needed for the normal functioning of cells,
no matter your age or gender," says Steven H. Zeisel, MD,
PhD, University of North Carolina, who is an author of the study
and a leading choline researcher. "Increasing evidence shows
that it may be particularly important for women, particularly those
of child-bearing age."
Only ten percent of Americans currently meet the recommended
intake for choline, identifying a need to increase choline intake
across the population. According to the Institute of Medicine,
adequate choline intake is 550 milligrams per day for men and breastfeeding
women, 425 milligrams per day for women, and 450 milligrams per
day for pregnant women. One egg contains 125.5 milligrams of choline,
or roughly a quarter the recommended daily supply, making eggs
an excellent source of this essential nutrient. Choline is found
exclusively in the egg's yolk. Other top food sources of choline
include liver, wheat germ and cauliflower.
" While choline is an essential nutrient to the human diet,
most people haven't even heard of it," says Gerald Weissmann,
MD, Editor in Chief of The FASEB Journal and research professor
of medicine and director of the Biotechnology Study Center at the
New York University School of Medicine. "Given that in the
U.S. there is a real need to understand how much choline we require
in our diet, we hope that research, education and awareness about
choline will increase as a result of this study published in The
FASEB Journal."
Two previously published studies, supported by NIH grants, have
shown that women who eat eggs have a lower risk of developing breast
cancer: * A study published in 2003 by researchers at Harvard University
found that women who reported higher consumption of eggs, vegetable
fat and fiber during adolescence had a smaller risk of developing
breast cancer as adults. Specifically, eating one egg per day was
associated with an 18 percent reduced risk of breast cancer.
* A study of Chinese women published in Cancer Epidemiology,
Biomarkers & Prevention in 2005 showed that those who consumed
the most fruit, vegetables and eggs were significantly less likely
to have breast cancer. For those that reported eating at least
six eggs per week, the risk of developing breast cancer was 44
percent lower than for those who ate two or less eggs per week.
In addition to playing a role in the normal functioning of all
cells, including brain and nerve function, liver metabolism and
the transportation of nutrients throughout the body, choline has
been shown to:
- Prevent Birth Defects: According to population-based research,
infants from mothers whose diets were deficient in choline were
four times more likely to have neural tube defects such as spina
bifida. This increased risk was observed even when other nutrients
that help prevent birth defects, such as folic acid, were in
adequate supply.
- Improve Memory: Research suggests that choline is essential
for proper fetal and infant brain development. It appears that
choline affects the areas of the brain responsible for memory
function and life-long learning ability.
- Reduce Heart Disease Risk: Choline, like folate, is involved
in breaking down homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood that
may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease. In
fact, research shows that choline deficiency results in increased
homocysteine levels. This may help to explain why 30 years of
research have shown that healthy adults can consume eggs without
increasing their risk of heart disease.
Nutritionhorizon.com
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