How Often Should You Eat Eggs for Maximum Nutrition? A Dietitian Explains

Eggs are an affordable, versatile source of protein, choline, vitamin D, and other nutrients that support muscle, brain, and overall health. Although concerns about dietary cholesterol have led to some hesitation to eat eggs regularly, research suggests that up to one egg per day can fit into a heart-healthy diet for most adults.

How Often Should You Eat Eggs?
You can eat up to one egg per day.12
Previous research suggested that regularly eating eggs—particularly the yolks—was associated with higher cholesterol levels and a greater risk of heart disease. However, more recent research disputes this claim, finding no significant association between egg consumption and mortality from heart disease.2

Still, it’s recommended to limit eggs to one per day, given the link between high dietary cholesterol intake and heart disease. Research shows that dietary cholesterol is associated with lower heart disease when intake is less than 250 milligrams (mg) per day. But that association reverses with higher cholesterol intake (greater than 250 mg per day).2
The impact of regularly eating eggs depends on the rest of your diet. Although one egg contains 186 mg of cholesterol, it is just one part of the diet, and consuming multiple eggs per day—or eggs plus other foods high in dietary cholesterol—regularly may affect heart health.

Egg Health Benefits
Eggs are packed with essential nutrients that support overall health. Research suggests that regularly eating eggs may be associated with:
• Reduced risk of stroke.
• Increased muscle protein synthesis.
• Better memory and reduced risk of cognitive impairment.
• Increased satiety.

Egg Nutrition
One large, cooked hard-boiled egg provides:93
• Calories: 77.5
• Protein: 6.5 grams (g)
• Fat: 5.5 g (Saturated: 1.5 g)
• Carbohydrates: <1 g
• Fiber: 0
• Choline: 150 milligrams (mg) (35% of the DV for females and 27% of the DV for males)
• Vitamin A: 74.5 mcg (10% of the DV for females and 8% of the DV for males)
• Vitamin D: 43.5 International Units (IU) (7% of the DV)
• Cholesterol: 186 mg