Do Eggs Cause High Cholesterol? - Lake Country Medical Concierge

Eggs have a reputation for contributing to high cholesterol, but growing evidence suggests they actually pose no cholesterol risk for most people. In fact, research indicates they’re a great choice for a balanced, heart-healthy diet.

Before we dig into the latest research on eggs, let’s first explore how cholesterol works.

Not All Cholesterol is Bad

Cholesterol is a molecule that transports fats throughout the body. It plays an essential role in a number of bodily functions, including producing cell membranes, hormones, acids for food digestion, and vitamin D. In fact, the liver and intestines naturally produce a cholesterol supply. Cholesterol is packaged in two main particles: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

LDL helps transport fats and cholesterol from the liver to cells, but excess LDL in the bloodstream can accumulate to form blockages — or, “plaques” — inside arteries. These plaques can later break apart to cause heart attacks and strokes. For this reason, LDL is commonly known as “bad cholesterol.”

HDL, or “good cholesterol,” helps clear the body of excess cholesterol by returning it to the liver. So, HDL is commonly called “good cholesterol.”

We can see not all “high cholesterol” is alike. While high LDL is dangerous, high HDL can actually protect against cardiovascular disease. So, how do eggs affect cholesterol?

The Science on Eggs

Eggs are remarkably nutritious. They’ve been identified as the lowest-cost animal source of proteins, vitamin A, iron, and vitamin B12. An average egg contains around 140 calories — a good amount of energy that won’t disrupt a calorie-restricted diet. Nonetheless, egg yolks contain a high amount of cholesterol, which once made researchers believe people could develop high cholesterol — including high LDL — from eating too many eggs. Starting in the 1960s, many health care professionals began recommending people eat no more than three whole eggs per week.

But over time, evidence showed that eggs cause no significant blood cholesterol increase. For example, one study of 177,000 people across 50 countries found eggs produced no statistically significant increase in cholesterol levels or cardiovascular disease. Another study suggested that, though eggs can cause a slight increase in LDL levels, they actually provide a greater boost to HDL. In other words, research indicates eggs not only are harmless to cholesterol, but that they can promote a better cholesterol balance.

It turns out, poor diet is the most common cause of high LDL. However, people develop high LDL from eating foods loaded with saturated fats, trans fats and easily digested carbohydrates, not from consuming cholesterol itself. Actually, eating cholesterol itself will not significantly raise blood cholesterol levels for most people. In fact, the body will reduce its natural cholesterol production to compensate for increased dietary cholesterol. Even for people whose bodies lack the ability to compensate for increased dietary cholesterol — around 25% of all people — eating cholesterol will raise HDL and LDL levels in unison, allowing the body to maintain a healthy balance between the two.

More good news about eggs

Eggs have other benefits, too. One study, for example, found eating an egg every day is associated with an 18% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Eggs also are rich in choline, an important nutrient roughly 9 out of 10 Americans are lacking in their diet.

Dietary recommendations about eggs are shifting to match the latest science. The American Heart Association, for example, now advises that healthy adults can eat a whole egg daily. Older adults with healthy cholesterol levels can even eat two eggs per day as part of a heart-healthy diet.

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