Egg yolk linked to heart disease: Study

The more egg yolks you eat, the worse will be the effect on your blood vessels, researchers have claimed in a new study.

According to a Canadian research, the build-up of carotid plaque, a waxy substance that clogs blood vessels and which is linked to reduced blood flow and higher risk of cardiovascular disease, is greater the more egg yolks people eat, The Independent reported.

"Our results suggest a strong association between egg consumption and carotid plaque burden," the researchers said. "The effect size of egg yolks appears to be approximately two-thirds that of smoking. We believe our study makes it imperative to reassess the role of egg yolks, and dietary cholesterol in general, as a risk factor for heart disease," they were quoted by the paper as saying.

The study assessed the affects of eating eggs by nearly 1,200 people, with an average age of 61. The study found that the carotid plaque area grew with age after 40, but increased exponentially with the number of years of smoking and egg yolk eating. The study was published in the journal Atherosclerosis.