Go on, have an omelette.
The science:
The argument against eggs has reached its weakest point.
Researchers analyzed data on 177,000 people in 50 countries and found that eating one per day has zero impact on your risks of heart disease, high cholesterol, or early death—even in at-risk populations.
Expert insight:
The old thinking was that the cholesterol in eggs could increase your own cholesterol levels and thereby, your risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems, says study author Mahshid Dehghan, Ph.D., an investigator at McMaster University’s Population Health Research Institute in Hamilton, Ontario.
But her latest extensive study (and other research released over the last few years) shows dietary cholesterol has no effect on those issues.
The source of concern might actually be the saturated fatty acids found in many foods with dietary cholesterol. Eggs, however, have none, suggesting that healthy people may be able to eat more than one a day without harm.
The bottom line:
“Based on our data, eating seven eggs per week does not have adverse effects,” Dehghan confirms. How you choose to divvy them up (one per day or two on some days and none on others, for example) is up to you.
You can eat additional whites if you'd like, but nutritionists argue strongly for whole eggs.
Test your knowledge with our Weekly crossword.