1 egg a day may help keep Type 2 diabetes away, new study says

One day they're bad for you. The next day they're "incredible." Eggs have long been a contentious food.

>> Read more trending news

The benefits of eating eggs have been winning in the past few years, however. In fact, Healthline.com states, "eggs are pretty much the perfect food. They contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need."

A new study out of Finland suggests another reason to enjoy an egg: It might stave off Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 — or adult onset — is the more common form of diabetes.

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland found that subjects who ate an egg every day had a blood metabolite profile related to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. A metabolite is a product of metabolism.

Eggs have long been a controversial food. Their high cholesterol content caused many people to avoid them. But the Cleveland Clinic says eating eggs in moderation is not only fine, but also beneficial.

Citing a 2012 study in the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, it found that people who ate moderate amounts of eggs did not show increases in cholesterol when compared to those who cut eggs out of their diets completely.

Similar studies have found the antioxidants in eggs reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and even helped to lower blood pressure.

“Although it is too early to draw any causal conclusions, we now have some hints about certain egg-related compounds that may have a role in type 2 diabetes development,” said Stefania Noerman, early stage researcher and lead author of the study. “Further detailed investigations with both cell models and intervention studies in humans ... are needed to understand the mechanisms behind physiological effects of egg intake.”

Cox Media Group