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UPI
a day ago
- Health
- UPI
New study vindicates eggs, says they don't hike bad-cholesterol levels
July 21 (UPI) -- A new egg study has produced sunny-side-up results for the oft-maligned breakfast staple. Eggs are commonly thought to increase the risk of heart disease by raising people's cholesterol levels. But people who ate two eggs a day experienced reductions in their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels, as long as the rest of their diet remained low in saturated fat, researchers reported in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Indeed, the amount of saturated fat in a person's diet tended to increase their LDL cholesterol levels, not the cholesterol found in eggs, results show. "You could say we've delivered hard-boiled evidence in defense of the humble egg," senior researcher Jon Buckley, a professor at the University of South Australia, said in a news release. "So, when it comes to a cooked breakfast, it's not the eggs you need to worry about -- it's the extra serving of bacon or the side of sausage that's more likely to impact your heart health," Buckley added. Eggs are a unique food, in that they are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat, he said. "Yet, it's their cholesterol level that has often caused people to question their place in a healthy diet," Buckley said. For the new study, researchers recruited 61 adults 18 to 60 with an average LDL cholesterol level of 105. LDL cholesterol levels above 100 are considered "at risk" for heart disease, and 160 and higher are "dangerous," according to the Cleveland Clinic. This type of cholesterol contributes to plaques that can block arteries and cause heart attacks or strokes. Participants took turns cycling through three different types of diets for five weeks each: • A high-cholesterol, low-saturated fat diet with two eggs a day. • A low-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet without eggs. • A high-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet that included one egg a week. "To date, no studies have directly compared the effects of a high-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet, as is common in Western diets, with a high-cholesterol, low-saturated fat diet or a low-cholesterol, high-saturated fat diet," researchers noted in their report. By the end of the study, 48 people had completed all three diets. Blood samples were taken after each cycle, to see how the different diets affected their LDL cholesterol. People's LDL cholesterol fell when on the two-egg diet, compared to the other two eating patterns, results show. They wound up with average LDL cholesterol levels of just under 104, compared with 108 and 109 for the other two diets. "In this study, we separated the effects of cholesterol and saturated fat, finding that high dietary cholesterol from eggs, when eaten as part of a low saturated fat diet, does not raise bad cholesterol levels," Buckley said. "Instead, it was the saturated fat that was the real driver of cholesterol elevation," he noted. Specifically, each 1-gram increase in saturated fat was associated with a 0.35-point increase in LDL cholesterol, the study says. But no significant relationship was found between cholesterol intake and a person's LDL cholesterol levels, results show. "Eggs have long been unfairly cracked by outdated dietary advice," Buckley concluded. More information The Cleveland Clinic has more on blood cholesterol levels. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
‘Unfairly' criticized brunch staple actually isn't bad for your heart health: study
Here's something to get egg-cited about. A new study scrambles the long-held belief that eggs are bad for your heart, finding that eating a certain number daily might actually improve your cholesterol levels. But it's not all sunny side up. While one breakfast staple has been eggsonerated, researchers warn that another could spell serious trouble for your ticker. 3 Eggs might not be the real villain lurking on your breakfast plate. Pixel Stories/Stocksy – Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse, packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein and healthy fats. But they've long been in the hot seat because they're naturally high in dietary cholesterol. For years, health officials and medical groups have recommended limiting egg consumption, concerned it could raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease — the leading cause of death in the US. But growing evidence suggests that risk might not be as significant as once believed. 'Eggs have long been unfairly cracked by outdated dietary advice,' Dr. Jon Buckley, a professor at the University of South Australia and lead researcher on the study, said in a statement. 'They're unique — high in cholesterol, yes, but low in saturated fat. Yet it's their cholesterol level that has often caused people to question their place in a healthy diet,' he continued. 3 Roughly 805,000 people in the US experience a heart attack each year, or about 1 in every 400 adults. Kannapat – To put it to the test, Buckley and his colleagues examined the independent effects of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat on LDL cholesterol — the so-called 'bad' cholesterol that can build up in the arteries and raise your risk of heart disease and stroke. They found that eating two eggs a day, as part of a high-cholesterol but low–saturated fat diet, can actually reduce LDL levels and lower heart disease risk. Instead, real culprit behind elevated blood cholesterol was saturated fat. This primarily comes from animal sources, such as meat and dairy products, along with tropical oils like coconut and palm. 'You could say we've delivered hard-boiled evidence in defense of the humble egg,' Buckley said. 'So, when it comes to a cooked breakfast, it's not the eggs you need to worry about — it's the extra serve of bacon or the side of sausage that's more likely to impact your heart health.' 3 Processed meats like bacon, sausage, hot dogs and ham often contain significant amounts of saturated fats. Nelea Reazanteva – Across the country, nearly 94 million American adults over the age of 20 have high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, because high cholesterol typically comes without noticeable symptoms, many people don't know they have it until serious complications arise — such as a heart attack or stroke. To keep cholesterol levels in check, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends making key lifestyle changes, including limiting saturated fat to less than 6% of your total daily calories. For someone who eats about 2,000 calories a day, that means no more than 120 calories — or roughly 13 grams — should come from saturated fat. That limit is easy to exceed. Just one tablespoon of butter has about 7 grams of saturated fat, while two slices of bacon pack in roughly 4 grams. The AHA also advises cutting back on trans fats and increasing your intake of soluble fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and pectin-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. Beyond diet, the organization encourages regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and quitting smoking to help manage cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease.
