For decades, eggs have been at the center of a nutritional debate. Are they heart-health heroes packed with protein or cholesterol bombs best avoided? A new study suggests the answer leans firmly in favor of eggs—and it’s challenging long-standing dietary myths.
Researchers from the University of South Australia investigated the separate effects of cholesterol and saturated fat on low-density lipoprotein (LDL), commonly known as “bad” cholesterol. Their findings? Eggs, despite their high cholesterol content, don’t raise LDL levels when eaten as part of a low saturated fat diet. In fact, they may actually help lower it.
“Eggs have long been unfairly cracked by outdated dietary advice,” said lead researcher Jonathan Buckley. “Our study shows it’s not the cholesterol in eggs that impacts heart health—it’s saturated fat that drives LDL cholesterol up.”
The study followed 61 adults who completed three different five-week diets: a high-cholesterol, low-saturated fat diet with two eggs a day; a low-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet with no eggs; and a high-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet with just one egg per week. The results were clear: diets rich in saturated fat caused LDL levels to rise, while the egg-heavy, low-saturated fat diet actually reduced them.
The takeaway? Eggs aren’t the villains they’ve been made out to be. Instead, the real culprits for spiking cholesterol are foods high in saturated fat—think bacon, sausage, and processed meats often served alongside eggs at breakfast.
“You could say we’ve delivered hard-boiled evidence in defense of the humble egg,” Buckley said.
Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study reinforces that eggs can be part of a heart-healthy diet when paired with smart choices. It’s not the eggs you need to worry about—it’s what you serve with them.
