For years, eggs have had a bad reputation for raising cholesterol and increasing the risk of heart disease.
But new research from the University of South Australia has now cracked that myth. The study shows that eating eggs—even up to two a day—won’t harm your heart. In fact, eggs might be healthier than once believed.
This world-first study looked at how cholesterol and saturated fat in our diets each affect LDL cholesterol, which is known as the “bad” cholesterol. LDL can build up in your arteries and raise your risk of heart problems.
What the researchers found was surprising: eating eggs, which are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat, did not raise LDL levels. On the other hand, it was the saturated fat in foods like bacon, sausage, and fried foods that caused LDL cholesterol to rise.
Heart disease is a serious issue around the world. It’s the number one cause of death globally, killing about 18 million people every year. In Australia, someone dies from heart disease every 12 minutes. That’s one in every four deaths across the country. So, knowing what foods are safe—and what to avoid—can save lives.
Professor Jon Buckley, who led the research, says that eggs have been unfairly blamed for too long. He explains that while eggs do contain cholesterol, they are also low in saturated fat, which makes a big difference.
“Eggs have long been unfairly cracked by outdated dietary advice,” he said. “In this study, we separated the effects of cholesterol and saturated fat, and found that cholesterol from eggs does not raise bad cholesterol when part of a low saturated fat diet.”
He adds, “You could say we’ve delivered hard-boiled evidence in defense of the humble egg.”
So what should you worry about at breakfast? Not the eggs, according to this research. Instead, the real problem is that extra strip of bacon or sausage on the side, which are high in saturated fat and much more likely to increase cholesterol levels.
This study helps clear up confusion around eggs and cholesterol. It confirms that eggs can be part of a heart-healthy diet, as long as they’re not paired with too much saturated fat. So next time you’re making breakfast, you can feel good about cracking a few eggs—just skip the greasy extras.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer, and results showing strawberries could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
The study is published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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