Effects of stress during commercial hatching on growth, egg production and feather pecking in laying hens.

Every year, billions of egg layer chicks around the world are hatched under highly stressful, industrial circumstances. Here, it is investigated how the stressful procedure in the commercial hatchery, including incubation, hatching, processing, and transport affects the chicks with regards to traits relevant for the egg production industry. These traits were compared to those of a control group hatched in a small incubator and handled gently och quietly in a quiet room without any processing and transport. The chicks were weighed at hatch and at eight additional time points: 4 days, 1 week (w), 2 w, 3 w, 5 w, 8 w, 20 w and 25 w of age. Feather pecking was studied at 15 w of age and damages to the feathers and injuries on the comb and wattle were assessed at 25 w of age. From 19 w of age, eggs were collected on three days per week, counted and weighed. Chicks from a commercial hatchery had a lower hatch weight than control chicks (p<0.001). At 20 w of age, the weight of the commercial hatched chicks was still numerically lower, although this did not reach statistical significance. Commercially hatched chicks tended to show more feather pecking behaviour at 15 w of age compared to control chicks (p<0.1), although feather condition at 25 w of age showed the opposite pattern. Regarding production, commercially hatched chickens laid fewer (p<0.05) and smaller (p<0.05) eggs than chicks hatched and handled under calm circumstances. From this experiment, it is concluded that the stressful experience in the commercial hatchery has an overall negative effect on traits relevant for the industry.

Patterns of Egg Consumption Can Help Contribute to Nutrient Recommendations and Are Associated with Diet Quality and Shortfall Nutrient Intakes.

Limited data are available on how eggs are consumed in the typical American eating pattern and the contribution to usual intakes, diet quality and in meeting recommendations. The objectives of the present analysis included identifying how eggs are consumed within U.S. dietary patterns and how these patterns are associated with the usual intakes of shortfall nutrients and diet quality (Healthy Eating Index 2015) using data from the combined National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2001-2016. An additional objective included assessing the differences between egg consumers and egg non-consumers in nutrient intakes and nutrient adequacy. Several egg-containing dietary patterns were identified, and two egg patterns were associated with a greater diet quality compared to a no egg pattern (p < 0.0001). Most egg patterns identified were similar in diet quality scores when compared to the no egg pattern; however, the two egg patterns had lower diet quality scores. Egg consumption combined with a greater intake of total protein foods, seafood and plant protein, total vegetables, total fruit, whole fruit, whole grains and dairy foods, and a lower intake of refined grains and added sugars contributed to an improved diet quality, supporting that no one food is responsible for a healthy dietary pattern. Egg consumers demonstrated significantly higher intakes of dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, total choline, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E when compared to egg non-consumers. A comparison of egg consumers and egg non-consumers found egg consumers had significantly less percentages of the population below the EAR for calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E. Similarly, the percentage of the population above the recommendations for potassium and choline were greater for egg consumers vs. egg non-consumers. In egg consumers, 24.4% of the population was above the AI for dietary choline when compared to 4.3% of egg non-consumers (p < 0.0001). Findings from the present analysis demonstrate that eggs and egg-containing foods can be an important part of a healthy dietary pattern when balanced accordingly with other nutrient-dense foods.

Best-fitted regression models for profitability of two egg-type commercial pullets.

This study is focused on describing the most important factors which have a great influence on profitability of egg production of two commercial layer flocks under Egyptian conditions, LSL white and brown. The data for each flock has been collected from seven governorates including the Delta and Upper Egypt zones over the period 2005-2012. General linear procedure was generated to get both least square means and separation of means. Application of stepwise regression was carried to predict the most important factors that affect egg production profitability in US dollar. White egg layers had significantly higher net profit per hen than the brown egg type, being as 12.2 vs. 12.1 cents for the white and brown type egg layers, respectively. Closed houses and battery systems were the preferred systems for the white-egg genotype where pullets achieved significantly higher egg income over feed coast by 15.9 and 14.9 cents for closed and battery system, respectively compared to 10.9 and 11.5 cents for the LSL brown one, respectively. Open houses and floor systems were profitable for brown-egg genotype by recording a significantly higher profitability as 13.3 and 12.7 cents, respectively copmared to 8.7 and 9.7 cents for the white-egg genotype.Both white and brown-egg types had recorded significantly higher net profitability under delta zone rather than upper Egypt by 2.2 cents and 2.1 cents, respectively. Application of the stepwise regression procedure was to predict the net profit (Y) from three independent variables, egg weight (X1), egg price (X2), and hen housed egg production (X3). Generally, LSL white layers, egg price (X2) had the highest share in profitability by 44.24% compared to hen housed egg production (X3) that share 29.98%. For LSL brown layers, egg weight (X1) is the most important factor accounting for the profitability in cents. Its relative importance to the profitability is 57.24% followed by egg price (X2) 21.25%. Hen housed egg production (X3) had very little share 0.14%.

