Eggs May Not Harm Your Cholesterol Levels After All - Study

Have you been avoiding eggs, thinking they are bad for your heart? Do you believe eggs increase cholesterol levels in your body? If you answered yes, then dear reader, it's time to reconsider your thoughts. We understand the discourse around eggs can be controversial. In fact, our knowledge of the food item is ever-evolving, making it difficult to differentiate between facts and fiction. But to your surprise, a new study presented at the American College of Cardiology's annual scientific session indicated that consuming eggs in the right amount "may not significantly impact cholesterol levels." Let's elucidate further.

Also Read: Should You Toss Egg Yolk Every Time? Is Egg Yolk Really Bad For You? Let's Find Out

Eggs For Heart Health: Are Eggs Good Or Bad For Cholesterol?

By now, we all know that cardiovascular problems, to some extent, can be controlled by lowering the associated risk factors including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased BMI, and diabetes. Alongside, what you eat also plays a major role in the process. However, as per the study authors, "There has been several conflicting information on whether eggs are safe or not." Hence, they conducted a controlled study on 140 patients, aged 50 years and above, with cardiovascular risks to understand if it is safe to include eggs in the diet for heart health or not.

For the study, some of the patients were randomly assigned to eat 12 fortified eggs a week. Others were given fewer than two eggs of any kind per week. By the end, it was found that "eating 12 fortified eggs each week had no adverse effect on blood cholesterol in comparison to eating two or fewer eggs each week."

Also Read: Egg-cellent Hack! 5 Best Ways To Determine If The Eggs You Eat Are Fresh

The Bottom Line:

According to the researchers, they did not observe any adverse effects of eggs on cardiovascular health. In fact, "there were signals of potential benefits of eating fortified eggs," they added. While the researchers believe that the study warrants further investigation, we suggest one must practice moderation to enjoy the benefits of eating eggs to the fullest. However, the best practice is to consult an expert to understand the right amount of eggs you can consume, depending on your age, gender, health, and other factors.

Meanwhile, click here for some of our favourite egg-based recipes to try.

(Note: The egg recipes are not a part of the study)