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Health Concerns With Eggs

Eating Eggs Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

The fat and cholesterol found in eggs can harm heart health and lead to diabetes, as well as prostate and colorectal cancers.

Serum Cholesterol

About 60% of the calories in eggs are from fat—much of which is saturated fat. Eggs are also loaded with cholesterol—about 200 milligrams for an average-sized egg. That’s more than double the amount in a Big Mac. Fat and cholesterol both contribute to heart disease.

A meta-analysis that combined the results of 13 clinical trials found that compared with eating no eggs, eating 1-3 eggs per day significantly raised LDL cholesterol.1 This is important because the longer a person lives with elevated LDL cholesterol, the higher their risk of heart disease is.2

Heart Disease

Eating eggs increases the risk of dying from heart disease, according to research published in Circulation.3 Researchers compared egg and cholesterol consumption and blood cholesterol levels with death from cardiovascular disease in over 27,000 participants and conducted a systematic review of existing research. Eating one egg per day significantly increased the risk of dying from heart disease. Higher blood cholesterol levels and higher intakes of dietary cholesterol were also associated with an elevated risk of death from heart disease. These findings support limiting dietary cholesterol intake for improved heart health.

A 2021 study found that the addition of half an egg per day was associated with more deaths from heart disease, cancer, and all causes. For every 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol consumed per day, mortality risk increased by up to 24%.4 A study published in JAMA found that that each 300-milligram dose of dietary cholesterol was associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality by 17% and 18%, respectively.5 When it came to eggs, each half egg caused a 6% and 8% increased risk, respectively. A study in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology found that those who eat the most eggs have a 19% higher risk for cardiovascular problems.6

Industry-funded research has downplayed the effects of egg consumption on cholesterol levels. A Physicians Committee review published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine examined all research studies published from 1950 to March 2019 that evaluated the effect of eggs on blood cholesterol levels and examined funding sources and their influence on study findings.7 Research published prior to 1970 showed no industry influence on cholesterol research. The percentage of industry-funded studies increased over time, from 0% in the 1950s to 60% in 2010-2019. More than 85% of the research studies, regardless of funding sources, showed that eggs have unfavorable effects on blood cholesterol. But 49% of industry-funded publications reported conclusions that conflicted with actual study results, compared with 13% of non-industry-funded trials.

Diabetes

Consuming one or more eggs per day may increase the risk of diabetes by 60%, according to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.8 Researchers compared egg consumption with blood glucose levels in more than 8,000 participants from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Those who habitually consumed the most eggs increased their risk for diabetes when compared to those who ate the fewest eggs.

These results support similar findings. A review of 14 studies published in the journal Atherosclerosis showed that those who consume the most eggs increase their risk for diabetes by 68%.9 Another review found similar results; a 39% higher risk of diabetes in people who eat three or more eggs per week.10

Egg consumption also increases the risk of gestational diabetes, according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.11

Cancer

Eating eggs may also increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer. One meta-analysis that combined the results of 55 studies and over 2.7 million people found that each additional egg eaten per day increased the risk of dying from cancer by 13%.12 One study found that men who ate 2.5 or more eggs per week had an 81% increased risk of lethal prostate cancer when compared with men who consumed less than half an egg per week.13 Eggs may increase the risk of other cancers such as ovarian, breast, and colon cancer.14-16

Plant-Powered Prescription

  • Swap scrambled eggs with scrambled tofu.
  • Swap egg mayo filling for a chickpea mayo filling for sandwiches.
  • Swap eggs for a flaxseed egg, mashed banana, or applesauce in baking.

Health Concerns With Eggs Fact Sheet

There are several reasons to consider eliminating eggs from your diet. Recent studies link them to heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

Eggs and Your Health: What You Need to Know

References

  1. Blesso CN, Fernandez ML. Dietary cholesterol, serum lipids, and heart disease: are eggs working for or against you? Nutrients. 2018;10(4):426. doi:10.3390/nu10040426
  2. Ference BA, Ginsberg HN, Graham I, et al. Low-density lipoproteins cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. 1. Evidence from genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical studies. A consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel. Eur Heart J. 2017;38(32):2459-2472. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehx144
  3. Zhao B, Gan L, Graubard BI, Männistö S, Albanes D, Huang J. Associations of dietary cholesterol, serum cholesterol, and egg consumption with overall and cause-specific mortality: systematic review and updated meta-analysis. Circulation. 2022;145(20):1506-1520. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.057642
  4. Zhuang P, Wu F, Mao L, et al. Egg and cholesterol consumption and mortality from cardiovascular and different causes in the United States: a population-based cohort study. PLoS Med. 2021;18:e1003508-e1003531. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003508
  5. Zhong VW, Van Horn L, Cornelis MC, et al. Associations of dietary cholesterol or egg consumption with incident cardiovascular disease and mortality. JAMA. 2019;321:1081-1095. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.1572
  6. Spence JD, Jenkins DJ, Davignon J. Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: not for patients at risk of vascular disease. Can J Cardiol. 2010;26(9):e336-339. doi:10.1016/s0828-282x(10)70456-6
  7. Barnard ND, Long MB, Ferguson JM, Flores R, Kahleova H. Industry funding and cholesterol research: a systematic review. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2019;15(2):165-172. doi:10.1177/1559827619892198
  8. Wang Y, Li M, Shi Z. Higher egg consumption associated with increased risk of diabetes in Chinese adults – China Health and Nutrition Survey. Br J Nutr. 2021;126(1):110-117. doi:10.1017/S0007114520003955
  9. Li Y, Zhou C, Zhou X, Li L. Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: a meta-analysis. Atherosclerosis. 2013;229(2):524-530. doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2013.04.003
  10. Djoussé L, Khawaja OA, Gaziano JM. Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103(2):474-480. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.119933
  11. Qiu C, Frederick IO, Zhang C, Sorensen TK, Enquobahrie DA, Williams MA. Risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in relation to maternal egg and cholesterol intake. Am J Epidemiol. 2011;173:649-658. doi:10.1093/aje/kwq425
  12. Darooghegi Mofrad M, Naghshi S, Lotfi K, et al. Egg and dietary cholesterol intake and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Front Nutr. 2022;9:878979. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.878979
  13. Richman EL, Kenfield SA, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci EL, Chan JM. 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). 2011;4(12):2110-2121. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-11-0354
  14. Si R, Qu K, Jiang Z, Yang X, Gao P. Egg consumption and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis. Breast Cancer. 2014;21(3):251-261. doi:10.1007/s12282-014-0519-1
  15. Zeng ST, Guo L, Liu SK, et al. Egg consumption is associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis of observational studies. Clin Nutr. 2015;34(4):635-641. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2014.07.009
  16. Tse G, Eslick GD. Egg consumption and risk of GI neoplasms: dose-response meta-analysis and systematic review. Eur J Nutr. 2014;53(7):1581-1590. doi:10.1007/s00394-014-0664-5