Are Eggs Really That Bad?

A quick search on the internet will hit both sides of the egg question.  You can find articles detailing the health hazards of egg consumption as well as those touting the benefits of eating eggs.  More surprisingly, some of the major health corporations in the US are backing off on their criticisms of eggs.  What’s happening?

First, let’s see what the science has to say.

Multiple well-planned and in-depth scientific investigations regarding the health effects of eating eggs have been completed over the last two decades and are still appearing regularly in the scientific literature.  Here is a sampling.

 

In 2020 a prospective cohort study analyzed data from 416,104 men and women participants in the US National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study.  They examined the risks of early death associated with choosing to eat animal protein or plant protein. (1)  Their results showed that;

Replacing 3% of calories from animal protein with the same amount of plant protein was associated with a 10% decrease in death from any cause for both men and women.

• Replacing 3% of calories from animal protein with the same amount of plant protein was associated with an 11% decrease in men and a 12% decrease in women in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
• Focusing on red meat protein: Replacing 3% of red meat protein with the same amount of plant protein was associated with a decreased risk in death from any cause of 13% in men and 15% in women.
• Focusing on egg protein: Replacing 3% of calories from egg protein with the same amount of plant protein was associated with the highest reduction in the risk of death from any cause with a 24% lower risk in men and a 21% lower risk in women.

 

Another recent study from 2019 looked at the health effects from eating different amounts of egg. (2)  One egg contains on average about 186 milligrams of cholesterol.  This analysis of over 29,000 adults in the United States found that each 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol eaten per day was significantly associated with…

• 17% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and 18% higher risk of death from all causes
• Specifically in women, the risk of death from all causes was increased by 28%
• 14% higher risk of heart failure
• 26% higher risk of stroke

Moreover, each additional half an egg consumed per day was linked to a 6% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and an 8% increased risk of death from all causes.

These associations remained significant after adjusting for the risk factors of cardiovascular disease such as BMI, diabetes, blood pressure, blood lipid levels and dietary factors including animal protein, fats, fiber, sodium and cholesterol-containing foods.

People eating a healthier diet which included lots of fruits and vegetables who added an additional half an egg to their diet also showed an association with significantly increased risk of developing heart disease.

 

A 2021 investigation of over 521,000 participants revealed that each additional 300 mg of cholesterol from the diet was associated with a 19% increase in death from all causes; a 16% increase in death from cardiovascular disease and a 25% increase in death from cancer.

Researchers estimated that the cholesterol intake from whole egg consumption during this study contributed to 63.2% of deaths from all causes; 62.3% of deaths from cardiovascular disease; and 49.6% of deaths from cancer. (3)

 

A new analysis of the Fourier study published in November 2025 discovered that, in patients who had already had an ischemic stroke, lowering LDL-cholesterol levels to 1 mmol/L (well below current targets of 2 mmol/L) reduced major cardiovascular events such as cardiovascular death, stroke, myocardial infarction, hospitalization for unstable angina, and the need for stents or bypasses by 31%.  In addition, lowering the LDL-cholesterol levels even lower, to below 1 mmol/L, resulted in still lower risks of major adverse cardiovascular events including both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. (4)

Note (5):  Ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot that interrupts blood flow to the brain, leading to lack of oxygen in the brain. It accounts for about 87% of all strokes.Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel ruptures, causing bleeding in or around the brain. It accounts for about 13% of strokes.

 

Eating eggs has been associated with increased risks of colon cancer, rectal cancer, bladder cancer and prostate cancer (6,7,8); increased risk of developing diabetes (9); increased risk of early death in diabetics (10); increased risk of gestational diabetes (developing diabetes during pregnancy) (11); and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (12).

