Leave the cheese omelette. There is sobering news for egg lovers. A large study reports that adults who eat more eggs and dietary cholesterol have a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death from any cause.
Egg yolks are one of the richest sources of dietary cholesterol of all commonly consumed foods. One large egg contains 186 milligrams of cholesterol in the yolk. Other animal products such as red meat, processed meat and high-fat dairy products (butter or whipped cream) also have high cholesterol levels, the study's lead author said.
The evidence for eggs is mixed. Previous studies found that eating eggs did not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. But those studies generally had a less diverse sample, shorter follow-up time and limited ability to adapt for other parts of the diet, the researcher said.
"Our study shows if two people have the exact same diet and the only difference in diet was eggs, then you could directly measure the effect of egg consumption on heart disease," said the researcher. “We found that cholesterol, regardless of its source, was associated with an increased risk of heart disease.”
Exercise, overall diet quality, and the amount and type of fat in the diet did not change the association between cholesterol and cardiovascular disease and risk of death. The new study looked at data from 29,615 adults from six prospective cohort studies for up to 31 years of follow-up.
It found: Eating 300 mg of cholesterol per day was associated with a 17 percent higher risk of incidental cardiovascular disease and 18 percent higher risk of all-cause deaths. Cholesterol was the driving factor independent of saturated fat consumption and other dietary fat. Eating three to four eggs per week was associated with a 6 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease and an 8 percent higher risk of causes of death.
Should I stop eating eggs?
Based on the study, people should keep dietary cholesterol intake low by reducing cholesterol-rich foods such as eggs and red meat in their diet.
"We want to remind people that there is cholesterol in eggs, especially yolks, and this has a harmful effect," said the researcher. “Eat them in moderation.”
