High Cholesterol Diet: Study Claims Eggs Won't Increase Your Cholesterol Levels

Eggs, especially with yolk have been a topic for debate for a very long time. People have been often confused about whether it is good for your heart, cholesterol and overall health. While some people say that you can eat eggs if you have high cholesterol, others say that you should completely avoid eating eggs if you have high cholesterol levels.

However, a new study says that moderate consumption of fortified eggs, upto a dozen every week, doesn’t affect your cholesterol levels.

The study will be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session. For the study, the researchers looked at 140 people 50 years of age or older who had cardiovascular disease or had an increased risk of the disease. Then, they randomly assigned people to eat either 12 fortified eggs per week or to eat less than two eggs every week. People were also allowed to eat the eggs as per their liking.

Findings Of The Study
The 140 people were followed for a period of four months. The study found that people who ate 12 fortified eggs per week did not see any adverse impact on their cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health. People who ate 2 eggs per week had similar blood cholesterol levels to the ones who ate a dozen fortified eggs per week.

On the other hand, people who ate fortified eggs also saw lower total cholesterol, improved insulin resistance and high-sensitivity troponin (a marker of heart damage). Their Vitamin B levels also improved after four months.

Nina Nouhravesh, MD, a research fellow at the Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, North Carolina, and the study’s lead author said, “Dietary patterns and habits can have a notable influence on these and there’s been a lot of conflicting information about whether or not eggs are safe to eat, especially for people who have or are at risk for heart disease.

“This is a small study, but it gives us reassurance that eating fortified eggs is OK with regard to lipid effects over four months, even among a more high-risk population.”

Other studies on how eggs impact your cholesterol levels
A study published in the BMJ says that moderate egg consumption (up to one egg per day) is not associated with cardiovascular disease risk overall and is associated with potentially lower cardiovascular disease risk in Asian populations.

However, another cohort study and meta-analysis published in 2022 revealed that consumption of eggs was associated with an increased risk of overall and cardiovascular-related mortality. “Our findings support restricted consumption of dietary cholesterol as a means to improve long-term health and longevity,” said the study.

Lastly, a study published in 2020, says that “No significant association was found between egg consumption and mortality in US adults. The association between dietary cholesterol intake and all‐cause mortality depended on the baseline intake levels.”