 

In 2024, the Lancet Commission added high LDL-cholesterol to their list of 14 modifiable risk factors associated with dementia.  The commission estimates that approximately 45% of future dementia cases could be prevented by eliminating their risk factors.  Recent studies showed that each 1 mmol/l increase in LDL-cholesterol levels was associated with a 33% increase in the risk of dementia.  Excess LDL-cholesterol increases both the risk of stroke and the proliferation of amyloid and tau protein deposits in the brain leading to cognitive impairment and dementia. (13)

 

 

Other Sides of the Story

Several giants of the US health sector are changing their recommendations for eggs.

 

The Mayo Clinic is now reporting that research shows that the cholesterol in eggs doesn’t seem to adversely affect the human body compared with other cholesterol sources. (Notice that they’re not saying that the cholesterol in eggs doesn’t have detrimental effects.) They point out that it may be the influence of the other foods that are eaten with the eggs such as bacon, cheese and butter, all foods high in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt, that is creating the increased cardiovascular risk.  They then suggest that most people can eat up to seven eggs a week without harming their health. (14)

 

Harvard Health says that the evidence doesn’t warrant banning eggs from your plate and say that most studies have found that eating an average of one egg a day does not negatively impact health. (???)  They cite all the healthy nutrients that can be found in eggs. They note that the general recommendation is to limit food-derived cholesterol to no more than 300 milligrams per day and, since a single egg contains only a bit more than half of that amount, it will not have a significant effect on total cholesterol intake. They suggest that if a person has heart disease, diabetes or high cholesterol they should limit their egg intake to 3 whole eggs a week and eat egg whites if they want to eat eggs the rest of the week.  (15)

 

The Cleveland Clinic suggests that, “because of their numerous benefits, it’s OK to eat one whole egg every day, including the yolk, if you don’t have cardiovascular disease and do have a healthy level of blood cholesterol”.  They go on to state that if a person already has cardiovascular disease, diabetes or high cholesterol, egg consumption should be limited to three or four whole eggs per week because of the saturated fat and cholesterol contained in the egg.    They also warn about adding additional animal fats like butter, lard, bacon and its fat because they are high in saturated fats. (16)

 

And then there are articles on-line like this one, whose two authors have clear conflicts of interest. (17) One of them is a freelance nutritionist who received funding from the British Egg Industry Council to research and write this review.  The other one is a freelance dietitian who also received funding from the British Egg Industry Council to research and write this review and, in addition, who serves as a member of the Nutrition Advisory Group for the British Egg Industry Council.  I read through this whole article and here are their observations;

• That eggs increase the synthesis of muscle proteins and lower fat mass
• That eggs are a satisfying food which could translate into lower energy intakes
• That eggs have the lowest impact on the planet and climate change among animal proteins
• That there are inconsistencies in randomized controlled trials and observational studies in the issue of whether eating eggs raises or lowers the risk of type-2 diabetes and concluded that it is implausible that eggs play a causal role in the developments of type-2 diabetes.
• That there are inconsistencies in the studies regarding the effect of eggs on cardiovascular disease. They acknowledged that many randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses had shown significant increases in LDL-cholesterol and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death with the consumption of eggs. However, they dismissed this, saying that three studies showed no significant effects of egg consumption on cardiovascular death.  This is in spite of the fact that two of these studies revealed up to a 69% increased risk of cardiovascular disease with high egg consumption.
• That HDL-cholesterol levels often increased during the egg studies, potentially balancing out the good lipids with the bad ones. This effect has been debunked.  HDL-cholesterol is not just a “good guy” helping to rid the body of extra cholesterol as was once thought.  Large clinical trials over the past decades have found that raising HDL-cholesterol levels did not achieve the goals of preventing heart attacks, strokes, and other complications from clogged arteries.  (18))

Their final conclusions were that the balance of evidence points to eggs as being a nutritious food that should be included in the diet in greater quantities.  Of course, when you see a study or article that shows clear conflicts of interest like this, it is really not worth the time spent in reading it.

 

 

What Has Created These Conflicting Points of View?

