Many people avoid eggs because they worry about cholesterol and heart health, but a new study offers some reassurance.
Results from the PROSPERITY trial, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session, showed that eating 12 fortified eggs per week for four months did not significantly change cholesterol levels in people with or at high risk for heart disease.
The study included 140 people aged 50 and older, with an average age of 66. Half were women and 27% were Black. All participants either had experienced a cardiovascular event or had two or more risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, or diabetes.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group ate 12 fortified eggs per week, while the other ate fewer than two eggs per week. The eggs could be cooked however the participants liked.
Fortified eggs were chosen because they contain less saturated fat and are enriched with vitamins and minerals like iodine, vitamin D, B vitamins, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Over the course of the four-month study, participants had regular check-ins through clinic visits and phone calls. Blood tests and other health checks were used to monitor changes in cholesterol and other markers of heart health.
At the end of the study, the fortified egg group showed a small decrease in both HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol, but the changes were not statistically significant. The researchers concluded that eating fortified eggs did not harm cholesterol levels.
Other health markers also showed minor improvements in the fortified egg group. These included lower total cholesterol, fewer LDL particles, reduced levels of apoB (another cholesterol marker), less heart damage (measured by troponin levels), and better insulin resistance scores. Vitamin B levels also increased.
Lead researcher Dr. Nina Nouhravesh from Duke Clinical Research Institute said that while the study was small, it shows that eating fortified eggs is not harmful to cholesterol, even in people who are at higher risk of heart disease. In fact, some participants—especially those aged 65 or older and those with diabetes—showed slight improvements in their cholesterol levels.
Eggs have long been debated in the nutrition world because they contain cholesterol in the yolk. However, experts now believe that what people eat with their eggs—like bacon or buttered toast—may have more of an impact on heart health than the eggs themselves.
The study had some limitations. It was a small, single-center study and relied on participants to report how many eggs they ate and what other foods they consumed. It was also not blinded, meaning participants knew what group they were in, which may have influenced their behavior.
Still, the findings suggest that fortified eggs can be safely included in the diets of older adults at risk for heart disease, though larger studies are needed to confirm these results.
The study was funded by Eggland’s Best.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that vitamin K helps cut heart disease risk by a third, and a year of exercise reversed worrisome heart failure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing this food ingredient may strongly increase heart disease death risk.
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