Preventing breast cancer
Spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere tomorrow afternoon. So at some point today or tomorrow you’re likely to hear someone mention that an egg can be balanced on end at the exact moment of the vernal equinox.
It’s an interesting and quirky phenomenon, but have you ever tried it? I did once, with a group of friends. We didn’t have much success – one or two eggs balanced for a moment, but most of the eggs rolled over. The fact is (as I’ve since learned), if you try to stand an egg on end at ANY time of the year, you’ll succeed with one or two if you’re patient enough. In other words: there’s no evidence that this supposed fun science “fact” about stand-up eggs and the vernal equinox is true.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that eggs are quite good for you. In fact, I recently came across a couple of articles with startling headlines: “Eggs ‘Protect Against Breast Cancer'” read one. The other, even more promising, claimed: “Eggs Can Prevent Breast Cancer.”
But before you run out to your local diner and order two dozen cooked sunny side up, there are a few additional details you should know about.
The headlines above came from articles about a Harvard Medical School study reported in the journal Breast Cancer Research. Harvard doctors questioned more than 120,000 women for information about their teenage eating habits. The data showed that women were less likely to develop breast cancer if they had eaten eggs on a regular basis between the ages of 12 to 18.
Also less likely to develop breast cancer were those who consumed more dietary fiber and vegetable fat as teenagers. But young women who ate high amounts of butter were apparently more likely to develop the disease.
Women who participated in this study ranged in age from 40 to 65. So one of the obvious weaknesses of this study is that it’s based on recalled information. When you’re asking for dietary information that goes back several decades, the results have to be taken with a grain of salt. I can honestly say I don’t remember what I ate for breakfast on my way to high school.
Another weakness is the simple assumption that the eggs brought a health benefit rather than the possibility that other, less-nutritious breakfast alternatives might be harmful. Let’s face it, if you’re eating eggs for breakfast, you’re probably not eating doughnuts and danish.
Nevertheless, if this research focuses us on the nutritional value of eggs, I’m all for seeing it make headlines. Eggs contain proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins B, D, A, and Riboflavin, and minerals, including calcium, potassium, and iron.
The Harvard researchers did note that further studies are needed to strengthen connections between specific dietary habits with incidence of breast cancer. A spokesperson for a UK organization called Breakthrough Breast Cancer agreed, by adding that they would, “continue to advise all women to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.”
Going out on a limb on that one! But I second the motion.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
Sources:
“Eggs ‘Protect Against Breast Cancer'” BBC News, 2/24/03
“Eggs Can Prevent Breast Cancer” Dr. Joseph Mercola, mercola.com, 3/15/03