Egg, cholesterol and protein intake and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: Results of repeated measurements from a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Epidemiological evidence on the associations of egg, cholesterol and protein intake with risk of type 2 diabetes is inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted this study to explore these associations among Chinese adults. METHODS: Data from 4 waves (2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011) of the China Health and Nutrition Survey were used. A multistage random-cluster sampling method was employed to recruit the participants in both rural and urban areas. We included individuals who participated in 2004 and any waves afterwards. Those 1) below 18 years of age; 2) with diabetes at baseline; or 3) with extreme energy intake (men: <800 kcal or >6000 kcal; women: <600 kcal or >4000 kcal) were excluded. Respondents were classified into four groups according to quartiles of egg, cholesterol and protein intake per day. Numbers of eggs per day were calculated by dividing egg intake in grams by 50 g. Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes was self-reported. Logistic generalized estimation equation models were employed. RESULTS: There were 7312 individuals included in 2004, 6390 in 2006, 4826 in 2009 and 4963 in 2011. The mean age of participants at baseline was 48.3 years and 47.2% were men. Over an average of 5.8-y follow-up, 209 developed type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for demographic, lifestyle and dietary confounders, the odds ratio of type 2 diabetes for those in the highest compared with the lowest protein intake quartile was 2.38 (95% CI: 1.43, 3.98). The odds ratio of individuals with ≥3 eggs/day versus none was 3.76 (95% CI, 2.05, 6.90). Cholesterol intake was not associated with type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with the highest protein intake had over a 2-fold increased risk of type 2 diabetes compared with those with the lowest protein intake. A high intake of egg, but not dietary cholesterol, was associated with type 2 diabetes. This association warrants further investigation.

Associations of meat consumption and changes with all-cause mortality in hypertensive patients during 11.4-year follow-up: Findings from a population-based nationwide cohort.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Accumulating evidence has linked distinct associations of red/processed and white meat consumption with chronic diseases and longevity among the general population. However, the associations of meat consumption and changes with mortality among hypertensive patients remain unknown. We aimed to assess the associations of red and white meat consumption with all-cause mortality among hypertensive patients in China. METHODS: We followed 8095 hypertensive patients from the China Health and Nutrition Survey between 1991 and 2015. In each survey year, 3-day 24-h dietary records were used to collect dietary data. Cumulative averages of dietary meat intake after the diagnosis of hypertension were calculated. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mortality. RESULTS: Overall 927 deaths were documented among these hypertensive patients during an average of 11.4 years of follow-up. Red meat consumption was positively associated with all-cause mortality after multivariable adjustment [HR (95% CI) comparing the highest versus lowest quartile: 1.29 (1.05-1.57), P trend = 0.02]. White meat intake was associated with lower all-cause mortality [HR (95% CI) comparing the highest tertile with non-consumers: 0.77 (0.63-0.94), P trend = 0.002]. Increasing red meat consumption from before to after hypertension diagnosis was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality [HR (95% CI): 1.55 (1.05-2.28), P trend = 0.04]. Theoretically replacing 1 ounce/day of red meat with the equivalent amount of white meat or eggs was associated with 5% and 10% lower all-cause mortality, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: High consumption of red meat, especially after hypertension diagnosis, is associated with higher mortality among hypertensive patients. Our findings suggest replacing red meat consumption with healthy alternative foods for long-term survival among hypertensive patients.

