The ever-evolving message about eggs and heart health
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., M.P.H, Former Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter
Is an egg a day really okay for heart health? Maybe not, according to the latest study to look at this question, published April 1, 2022, in Circulation.
For part of the study, researchers looked at egg and cholesterol consumption in more than 27,000 men who were part of a long-running cancer study that followed participants for up to 31 years. They also pooled and reviewed data from 41 similar studies on eggs, dietary cholesterol intake, and blood cholesterol levels. Over all, they found that egg consumption — about one a day — and greater dietary cholesterol was linked to a slightly higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The usual caveat applies, however: observational research like this can't prove cause and effect.
Still, the findings support what many preventive cardiologists recommend for people who have heart disease or are at risk for it: if you like eggs, limit your consumption to a few per week, and have them with other healthy foods, such as a scrambled egg with vegetables and whole-grain toast.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., M.P.H, Former Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter
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