As in most industries, the main goal of “Big Food” agribusinesses is to expand their profits. Unfortunately, this conflict of interest comes at the cost of contributing to increasing rates of obesity and chronic health conditions.  The food industry has the money to influence policy makers and they use it.  They lobby members of food regulation committees, they fight laws and directives that might curb consumption of their products, they influence national nutritional guidelines, they create “advocacy groups” that are  fronts for their industry, and they influence scientific research.  (19)

One of the activities taken by powerful food companies is to fund scientists to conduct research discounting the scientific evidence of harms from their products.  The British Egg Council was doing this in the last research described above.  (18) So is the American Egg board who has spent a lot of money in the past decade trying to convince consumers that eggs are not unhealthy. (20).  As an example, you can find research about eggs from Dr. Maria Luz Fernandez that is supported by the American Egg Board.  She is listed as an author on many studies which conclude that eating an egg a day is healthy. (21,22,23).  All this controversy introduces discord and confusion into their messages making it very difficult for consumers to know who is telling the truth.

 

A Few Details on Eggs

One large egg contains 72 calories with 62% of its calories coming from fat (40% from saturated fat), 36% from protein and 2% from carbs.  An averaged sized egg contains about 186 milligrams of cholesterol.  The cholesterol in eggs is concentrated in the yolk.  Cholesterol is not present in the white of an egg.  Humans have no need to consume cholesterol in their diet.  Our bodies can produce all the cholesterol that we need for health. (24)

Eggs contain no fiber.  Fiber is only found in plants.  Fiber is one of the most important nutrients for long-term health.  Besides its basic job of conducting waste out of our bodies, fiber reduces the risk of various chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, Type-2 diabetes, obesity, colon cancer and inflammation. (25,26)

Eggs do contain some healthy nutrients like proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin.  But so do plant-sourced foods which are a richer and healthier source than eggs for these nutrients.  (27) Plant-based diets have been assessed by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index as of higher quality than omnivorous diets and safe and effective for all stages of the life cycle, from childhood to old age, through pregnancy and lactation. A whole food plant-based (WFPB) diet is made up of unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, excludes animal-sourced foods, and needs only supplementation of vitamin B12 and sometimes vitamin D.  (28) Plant-based dietary patterns protect against overconsumption of nutrients that lead to obesity and disease such as animal protein, saturated fat, trans-fat, cholesterol, simple sugars and sodium.  (29)

Additionally, eggs are a host for salmonella food poisoning.  Eggshells are fragile and porous and, in the crowded conditions of egg farms, they are often broken.  Most bacteria, including Salmonella, are found on the outside of the eggshell, but they can also get inside the egg.  Surprisingly, Salmonella can already be present in an egg when it is laid.  (30)

 

Putting This All Together

All disagreements aside, there are numerous reasons to remove eggs from your diet.

Eating Eggs is Linked to Heart Disease. 

More than 85% of research studies on eggs, regardless of funding sources, demonstrate that eating eggs has detrimental effects on blood cholesterol.  (31)  If a person is already eating a low-cholesterol diet, any added cholesterol consumption results in a clear response of increased blood cholesterol levels and increased risk of developing heart disease.  (32)

 Eating Eggs is Linked to Diabetes

Studies indicate that people consuming 3 or more eggs per week increase their risk of developing diabetes and this risk increases as the number of eggs eaten per week rises.

People who have diabetes have increased risks of heart disease and regular consumption of eggs raises that risk even more.  (9)

In an analysis of over 21,000 participants, researchers found that people consuming seven or more eggs a week had an almost 25% higher risk of death than those with the lowest consumption.  Those with diabetes had almost double that risk.   (10)

 Eating Eggs is Linked to Cancer

Eating eggs can increase the risk for cancers of the colon, rectum, bladder, prostate and breast. (33,6,7,8).  A Harvard study showed that consuming eggs is linked to developing prostate cancer.  Men eating 2 ½ eggs a week increase their risk for a lethal form of prostate cancer by 81% compared with men eating less than half an egg per week.  (7)

