Are eggs good for you? What the research says about your heart and cholesterol

The short answer: yes, for most healthy people eggs are a good food in moderation. A large egg gives 6.3 grams of protein plus choline, vitamin D and B12 for about 72 calories. Large studies find that up to one egg a day isn’t linked to higher heart disease risk. People with diabetes or hard-to-control LDL cholesterol may need more care.

This guide covers the health side of eggs. For protein by egg size, white vs yolk and cost, see our guide to how much protein is in an egg.

What nutrients are in an egg?

One large egg (50 grams, raw) has about 72 calories, 6.3 grams of protein and 4.8 grams of fat, with almost no carbohydrate. Harvard’s Nutrition Source lists eggs as a source of choline, vitamin A, biotin and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. Here’s what USDA FoodData Central lists:

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, egg, whole, raw, fresh. Harvard notes that most of an egg’s fat is the unsaturated kind. All of the cholesterol sits in the yolk.

Do eggs raise cholesterol?

Eggs can raise blood cholesterol a little in some people, but for most, the cholesterol in food has a smaller effect than the mix of fats you eat. Harvard’s Nutrition Source says dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol are only weakly related. That’s partly why the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans dropped their old 300 mg daily limit.

The American Heart Association looked at the same question in a 2020 science advisory. It found that studies following people over time generally don’t show a significant link between dietary cholesterol and heart disease. Feeding studies are less reassuring: most tie cholesterol intakes above current US averages to higher total or LDL cholesterol. So the AHA steers people toward healthy eating patterns, such as Mediterranean-style and DASH-style diets, instead of a single cholesterol number.

If you’re not sure what your LDL and HDL numbers mean, our guide to good vs bad cholesterol explains each one.

Are eggs good for your heart?

Eggs look neutral for the heart in most large studies, though not all of them agree. These are the biggest recent analyses:

All three are observational, so they show links, not cause and effect. People who eat a lot of eggs often eat them with other foods. In the BMJ cohorts, higher egg eaters also ate more red meat. The JAMA result suggests that total cholesterol in the diet, from eggs and everything else, may matter more than eggs on their own.

Harvard adds one caution: a 2008 study from the Physicians’ Health Study suggested that eating well beyond one egg a day could raise the risk of heart failure later in life.

How many eggs a day is safe?

For most healthy people, up to one egg a day is the amount sources most often call safe. Harvard’s Nutrition Source says up to one egg a day isn’t linked to higher heart disease risk in healthy people, and the 2020 BMJ analysis reached the same conclusion. The AHA advisory doesn’t set an egg limit. It focuses on the overall pattern of your diet instead.

There’s less evidence for going well above one a day, and that’s where the heart failure finding comes in. Harvard’s bottom line is that moderate to low egg intake will be best for most people, with plant protein emphasized when possible.

A few practical ways to keep eggs in that range:

• Count the eggs in baking, sauces and egg salad, not only the ones on your plate.
• On days you want a bigger egg meal, use 1 whole egg plus whites. Whites have protein but no cholesterol.
• Rotate breakfasts. Greek yogurt, oats and beans make good swaps, and our high-protein breakfast ideas include egg-free options.

Are eggs good for people with diabetes?

The research on eggs and diabetes is mixed. Harvard reports that in two large US cohorts, the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, heart disease risk rose among people with diabetes who ate one or more eggs a day. For people with both diabetes and heart disease, Harvard suggests no more than three yolks a week, and egg whites for anyone who struggles to control their cholesterol.

A trial points the other way. In the Australian DIABEGG study, 128 people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes ate either 12 or more eggs a week or fewer than 2, for 12 months in total. Both groups followed a healthy diet that swapped saturated fats for unsaturated ones. The study found no differences in blood sugar, cholesterol or inflammation markers between the groups.

That trial was small, and every participant was eating a carefully planned diet. If you have diabetes, ask your care team how eggs fit your plan. Our prediabetes diet guide covers the wider eating pattern.

Are runny eggs safe to eat?

