[Photo/Xinhua]

Eating an egg a day may cut the risk of stroke by 12 percent, a new study funded by the American Egg Board said Tuesday.

The findings were based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies dating back between 1982 and 2015, which evaluated relationships between egg intake and coronary heart disease (276,000 subjects) and stroke (308,000 subjects).

It found consumption of up to one egg per day had no association with coronary heart disease but there was a 12 percent reduction in the risk of stroke.

Principal investigator Dominik Alexander of the U.S. EpidStat Institute said that more work is needed to understand the connection between egg consumption and stroke risk.

However, "eggs do have many positive nutritional attributes, including antioxidants, which have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation," he said. "They are also an excellent source of protein, which has been related to lower blood pressure."

One large egg boasts six grams of high-quality protein and antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, found within the egg yolk, as well as vitamins E, D, and A, according to the study.

It said the research lends further support to changes in the recently-released 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which have eliminated dietary cholesterol limits, and now include regular consumption of eggs among lean protein choices.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, was funded by the American Egg Board, a research and promotion group for the U.S. egg industry.