Eating Eggs is Linked to Dementia

New studies are revealing a relationship between high levels of blood LDL-cholesterol and dementia.   In 2025, the Lancet Commission added high LDL-cholesterol to their list of 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia, stating the excess LDL-cholesterol in the brain is associated with increases in deposits of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain.  These two proteins are linked to cognitive impairment and dementia.  (13)

 

The Bottom Line

It is up to yourself to decide whether you’re going to include eggs in your daily meals.  The multiple scientific investigations performed over decades of research demonstrating that the cholesterol in eggs is linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, stand as compelling evidence that eggs should not be an everyday food choice.  The new recommendations from the US health sector are adding confusion and are baffling in their ambiguity.

There is no need to eat eggs.  Every nutrient found in an egg can be easily obtained from plant-sourced foods and often in higher concentrations than those in an egg.

As the consumer, you can choose to eat anything you want.  If you are already affected by a chronic disease or have high blood cholesterol, the decision to set eggs aside should be an easy one.  If you are healthy and really enjoy your eggs, you can choose to continue to do so.  But at least take a bit of time to think about it.

 

SOURCES:

1  Huang, J., Liao, L.M., Weinstein, S.J., Sinha, R., Graubard, B.I., Albanes, D. Association Between Plant and Animal Protein Intake and Overall and Cause-Specific Mortality. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Sep 1;180(9):1173-1184. Doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2790. PMID: 32658243; PMCID: PMC7358979.

2  Zhong, V.W., Van Horn, L., Cornelis, M.C, Wilkins, J.T., Ning, H., Carnethon, M.R., Greenland, P., Mentz, R.J., Tucker, K.L., Zhao, L., Norwood, A.F., Lloyd-Jones, D.M., Allen, N.B. Associations of Dietary Cholesterol or Egg Consumption With Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality. JAMA. 2019 Mar 19;321(11):1081-1095. Doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.1572. PMID: 30874756; PMCID: PMC6439941.

3  Zhuang, P., Wu, F., Mao, L., Zhu, F., Zhang, Y., Chen, X., Jiao, J., Zhang, Y. Egg and cholesterol consumption and mortality from cardiovascular and different causes in the United States: A population-based cohort study. PLoS Med. 2021 Feb 9;18(2):e1003508. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003508. PMID: 33561122; PMCID: PMC7872242.

4  Monguillon, V., Kelly, P.,  O’Donoghue, M.L.,Park, J.-G., Bohula, E.A., Saver, J.L., Atar, D., et al.  Research Article – Efficacy and Safety of Very Low Achieved LDL-Cholesterol in Patients with Prior Ischemic Stroke.  November 3, 2025.  Circulation; https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.125.077549

5  https://www.healthline.com/health/stroke/ischemic-vs-hemorrhagic-stroke

6  Zhang, J., Zhao, Z., Berkel, H.J. Egg consumption and mortality from colon and rectal cancers: an ecological study. Nutr Cancer. 2003;46(2):158-65. Doi: 10.1207/S15327914NC4602_08. PMID: 14690791.

7  Richman, E.L., Kenfield, S.A., Stampfer, M.J., Giovannucci, E.L., Chan, J.M. Egg, Red Meat, and Poultry Intake and Risk of Lethal Prostate Cancer in the Prostate-Specific Antigen-Era: Incidence and Survival. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 1 December 2011; 4 (12): 2110–2121. https://doi.org/10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-11-0354

8  Radosavljević, V., Janković, S., Marinković, J., Dokić, M. Diet and bladder cancer: a case-control study. Int Urol Nephrol. 2005;37(2):283-9.Doi: 10.1007/s11255-004-4710-8. PMID: 16142557.

9  Li, Y., Zhou, C., Zhou, X., Li, L. Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: a meta-analysis. Atherosclerosis. 2013 Aug;229(2):524-30. Doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2013.04.003. Epub 2013 Apr 17. PMID: 23643053.