Runny and raw eggs carry a small risk of Salmonella, so the FDA recommends cooking eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. Harvard explains that Salmonella can get into an egg from an infected hen or through tiny pores in the shell. The FDA’s main rules:

• Keep eggs in the fridge at 40°F or below.
• Cook egg dishes, such as casseroles, to 160°F.
• Use pasteurized eggs for recipes that stay raw or lightly cooked, such as Caesar dressing or homemade ice cream.
• Don’t leave cooked eggs out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.

Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of serious illness, the FDA says. Salmonella usually causes diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps and vomiting 12 to 72 hours after infection. If you think you have food poisoning, contact your doctor.

What is the healthiest way to eat eggs?

The healthiest way to eat eggs is alongside vegetables, whole grains and unsaturated fats, which is the kind of pattern the AHA recommends. What sits next to the egg often matters more than the egg itself. Bacon, sausage and buttered white toast add saturated fat and salt that the egg doesn’t.

Try these today:

• Boil or poach. Neither adds fat, and a batch of boiled eggs makes the next few breakfasts easy.
• Scramble eggs with spinach, peppers or tomatoes, cooked in olive or canola oil. Our guide to the healthiest cooking oil compares the options.
• Serve eggs on whole-grain toast with fruit on the side.
• Pair one egg with a bowl of plain Greek yogurt for more protein with less cholesterol. Our guide to whether Greek yogurt is healthy compares the types.
• Go easy on cheese and cream in egg dishes if you’re watching saturated fat. Our look at full-fat dairy shows how fast it adds up.

If your cholesterol is high, our list of foods that lower cholesterol can help you plan the rest of the plate. If you’d like four weeks of high-protein meals already planned, with grocery lists, the meal plan below was written with menopause in mind.

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Quick questions

Is it OK to eat eggs every day?

Yes, for most healthy people one egg a day is fine. Harvard’s Nutrition Source says up to one egg a day isn’t linked to higher heart disease risk, and a 2020 BMJ analysis of more than 1.7 million people agreed. Eat them with vegetables and whole grains rather than processed meat to get the most benefit.

Is it OK to eat eggs every day with high cholesterol?

Ask your doctor, because it depends on your numbers and other risks. Harvard suggests that people who struggle to control their LDL cholesterol may want to choose egg whites, which have no cholesterol. A large egg has about 186 mg of cholesterol, all of it in the yolk, according to USDA data.

Do eggs raise cholesterol?

Eggs can raise blood cholesterol slightly in some people, but for most the effect is small. Harvard says dietary and blood cholesterol are only weakly related, and the mix of fats you eat matters more. The AHA notes that feeding studies link high cholesterol intakes with higher LDL, so moderation still makes sense.

Are eggs good for your heart?

Eggs appear neutral for heart health in most large studies. A 2020 analysis of about 177,000 people in 50 countries found no link between eggs and heart events. A 2019 JAMA analysis linked each extra half egg a day to a 6% higher heart disease risk, so findings are mixed.

Do eggs have fiber?

No, eggs have no fiber. USDA FoodData Central lists 0 grams of fiber and about 0.4 grams of carbohydrate in a large egg. To add fiber to an egg meal, serve it with whole-grain toast, vegetables, beans or fruit, which also fits the eating patterns the American Heart Association recommends.

Do eggs have iron?

Yes, eggs have a little iron. One large egg has about 0.9 milligrams, according to USDA FoodData Central, along with protein, choline, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Eggs aren’t a major iron source, so foods such as beans, lentils, meat and fortified cereals matter more if you’re low.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have high cholesterol, diabetes or heart disease, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about how eggs fit your diet.

Sources

• USDA. FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Egg, whole, raw, fresh
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source: Eggs
• Carson JAS et al. Dietary Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Risk: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation, 2020
• Drouin-Chartier JP et al. Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: three large prospective US cohort studies, systematic review, and updated meta-analysis. BMJ, 2020
• Dehghan M et al. Association of egg intake with blood lipids, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in 177,000 people in 50 countries. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2020
• Zhong VW et al. Associations of Dietary Cholesterol or Egg Consumption With Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality. JAMA, 2019
• Fuller NR et al. Effect of a high-egg diet on cardiometabolic risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes: the DIABEGG Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2018
• US Food and Drug Administration. What You Need to Know About Egg Safety