Behavior Change, Egg Consumption, and Child Nutrition: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Malnutrition is a significant contributor to child morbidity and mortality globally. Egg consumption has been associated with improved child nutrition yet is rare in rural, resource-poor settings. We test the effects of a culturally tailored behavior change intervention to increase child egg consumption. METHODS: A 3-arm cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in rural Burkina Faso with 260 mother-child dyads. Children aged 4 to 17 months from 18 villages were included; those with reported history of malnutrition or egg allergy were excluded. Each child in the full intervention arm received 4 chickens, and mothers received the 10-month behavior change package. Participants in the partial intervention arm received only the behavior change package. RESULTS: In this analysis of 250 children, the full (ß = 4.3; P = 6.6 × 10-12) and the partial (ß = 1.0; P = .02) interventions significantly increased egg consumption. The full intervention also significantly increased poultry production (ß = 11.6; 95% confidence interval 8.3-15; P = 1.1 × 10-5) and women's decision-making about eggs (ß = .66; P = .02), and significantly decreased wasting (ß = .58; P = .03) and underweight (ß = .47; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: The culturally tailored behavior change package significantly increased child egg consumption. When coupled with the gift of chickens, the behavior change intervention yielded a greater increase in egg consumption and significantly reduced wasting and underweight. Behavior change strategies to increase egg consumption should be considered among nutrition and health programs in resource-poor settings where poultry is available.

Consumer preferences and sensory characteristics of eggs from family farms.

The objective of this study was to evaluate consumer habits as well as the sensory perception and characteristics of farm eggs produced in Los Ríos, Chile. Data were collected from an online survey of 197 respondents and a sensory evaluation carried out by 30 untrained panelists of 4 types of eggs (brown-shell and blue-shell eggs acquired from family farms, free-range eggs acquired from large, industrial systems, and white-shell cage eggs from industrial, cage systems.) To evaluate differences and preferences, data were analyzed in a GLM. In addition, sensory evaluation was analyzed using principal component analysis. In accordance with the survey, 99% of the participants eat eggs (P < 0.001), 58% eat 1 to 3 eggs/wk, and 84% declared to consume eggs at home (<0.0001). Surveyed participants reported that price and size are the determining factors (31%) when purchasing eggs. Among the physical characteristic for consumers, yolk color was the most important attribute rather than white color, egg appearance, texture, flavor, or odor. In the consumer acceptability test, farm eggs (either brown or blue shell) received the most favorable sensory evaluation by the panel and were preferred to both free-range and white-shell cage eggs. Yolk color was the most influential parameter in making this difference. Brown farm eggs were predominately selected for greatest general satisfaction by participants in both the sensory evaluation (P = 0.008) and in the survey (40%; P = 0.026). There were no differences between farm eggs (brown and blue shell, P > 0.05) in the evaluated parameters. There was a consequence in the information given from surveyed consumers and the sensory panel with the yolk color.

Scale economies and total factor productivity growth on poultry egg farms in Benin: a stochastic frontier approach.

The study examines economies of scale and sources of total factor productivity growth on poultry farms producing table eggs in Benin Republic. We use panel data on commercial poultry farms from 2010 to 2018, and the flexible translog production functions to estimate a stochastic frontier and economies of scale. The results showed that there were significant economies of scale to be exploited, and the average productivity growth rate was decreasing of 5.09% over the study period. This deterioration was mainly because of the decline of technical efficiency growth rate (2.16%) and technology growth rate (2.67%). Although the returns to scale (1.31) were increasing, their effects on productivity during the study period were negative (-0.74%). As implications, policy makers may encourage the increasing of the "size" of poultry farms and act on the sources of productivity growth identified in this study to increase the productivity of commercial poultry farms to meet the demand of table egg in Benin.

Associations of egg consumption with incident cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

Eggs are nutrient-dense while also loaded with abundant cholesterol, thus making the public hesitant about their consumption. We conducted the study to investigate if egg consumption is associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. Using the project of Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China, we included 102,136 adults free of CVD and assessed their egg consumption with food-frequency questionnaires. CVD endpoints and all-cause mortality were confirmed during follow-ups by interviewing participants or their proxies and checking hospital records/death certificates. The HRs (95% CIs) were calculated using the cohort-stratified Cox regression models. During 777,163 person-years of follow-up, we identified 4,848 incident CVD and 5,511 deaths. U-shaped associations of egg consumption with incident CVD and all-cause mortality were observed. Compared with consumption of 3-<6/week, the multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of <1/week and ≥10/week for incident CVD were 1.22 (1.11 to 1.35) and 1.39 (1.28 to 1.52), respectively. The corresponding HRs (95% CIs) for all-cause mortality were 1.29 (1.18 to 1.41) and 1.13 (1.04 to 1.24). Our findings identified that both low and high consumption were associated with increased risk of incident CVD and all-cause mortality, highlighting that moderate egg consumption of 3-<6/week should be recommended for CVD prevention in China.

