Nutrition

Eggs and cholesterol: are they really bad for your heart?

For most healthy people, eating eggs in moderation has only a small effect on blood cholesterol — the overall diet matters more.

Eggs were long treated as a food to limit because a single yolk contains a sizeable amount of dietary cholesterol. The concern was that eating cholesterol would directly raise cholesterol in the blood and increase the risk of heart disease. Research since then has shown that for most people the body adjusts its own cholesterol production when dietary intake rises, so the effect of eggs on blood cholesterol is usually modest, and many large studies have found no clear link between moderate egg intake and heart disease in healthy adults.

That does not mean eggs are irrelevant for everyone. People respond differently: some, often called hyper-responders, see a larger rise in blood cholesterol from dietary cholesterol, and some studies suggest higher egg intake may be less favorable for people with type 2 diabetes. Saturated fat and the overall pattern of the diet generally have a bigger influence on blood cholesterol than eggs themselves, and the foods eggs are eaten with — such as processed meats and fried sides — often matter more than the eggs.

For athletes and active people, eggs are an affordable source of high-quality protein along with useful nutrients such as choline, vitamin D, B vitamins and lutein. For most healthy people, around one egg a day, or somewhat more as part of a balanced diet rich in vegetables, whole grains and unsaturated fats, is a reasonable choice. If you have high LDL cholesterol, diabetes, a family history of early heart disease or a condition such as familial hypercholesterolemia, ask your doctor or a dietitian how eggs fit into your diet.

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