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It has set a new bar for gluttonous eating, but Canadian researchers say the KFC Double Down isn't the worst food offender of all time - at least when it comes to cholesterol.

It turns out that one egg yolk could be more harmful to those at risk of a heart attack or stroke than an entire Double Down sandwich, according to a new report from Canadian researchers at the University of Western Ontario, Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital and Montreal's Clinique de Nutrition Métabolisme et Athérosclérose.

One egg yolk can have about 215 to 275 milligrams of cholesterol, depending on its size. A Double Down sandwich, which consists of bacon and cheese sandwiched by two pieces of fried chicken, has 150 milligrams of cholesterol. People at risk of developing cardiovascular disease should not consume more than 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day, the researchers said.

However, it's important to remember that cholesterol is only one factor involved in nutrition. No one in their right mind would ever consider KFC's Double Down, which is loaded with fat, calories and sodium, to be a healthier alternative to eggs. The researchers said they are just trying to point out that egg yolks can pack a punch, cholesterol-wise.

The researchers wanted to "put cholesterol into perspective, as there's been widespread misconception developing among the Canadian public and even physicians, that consumption of dietary cholesterol and egg yolks is harmless," David Spence, professor and scientist at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at the Robarts Research Institute at UWO, said in a statement.

The findings, published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, is based on a review of studies about cholesterol consumption and eggs.

There has been significant debate about the health benefits of eggs in the past few decades as a result of conflicting studies.

The authors of the review said there is clear evidence that egg whites are a good source of protein, but that consumers should carefully consider how many egg yolks they consume, citing a study that found diabetics who consumed an egg a day doubled their cardiovascular disease risk compared with those who ate less than an egg a week.

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