Consumption of eggs and the 15-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A naturally rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin are eggs. There is scarce epidemiological data on the temporal association between total egg consumption and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) incidence. We aimed to establish the prospective and independent association between consumption of eggs with the incidence of AMD over a 15-year follow-up. METHODS: In this population-based cohort study of 3,654 participants aged 49 + years examined at baseline, 2034 participants had complete information on baseline egg consumption and AMD signs over 15 years. AMD was determined from retinal photographs. Egg consumption was assessed using a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Total egg intake was calculated through summing up intakes in all forms e.g. boiled, poached, fried, scrambled and/or omelette. We summarized total egg consumption into the following categories: ≤1 egg/week; 2-4 eggs/week; 5-6 eggs/week; and ≥1 egg/day. RESULTS: At baseline, participants who consumed 2-4 eggs/week compared to those who consumed ≤1 egg/week (reference group) had reduced risk of incident late-stage AMD after 15 years: multivariable-adjusted odds ratio, OR, 0.51 (95% confidence intervals, CI, 0.28-0.92). Participants who consumed 2-4 eggs/week versus ≤1 egg/week at baseline had 62% reduced risk of developing neovascular AMD. Among those whose AMD onset was at or before the 10-year follow-up, consumption of 2-4 and 5-6 eggs/week was associated with 54% and 65% reduced risk of incident late AMD, respectively. When analyzed as a dichotomized variable, participants who consumed >1 egg/week versus ≤1 egg/week at baseline, had 46% reduced risk of developing late-stage AMD 15 years later: multivariable-adjusted OR 0.54 (95% CI 0.3-0.90). Non-significant associations were observed between egg consumption and incident early AMD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that moderate consumption of eggs significantly reduces the risk of developing incident late-stage AMD over 15 years.

Temporal Trends in Apparent Food Consumption in Bangladesh: A Joinpoint Regression Analysis of FAO's Food Balance Sheet Data from 1961 to 2013.

We analyzed the temporal trends and significant changes in apparent food consumption or availabilityin Bangladesh from 1961 to 2013. Due to the lack of a long-term national dietary intake dataset, this study used data derived from the FAO's food balance sheets. We used joinpoint regression analysis to identify significant changes in the temporal trends. The annual percent change (APC) was computed for each segment of the trends. Apparent intake of starchy roots, eggs, fish, vegetables, milk, and vegetable oils significantly has increased (p < 0.05) in the Bangladeshi diet since 1961; whereas cereals changed by merely 4.65%. Bangladesh has been experiencing three structural changes in their dietary history after the Liberation War, though the intake level has been grossly inadequate. Initially, since the late-1970s, apparent vegetable oils intake increased at a market rate (APC = 7.53). Subsequently, since the early-1990s, the real force behind the structural change in the diet has been the increasing trends in the apparent intake of fish (APC = 5.05), eggs (APC = 4.65), and meat (APC = 1.54). Lastly, since the early 2000s, apparent intakes of fruits (APC = 20.44), vegetables (APC = 10.58), and milk (APC = 3.55) increased significantly (p <0.05). This study result reveals and quantifies the significant secular changes in the dietary history of Bangladesh from 1961 to 2013. Bangladesh has experienced inadequate but significant structural changes in the diet in the late-1970s, early-1990s, and early-2000s. Overabundance of cereals and inadequate structural changes in the diet may have caused the increasing prevalence of overweightness and emergence of diet-related, non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh.

Egg Consumption, Multi-Domain Cognitive Performance, and Short-Term Cognitive Change in a Representative Sample of Older U.S. Adults.

