Eating 12 Eggs a Week Didn’t Raise Cholesterol Levels, New Study Finds

A small study finds that fortified eggs may not increase cholesterol levels. Gregory Adams/Getty Images
While eggs are a nutritious, lean source of protein, they contain high amounts of cholesterol. So do they fit in a heart-healthy diet?
A new study suggests that, yes, moderate consumption of eggs may be good for your heart. However, experts caution that people with existing heart disease or diabetes should talk to their doctor about what will work specifically for them.
In the preliminary study, researchers found that people who ate 12 fortified eggs per week had similar cholesterol levels after four months compared to those who ate fewer than two eggs of any kind per week.

Eating a dozen eggs didn’t affect cholesterol levels
The study, which will be presented April 6 at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session, involved 140 people 50 years of age or older who had cardiovascular disease or were at high risk for it.
Risk factorsTrusted Source for cardiovascular disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes.
The average age of participants was 66 years, around half were female, and just over one-quarter were Black. Almost one-quarter of participants had diabetes.

Researchers randomly assigned people to eat either 12 fortified eggs per week or to eat fewer than two eggs of any kind per week. People could cook the eggs however they liked.
Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com, cautions that when eggs are cooked at high temperatures, it can result in higher levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which may negatively impact heart health.
Fortified eggs contain less saturated fat and additional vitamins and minerals, such as iodine, vitamin D, selenium, vitamin B2, vitamin B5, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids. This is accomplished by feeding hens a special diet.

In the study, after following participants for four months, researchers did not see any adverse effects on cardiovascular health among people who ate 12 fortified eggs per week.
For example, blood cholesterol levels were similar between people who regularly ate fortified eggs and those who ate few or no eggs.
People in the fortified egg group also had a reduction in their total cholesterol level, insulin resistance scores, and high-sensitivity troponin (a marker of heart damage). They even saw an increase in their vitamin B levels.

In addition, “there were signals of potential benefits of eating fortified eggs that warrant further investigation in larger studies,” Nouhravesh said in the release.
In particular, there were possible benefits of eating fortified eggs among older adults and those with diabetes, including a rise in HDL (“good”) cholesterol and a decrease in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.