Does A High-Egg Diet Result In High Cholesterol?

The good news was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition today, seeking to clear up confusion and clear the air when it comes to the wide-spread smear campaign against eggs in recent years.

"Despite differing advice around safe levels of egg consumption for people with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, our research indicates people do not need to hold back from eating eggs if this is part of a healthy diet," said Dr. Nick Fuller from the University's Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders.

Researchers divided the participants into two groups, a high-egg intake group (eating 12 eggs per week) and a low-egg group ( eating a maximum of 2 eggs per week). At the end of the 3 month trial, no cardiovascular risk markers were identified in either group.

In the initial trial, participants aimed to maintain their weight while embarking on a high-egg (12 eggs per week) or low-egg (less than two eggs per week) diet, with no difference in cardiovascular risk markers identified at the end of three months. Cardiovascular risk factors taken into account when gathering results included cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure, all risk factors commonly associated with egg consumption.

"Eggs are a source of protein and micronutrients that could support a range of health and dietary factors including helping to regulate the intake of fat and carbohydrate, eye and heart health, healthy blood vessels and healthy pregnancies," explained Dr. Fuller.

Adding to the good news, both groups also experienced the same rate of weight loss during the testing period.

"Interestingly, people on both the high egg and low egg diets lost an equivalent amount of weight -- and continued to lose weight after the three month intended weight loss phase had ended," he said.

Before you whip out the fry pan and scramble up a plate of fluffy goodness, in the interest of accurate reporting, the results should be taken with a pinch of salt (much like your eggs). According to the University of Sydney, the research was supported by a grant from Australian Eggs, although according to a University statement, “they had no role in the research design, conduct, analyses or writing the manuscript”.

Despite this information, the results do seem to be accurate, as after further digging it seems the researchers are backed by some extremely credible sources, including the Heart Foundation, who offer a sensible explanation for eggs’ bad wrap: 

“The cholesterol in eggs has almost no effect on our blood cholesterol levels. Your cholesterol levels are more influenced by the saturated and trans fat we eat. If you eat your eggs with a side of bacon it is likely the bacon will have more effect on your cholesterol levels than the egg.”