10  Djoussé, Luc et al.  Egg consumption in relation to cardiovascular disease and mortality: the Physicians’ Health Study 1. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Volume 87, Issue 4, 964 – 969.

11  Qiu,C., Frederick, I.O., Zhang, C., Sorensen, T.K., Enquobahrie, D.A., Williams, M.A.  Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Relation to Maternal Egg and Cholesterol Intake. American Journal of Epidemiology, 173:6.15 March 2011. Pages 649–658, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwq425.

12  Spence JD, Jenkins DJ, Davignon J. Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: not for patients at risk of vascular disease. Can J Cardiol. 2010 Nov;26(9):e336-9. Doi: 10.1016/s0828-282x(10)70456-6. PMID: 21076725; PMCID: PMC2989358.

13   Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Liu, K,Y., Costafreda, S.G., Selbæk, G., Alladi, S., Ames, D., Banerjee, S.,  Burns, A., et al.   Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission.  Published Online July 31, 2024.

https://doi.org/10.1016/ S0140-6736(24)01296-0

14 https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/is-it-healthy-to-eat-eggs-every-day

15 https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/eggs-protein-and-cholesterol-how-to-make-eggs-part-of-a-heart-healthy-diet

16  https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-you-eat-eggs-every-day

17  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10304460/

18  https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/rethinking-hdl-cholesterol

19  Gostin, L. The Influence of “Big Food” Promotes Healthy Profits but not Healthy Consumers. JAMA Forum Archive. Published online July 20, 2016. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2016.0030

20 https://nutritionfacts.org/video/eggs-and-cholesterol-patently-false-and-misleading-claims/

21 Fernandez, M.L., Murillo, A.G.. Is There a Correlation between Dietary and Blood Cholesterol? Evidence from Epidemiological Data and Clinical Interventions. Nutrients. 2022 May 23;14(10):2168. Doi: 10.3390/nu14102168. PMID: 35631308; PMCID: PMC9143438.

22 Melough, M.M., Chung, S.-J., Fernandez, M.L., Chun, O.K. Association of eggs with dietary nutrient adequacy and cardiovascular risk factors in US adults. Public Health Nutrition. 2019;22(11):2033-2042. Doi:10.1017/S1368980019000211

23  https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/egg-consumption-and-ldl-cholesterol-size/

24  https://www.eatthismuch.com/calories/egg-103?a=1:4

25  https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/whats-wrong-with-eggs/

26  Alahmari, L.A. Dietary fiber influence on overall health, with an emphasis on CVD, diabetes, obesity, colon cancer, and inflammation. Front Nutr. 2024 Dec 13;11:1510564. Doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1510564. PMID: 39734671; PMCID: PMC11671356.

27  https://nutritionfacts.org/video/egg-industry-blind-spot/

28  Clarys, P., Deliens, T., Huybrechts, I., et al . Comparison of nutritional quality of the vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diet. Nutrients. 2014;6(3):1318-1332 .

29  Melina, V., Craig, W., Levin, S . Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets . J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(12):1970-1980 .

30  https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/meat-poultry-fish-seafood-safety/eggs.html

31  Barnard N.D., Long, M.B., Ferguson, J.M., Flores, R., Kahleova, H. Industry Funding and Cholesterol Research: A Systematic Review. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2019 Dec 11;15(2):165-172. Doi: 10.1177/1559827619892198. PMID: 33786032; PMCID: PMC7958219.

32 Berger, S., Raman, G., Vishwanathan, R., Jacques, P.F., Johnson, E.J. Dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Aug;102(2):276-94. Doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.100305. Epub 2015 Jun 24. PMID: 26109578.

33  Djoussé, L., Khawaja, O.A., Gaziano, J.M. Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Feb;103(2):474-80. Doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.119933. Epub 2016 Jan 6. PMID: 26739035.