Objective: Existing research supports a positive relationship between egg intake and cognitive function in older populations, although the impact of whole egg consumption on multi-domain cognitive function and cognitive decline in representative samples of older adults has not been described. We examined the association between egg consumption, cognitive performance, and cognitive change in a representative sample of U.S. adults aged 65 and older. Methods: We drew observations from the 2012 and 2014 Health and Retirement Study and the recently released 2013 Health Care and Nutrition Study. The analytic sample contained 3835 respondents, representing a weighted population of 37,806,082 community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older in 2013. Multivariate path analytic models were used to estimate the association between egg consumption groups (none, ≤ 1 serving per week, 2-6 servings per week, ≥ 7 servings per week) and cognitive performance across domains of working memory, executive function, and global mental status. First-order autoregressive models were used to estimate cognitive change over the 2-year observational period. Follow-up analyses examined associations between egg consumption group, dietary patterns, and nutrient intake. Results: On average, older adults consumed 0.34 eggs per day (SD = 0.36). Although bivariate analyses suggested that moderate egg consumers had the best cognitive performance at baseline assessment, egg consumption was not associated with cognitive performance or cognitive change when adjusting models for covariates known to have a robust association with cognitive health. Conclusions: Our results suggest that egg consumption does not benefit, nor is detrimental to, the cognitive health of older adults. Further studies of whole egg consumption and cognitive performance would benefit from controlled experimental settings, longer follow-up periods to measure cognitive change, and assessment of both community-dwelling and institutionalized older adults.

Egg Consumption and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality: An Individual-Based Cohort Study and Pooling Prospective Studies on Behalf of the Lipid and Blood Pressure Meta-analysis Collaboration (LBPMC) Group.

The associations of egg consumption with total, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke mortality are poorly understood. We prospectively evaluated the link between total, CHD, and stroke mortality with egg consumption using a randomly selected sample of U.S. adults. Next we validated these results within a meta-analysis and systematic review of all available prospective results. We assessed the mean of cardiometabolic risk factors across the intake of eggs. We made the analysis based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES; 1999-2010). In NHANES, vital status through December 31, 2011, was ascertained. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to relate baseline egg consumption with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were also searched (up to December 2017). The DerSimonian-Laird method and generic inverse variance methods were used for quantitative data synthesis. Overall, 23,524 participants from NHANES were included (mean age of 47.7 years; 48.7% were men). Across increasing the intake of eggs, adjusted mean levels of cardiometabolic risk factors worsened. Adjusted logistic regression showed that participants in the highest category of egg intake had a greater risk of diabetes (T2DM; 30%) and hypertension (HTN; 48%). With regard to total and CHD mortality, multivariable Cox regression in a fully adjusted model showed no link in males and females. In males, egg intake had a reverse (66%) association with stroke mortality, while this link was not significant among females. The results of pooling data from published prospective studies also showed no link between CHD and total mortality with egg consumption, whereas we observed a reverse (28%) association between egg intake and stroke mortality. These findings were robust after sensitivity analysis. According to our findings, egg intake had no association with CHD and total mortality, whereas was associated with lower risk of mortality from stroke. Egg consumption was associated with T2DM, HTN, C-reactive protein, and markers of glucose/insulin homeostasis. If confirmed in clinical trials (causation), this information may have applications for population-wide health measures. Key teaching points No link between total and CHD mortality with eggs intake in males and females. In males, egg intake had a reverse association with stroke mortality, while this link was not significant among females. The results of pooling data from published prospective studies also showed no link between CHD and total mortality with egg consumption, whereas we observed a reverse association between egg intake and stroke mortality.

Avaliação de práticas estabelecidas na produção e comercialização de ovos caipiras: um estudo de caso sobre um programa de incentivo à avicultura no Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Evaluation of practices established in production and marketing of free-range eggs: a case study on a poultry farming development program in the State of Rio de Janeiro

A agricultura familiar é responsável por práticas produtivas mais sustentáveis e desenvolvimento local. Dessa forma, incentivos à avicultura, por intermédio da agricultura familiar, têm sido viabilizados através do Programa Rio Rural. Neste sentido, o trabalho teve por objetivo realizar o levantamento de informações que subsidiem estratégias para melhorias do sistema de produção e comercialização de ovos caipiras. Os resultados indicam que apesar de índices produtivos baixos, a maioria dos beneficiários está satisfeita com a atividade. Nota-se ainda que as práticas sanitárias são deficientes, e que os produtos comercializados, em grande parte informalmente, não seguem as condições adequadas. Conclui-se que as ações de assistência técnica devem ser ampliadas de forma que viabilizem um sistema produtivo ajustado e com bases sustentáveis.

