Eggs, High Cholesterol Levels and Heart Disease

Is it Safe to Eat an Egg Every Day? How Many can be Eaten Each Week?

Apr 29, 2009 Sharon Kirby

Eggs contain cholesterol, but does eating eggs raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease?

Many people believe the cholesterol in eggs raises blood cholesterol, and that egg consumption should be kept to a minimum. Former guidelines issued by the British Heart Foundation advised a maximum of 3-4 eggs be eaten each week in order to avoid increasing the risk of coronary heart disease, but these restrictions have now been relaxed.

Cholesterol, Saturated Fat and Heart Disease

Two commonly talked about types of blood cholesterol include LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is considered ‘bad’ because it is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, whereas HDL cholesterol is considered ‘good’ because it is thought to help reduce the risk of heart disease.

As cholesterol and saturated fat often occur together in the same foods, there has been some confusion in the past over which is responsible for raising blood cholesterol levels. It is now known that a diet high in saturated fat causes increased levels of LDL cholesterol, and that dietary cholesterol has a comparatively small effect. Interestingly, eggs contain cholesterol, but they are low in saturated fat.

Does Eating Eggs Cause High Cholesterol?

In a February 2009 Nutrition Bulletin paper entitled "Eggs and Dietary Cholesterol - Dispelling the Myth," Prof. Bruce Griffin and Dr. Juliet Gray reviewed studies of egg consumption, dietary cholesterol and heart disease risk. The following conclusions were drawn:

• There appears to be an association between dietary cholesterol and coronary heart disease because saturated fat and cholesterol co-exist in fatty foods.
• Dietary cholesterol can increase LDL cholesterol a small amount, but the effect is clinically insignificant, and the effect of saturated fat is far greater.
• Evidence does not suggest the small increase in blood cholesterol caused by dietary cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease.
• Eating eggs may increase HDL cholesterol, counteracting the effect of LDL cholesterol on heart disease risk.

How Many Eggs is it Safe to Eat?

Health organisations including the British Heart Foundation, the American Heart Association, and the Food Standards Agency no longer advise that the number of eggs eaten needs to be limited. With the exception of people who have been advised by their doctor or dietician to limit eggs for health reasons (such as those with familial hypercholesterolaemia, a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol), eggs are now regarded by medical professionals to be a valuable contribution to a healthy, balanced diet, and can be eaten daily.

There is insufficient evidence to suggest dietary cholesterol significantly increases blood cholesterol, or that egg consumption should be restricted for that reason. Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, low in saturated fat, and highly nutritional. For most people they can be enjoyed as part of a healthy, varied balanced diet, without worrying about how many they are eating.

It’s important to consider the saturated fat content of foods rather than the cholesterol content of eggs in order to avoid high blood cholesterol and reduce the risk heart disease. For more information, read The Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease and The Nutritional Value of Chicken Eggs.

Boiling eggs is a healthy way to prepare eggs as this cooking method does not require the addition of any oils or fats. Find out how to cook the perfect boiled egg.

Resources:

Gray, J. and B. Griffin. Eggs and dietary cholesterol - dispelling the myth. Nutrition Bulletin. 34: 66-70, 2009

The copyright of the article Eggs, High Cholesterol Levels and Heart Disease in Nutrition is owned by Sharon Kirby. Permission to republish Eggs, High Cholesterol Levels and Heart Disease in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Eggs do not Significantly Raise Blood Cholesterol	Saturated Fat Increases the Risk of Heart Disease	Eggs are Low in Saturated Fat
Eggs may Increase HDL Cholesterol	Most People do not Need to Limit Egg Consumption

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Comments

Oct 15, 2009 5:04 PM

Guest :

Interesting article... I recently had a heart-attack, and one thing that I was told by my cardiologist was to limit egg consumption to only 2 per week....I have been using egg-substitute with 0% cholesterol... Now I wonder if I can eat more than just 2 per week

Nov 3, 2009 5:55 AM

Guest :

I had coronary bypass surgery (6 bypasses) on 2-6-2008 and have been told the same thing. A friend tells me that he has an article that states that eggs, specifically one per day, is beneficial to the heart, and I am eagerly awaiting a copy. If anyone out there has access to this article, please let me know by e-mail at: gcins@bellsouth.net. Thanks !!

2 Comments