Do Eggs Cause High Cholesterol?

Cutting eggs from your diet may be one of the least effective ways of dealing with high cholesterol levels.

Unbelievable? Not really.

“The only large study to look at the impact of egg consumption on heart disease—not on cholesterol levels or other intermediaries—found no connection between the two.” 1

Here’s why, according to Cherie Calboun, M.A., R.D,  nutrition educator and author:

“ A healthy body compensates for this added cholesterol in the diet by shutting down its own production to maintain balance. But if you’re very concerned about fat and cholesterol, there is something you can do for yourself without giving up eggs:

Give up half the yolks.

“When trying to keep body fat at a minimum, try to discard at least every other yolk. You can rely solely on the white (albumen) of the egg as a source of protein. The yolk contains not only the fat of the egg but the majority of the calories and is fairly high in cholesterol, roughly 325 milligrams.

“Eggs are, without a doubt, the mainstay of most breakfast menus. In fact, eggs are considered one of the best forms of high quality protein and are one of the most economical complete food sources available. Yet they’ve been the subject of much prejudice and ridicule because they allegedly cause high cholesterol. But this is exactly where the confusion starts. Eggs might be higher in total cholesterol than other foods, but they alone don’t contribute to high cholesterol.

“Egg cholesterol becomes a potential hazard when combined with large amounts of fatty foods and saturated fats. Eggs—without cheese, beef, and bacon—won’t raise your cholesterol level significantly. The egg itself contains lecithin, pyridoxine, choline, and inositol—the very substances often used for treating hardening of the arteries and obesity.

“Furthermore, eggs contribute between 10 and 30 percent of total dietary cholesterol, yet only 2 to 4 percent of our dietary fat. They aren’t nearly as high in cholesterol as most luncheon and breakfast meats.”

The experts at Harvard Health say when it comes to “eggs aren’t the dietary demons they’re cracked up to be.” They suggest, if you like eggs and want to eat them, “one a day should be okay, especially if you cut back on saturated and trans fats.” ¹

The Mayo Clinic reports, “Although eating too many eggs can increase your cholesterol, eating four egg yolks or fewer on a weekly basis hasn’t been found to increase your risk of heart disease.” ²

Now, if you want to avoid the extra cholesterol entirely, discard the yolk. Egg whites are cholesterol-free.

References

1. http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/egg-nutrition

2. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/HQ00608