Qualidade de ovos brancos comercializados em diferentes estabelecimentos no município de Paragominas – PA / Quality of whit eggs marketed in different establishments in the municipality of Paragominas – PA

Objetivou-se verificar a qualidade de ovos brancos de acordo com os aspectos internos e externos comercializados em diferentes estabelecimentos do município de Paragominas - PA. Os ovos foram coletados de aleatoriamente em diferentes pontos comerciais. As análises consideradas no estudo, foi de: integridade e aparência da casca e peso do ovo, altura da câmara de ar, peso, altura e diâmetro da gema para o cálculo de índice da gema, altura e peso do albúmen e cor da gema. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e ao teste de Tukey. Os ovos dos grandes supermercados apresentaram melhores índices de qualidade interna e os piores resultados quanto a peso, trincas visíveis e sujeiras. Os ovos de pequenos supermercados apresentaram o maior índice de trincas não visíveis e os de médio porte os menores índices de sujeiras e trincas.

Interaction between an ATP-Binding Cassette A1 (ABCA1) Variant and Egg Consumption for the Risk of Ischemic Stroke and Carotid Atherosclerosis: a Family-Based Study in the Chinese Population.

AIM: ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) plays an important role in reducing the risk of stroke. Egg is the major source of dietary cholesterol and is known to be associated with the risk of stroke and atherosclerosis. We aimed to assess the effects of interaction between an ABCA1 variant (rs2066715) and egg consumption on the risk of ischemic stroke (IS), carotid plaque, and carotid-intima media thickness (CIMT) in the Chinese population. METHODS: In total, 5869 subjects (including 1213 IS cases) across 1128 families were enrolled and divided into two groups based on the median egg consumption (4 eggs per week). In the analyses for the presence of carotid plaque and CIMT, 3171 out of 4656 IS-free controls without self-reported history of coronary heart disease and lipid-lowering medications were included. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to model the genetic association of rs2066715 with the risk of IS, and mixed-effect linear regression for the genetic association of rs2066715 with carotid plaque, and CIMT. The gene-by-egg cross-product term was included in the regression model for interaction analysis. RESULTS: We found that rs2066715 was associated with the increased risk of carotid plaque among those who consumed ＜4 eggs per week after adjustment (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.61 [1.08, 2.39], P =0.019). A significant effect of interaction between rs2066715 and egg consumption on the risk of carotid plaque was identified (P =0.011). CONCLUSION: rs2066715 was found to interact with egg consumption in modifying the risk of carotid plaque in the Chinese population.

Egg consumption and prevalence of psychological disorders in adults.

PURPOSE: No previous study has examined the associations between egg consumption and prevalence of psychological disorders. The present study was conducted to determine the association between egg consumption and depression in a large sample of Iranian adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 3172 adults in Isfahan, Iran. Egg consumption was assessed by using a validated, self-administered, dish-based, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The Iranian validated version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to screen for anxiety and depression. The Iranian validated version of General Health Questionnaire with 12 items was used to assess psychological distress. Depression, anxiety and psychological distress were defined according to standard criteria. RESULTS: The mean age of the study participants was 36.5 ± 7.9 years. Depression, anxiety and psychological distress were prevalent among 28.4, 13.6 and 23% of the study subjects, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, no significant association was observed between egg intake and depression (OR for comparing extreme quartiles: 1.08; 95% CIs 0.80-1.45) and anxiety (OR 0.79; 95% CIs 0.54-1.16), as well as psychological distress (OR 1.03; 95% CIs 0.76-1.41) in the whole population. In men, significant positive associations were observed between egg intake and depression before controlling for BMI (OR 1.68; 95% CIs 1.01-2.80); however, the associations became non-significant after taking BMI into account (OR 1.62; 95% CIs 0.96-2.72). CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant association between egg intake and psychological disorders. Further studies, in particular of prospective design, are warranted.

Moderate egg consumption and all-cause and specific-cause mortality in the Spanish European Prospective into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Spain) study.

