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Eggs increase plasma HDL cholesterol and lutein concentrations in overweight/obese men following a carbohydrate restricted diet

Carbohydrate restricted diets have been shown to significantly decrease body weight, and improve plasma triglycerides (TG) and HDL cholesterol (HDL‐C) during weight loss. Lutein, a carotenoid present in eggs has been shown to play a major role in protecting against cataracts and macular degeneration in older people. We have previously shown that eggs increase HDL‐C and plasma lutein in diverse populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of eggs in a CRD on plasma HDL‐C and lutein concentrations in overweight/obese men (BMI = 25–37 kg/m2) aged 40–70 y undergoing a weight loss intervention. Using a parallel design, men were randomly assigned to consume 3 eggs (EGG group) (640 mg/d additional dietary cholesterol and 600 mcg of lutein) or the equivalent amount of egg substitute (SUB group) (0 cholesterol, 0 lutein) for 12 wk. All subjects irrespective of their assigned group, had very significant reductions in body weight, BMI and waist circumference (P < 0.01). Similarly plasma TG were reduced from 107.4 ± 48.7 to 77.0 ± 30.9 mg/dL (P < 0.05) in all subjects. LDL cholesterol did not change during the intervention. In contrast, The EGG group had a significant increase in HDL‐C (56.0 ± 16.6 to 66.4 ± 15.7 mg/dL, P < 0.05) while those subjects in the SUB group did not change their HDL‐C after the intervention. Similarly, lutein was increased from a mean of 0.6450 ìmol/L to 1.17 ìmol/L in the EGG group while no changes were observed in the SUB group. These results suggest that including eggs in a CRD results in a better lipoprotein profile with the added benefit of increases in circulating plasma lutein