Get Cracking.

My girlfriends know that I am a LIVE AND LET LIVE kind of girl. On most occasions. That is until some raging lunatic tries to take away something near and dear to me. I am a woman of science after all and if there is a good sound scientific argument around why to do or not to do something I can of course be swayed in my beliefs. Give me a well-rounded study that shows that 4-inch heels cause cancer- I will of course weight the pros and cons and perhaps take my chances. 

So imagine my shock and horror when just a few months ago (okay- it was April- but I am a bit slow) the medical community came out with a statement that eggs were as bad as cigarettes. 

Could it be true? Could my Sunday brunch ritual be as bad for me as the weekends I spent in University with a pack of Du Maurier Special milds 100's? Let be clear my sisters- I am an ex-smoker. It began when I was 16- and yes, I started it because I thought it was cool. Sure I wish I had never started but we all have to make our way in the world.

Fret not, my girlfriends- for now it has been over 15 years since I last engaged in such nicotine behaviours and THAT is the coolest thing of all. I love being a non-smoker. I love the feeling of self-righteousness I have every time someone lights up in front of me in a line or on a patio.

I love the dirty look I happily give them- as they blow smoke into the air and I send them an unspoken vibe of “Yo, Asshole, stop killing my oxygen supply”

Any and all of my sisters out there who’ve spent more than 20 seconds in my presence will know that I am a cheerleader for health. So imagine my surprise when some doc out of London Ontario made the statement that based on the evidence egg yolks were now the culinary equivalents of a pack of Marlborough Lights.

Oh the shock, oh the horror, oh the shame. Would someone now be shooting my omelet and ME the dirtiest of looks on a Sunday morning? Rest assured of course that in my fantasy this dirty look would be done while the said individual was glancing over their  iPhone while taking pictures of their egg-free breakfast.

Would restaurants now have a “cracking” and “non-cracking” section if you will?

Armed with my scientific mind, my investigatory nature and the need to decipher the meaning of brunch I went to the evidence.

Sure enough…. The dude in London mat be a scientist, but hey- he’s full of shit.

Firstly the Harvard Egg study published over 20 years ago showed that eating one egg a day was no different for rates of heart attacks and strokes than eating one egg a week in high risk populations. This was a population-based study of over 10,000 people over a period of 7 years.

And then just last week, a met-analysis published in the British Medical Journal sealed the deal for me. God bless the BMJ for saving my Sunday mornings….. all praise to the Brunch Goddess.

The Meta-analysis looked a total of eight articles and 17 reports (9for heart disease, 8 for stroke) to assess the risk of cardiovascular events in association with consumption of an egg a day versus no eggs at all (or less than one per week). This came out to 3 081 269 person years and 5847 incident cases for coronary heart disease, and 4 148 095 person years and 7579 incident cases for stroke.

The study showed no increase risk in all studies for cardiovascular disease in patients taking an egg a day versus none at all. YES.

Sure, I am a biased researcher but on this one…. The data is there. A study out of London, Ontario may show increased plaque formation in the egg consumer’s blood vessels, but it appears that this study is indeed flawed….

Firstly- plaque in a vessel does not necessarily mean a heart attack waiting to happen. We’ve known this in the medical community for years. Not all plaques behave equally. How do I put this? Think of it like your closet…. It may be “full” of clothes but sometimes you still have nothing to wear.

Secondly…. The sample size in London was rather small and not a reflection on real world data…..

Thirdly… well, must I go on my sisters?

Enough with the eggs debate.

As for me? It’s a lovely morning as I write this…. I must go grab a coffee, pick an outfit and prepare for a celebratory sit down brunch. Don’t worry my sisters…. I’ll be sure to crack a few for you as well.