PURPOSE: Dietary guidelines for egg consumption for general population differ among public health agencies. Our aim was to investigate the association between egg intake and both all-cause and specific-cause of mortality in a Mediterranean population. METHODS: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Spain cohort included 40,621 men and women aged 29-69 years old in the nineties from 5 Spanish regions. After a mean of 18 years of follow-up, 3,561 deaths were recorded, of which 1,694 were from cancer, 761 from CVD, and 870 from other causes. Data on egg consumption was collected using a validated diet history at recruitment. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for confounders, were used in the analyses. RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) egg consumption was 22.0 g/day (15.8) and 30.9 g/day (23.1) in women and men, respectively. No association was observed between egg consumption and all-cause mortality for the highest vs the lowest quartile (HR 1.01; 95% CI 0.91-1.11; P trend = 0.96). Likewise, no association was observed with cancer and cardiovascular diseases mortality. However, an inverse association was found between egg consumption and deaths for other causes (HR 0.76; 95% CI 0.63-0.93; P trend = 0.003), particularly for deaths from the nervous system (HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.35-1.00; P trend = 0.036). No interaction was detected with the adherence to Mediterranean diet. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows no association between moderate egg consumption, up to 1 egg per day, and main causes of mortality in a large free-living Mediterranean population.

Association between egg consumption and elevated fasting glucose prevalence in relation to dietary patterns in selected group of Polish adults.

BACKGROUND: The safety of high egg intake in view of its impact on glucose metabolism remains inconclusive. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between egg intake, dietary patterns and elevated fasting glucose (FG) level in a selected group of Polish adults. METHODS: The study group consisted of 1630 adults who participated in the Polish arm of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological Study. Dietary intake, including egg intake, was assessed based on the data from the Additional file 2 Food Frequency Questionnaire previously validated for the population of Lower Silesia. DPs were derived using principal component analysis. FG levels ≥100 mg/dl were considered elevated. Subjects who used antidiabetic drugs were included in the group with elevated FG levels. RESULTS: Egg consumption increased in higher quartiles of "Western" and "traditional" DPs in both men and women (p < 0.0001). In a crude model each 10 g of eggs consumed per day was associated with 7% increased risk (OR 1.07; 95% CI: 1.01-1.15) of elevated glucose level in the overall group and 10% increased risk (OR 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01-1.21) of elevated glucose level in the group of men. Men who consumed at least five eggs per week had higher risk for elevated FG level compared to men who consumed at most one egg per week (OR 1.79; 95% CI 1.13-2.84), but this relationship became insignificant when the data were adjusted for DPs. In the group of women no association between egg intake and elevated FG level was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Higher egg intake may be associated with the overall unhealthy dietary habits, which is why the number of eggs consumed daily should not be considered an independent risk factor for elevated fasting glucose level.

Leveraging smallholder livestock production to reduce anemia: A qualitative study of three agroecological zones in Ghana.

Livestock production and Animal-Source Foods (ASFs) like meat, milk, and eggs are excellent sources of essential micronutrients, including iron and zinc. There is evidence that encouraging increased access to and consumption of these ASFs may either positively or negatively impact anemia, or have no nutritional effects. Drawing upon first-hand experiences in Ghana, this study sought to: (1) identify the main motivations for raising livestock in Ghana; (2) describe the major barriers to consuming ASFs, especially among women of reproductive age (WRA); and (3) explore the feasibility of different livestock-centered interventions to reduce anemia. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were held with relevant stakeholders at different geographical scales - the national, regional, district, and community levels. The results suggest that livestock enable savings, allow resource-poor households to accumulate assets, and help finance planned and unplanned expenditures (e.g., school fees and illness). Due to these multiple and often pressing uses, direct consumption of home-reared ASFs is not a major priority, especially for poor households. Even when ASFs are consumed, intra-household allocation does not favor women and adolescent girls, demographic groups with particularly high micronutrient requirements. The study participants discussed possible interventions to address these challenges, including (1) increasing livestock ownership through in-kind credit; (2) encouraging nutrition-related behavior change; (3) improving livestock housing; and (4) hatchery management. The paper discusses these interventions based upon potential acceptance, feasibility, cost effectiveness, and sustainability in the Ghanaian context.