In new research likely to surprise many doctors, Finnish food scientists have found people who eat eggs most days of the week have a lower risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

The University of Eastern Finland study, published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is the latest to vindicate eggs — once derided as dietary evils because they are a high-cholesterol food, but now believed to be healthy sources of lean protein and nutrients.

Finnish researchers tracked the dietary habits of 2,332 men — aged between 42 and 60 years — who participated in a long-running university heart study in the 1980s. In the nearly 20 years since that study ended, 432 men were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

When the researchers compared the men’s diets, they found those who regularly ate eggs — an average of four per week — had a 37 percent lower risk of diabetes than men who only ate approximately one egg per week.

This held true regardless of other factors, such as physical activity, body mass index, smoking, and consumption of fruits and vegetables. The consumption of more than four eggs did not bring any significant additional benefits, the researchers found.

The researchers noted eggs contain many beneficial nutrients that can have an effect on blood-sugar metabolism and low-grade inflammation, which may account for their anti-diabetes properties.

Type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly widespread throughout the world. Past research has shown that lifestyle habits, such as exercise and nutrition, play a crucial role in the development of the disease.