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The question of whether to incorporate eggs into a healthy diet has long been debated due to their cholesterol content.
But recent research has found that eggs may not be as bad for cholesterol as previously believed.
A new study led by researchers in Australia investigated the impact of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat on LDL cholesterol, often known as “bad cholesterol.”
High cholesterol is known to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is a leading cause of death.
The randomized, controlled study — which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition — assigned 61 adults with baseline LDL cholesterol to various diets for five weeks each.
These included a high-cholesterol, low-saturated fat diet with two eggs per day; a low-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet without eggs; and a high-cholesterol, high-saturated fat control diet with one egg per week.
The researchers found that the nutrition plan with two eggs per day, as part of a low-saturated fat diet, reduced LDL cholesterol more than the egg-free diet.
Across all three diets, saturated fat intake was “positively correlated” with LDL cholesterol, but dietary cholesterol (primarily found in animal products like meat and eggs) was not.
“The key message is that it is not foods that are high in cholesterol that increase blood levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol, but it is the saturated fat in the foods that we consume,” study co-author Jon Buckley, executive dean at the University of South Australia, told Fox News Digital.
“Most foods that are high in cholesterol are also high in saturated fat, but eggs are somewhat unusual in that they are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat.”
These findings follow a December 2024 advisory from the FDA that deemed eggs “healthy,” due to growing research that the food does not raise bad cholesterol.
“Current research shows that cholesterol in eggs does not negatively impact your body’s cholesterol levels as was once thought,” the news release stated.
“This important milestone closes the door on decades of debate over whether eggs are good for you and reinforces their standing as a powerhouse of nutrition.”
“For a long time, it was thought that dietary cholesterol (any foods containing cholesterol) caused cholesterol levels to rise – but in more recent years, that notion has been debunked by many studies,” she said. “It is more noted now that saturated fat is a main reason for LDL cholesterol to increase.”
DeCicco, who was not involved in the study, said saturated fat is mostly found in dairy and meat products like cheese, creams, butter, fatty cuts of meat, dark meat, poultry, processed meats like sausage and bacon, and processed baked goods.
“Not only do eggs contain little saturated fat, but they also contain monounsaturated fat and omega 3 fats, which are heart- and brain-protective,” she added.
Eggs contain less than 2 grams of saturated fat, and the American Heart Association recommends about 12 to 13 grams of saturated fat per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.
“So eating two to three eggs with vegetables and fruit is a nutritious breakfast full of protein, fiber and healthy fat that will provide long-lasting fuel,” DeCicco said.
Buckley agreed, recommending that “if you are going out for a cooked breakfast of bacon and eggs, consider swapping out some of the bacon or sausage for more eggs, and this will help you maintain a healthier blood cholesterol level.”
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