Can You Eat an Egg a Day? Eggs and Heart Health

Few foods have been praised and blamed as often as the egg. For decades, advice swung between “eat as many as you like” and “no more than a few a week” because of the cholesterol in the yolk. Large studies in recent years give a calmer picture. This guide explains how the thinking changed and what a daily egg can mean for most people. It is general education, not medical advice.

Why eggs got a bad name

An egg yolk contains cholesterol, and people with high blood cholesterol are often told to watch what they eat. Older guidance suggested limiting dietary cholesterol, including eggs. Over time, researchers found that for most people, the cholesterol you eat has a smaller effect on blood cholesterol than saturated fat and overall eating pattern do. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines dropped a specific daily cholesterol limit in 2015.

What a large analysis found

In 2020, Jean-Philippe Drouin-Chartier and colleagues at Harvard published a study in the BMJ. It followed three large groups of U.S. health professionals: about 83,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, about 90,000 women in a second nurses’ study, and about 42,000 men. They were free of heart disease, diabetes and cancer at the start, and were followed for up to 32 years.

• Daily eggs were not linked to more heart disease. People who ate at least one egg a day had about the same risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, as those who ate fewer than one a month, after adjusting for other factors.
• A bigger pooled analysis agreed. Combining these with other studies covered more than 1.7 million people, and moderate egg intake was not associated with higher risk.
• Egg eaters differed in other ways. They tended to have higher body mass index and ate more red meat, which the researchers accounted for.

Limits to remember

• The studies are observational. They find associations, not proof of cause.
• Intake was modest. Most people ate one to five eggs a week, and the findings apply to up to about one a day.
• People with diabetes or high cholesterol may differ. Some studies in people with diabetes have found a signal of higher risk, so ask your clinician about your own situation.
• What you eat with eggs matters. Bacon, buttered toast and cheese change the picture more than the egg.

Eggs and weight

Eggs are a compact source of protein and several nutrients, including choline, vitamin D and B12. Studies of high-protein breakfasts suggest they can help people feel full for longer. We cover whether you need breakfast in a separate guide.

Easy ways to enjoy them

• Cook them with vegetables. Scrambled with spinach, peppers or tomatoes is a good example.
• Boil a batch. Hard-boiled eggs make a quick snack or salad topping.
• Poach or soft-boil to avoid extra oil.
• Pair them with fiber. Whole-grain toast, beans or fruit round out the meal. See our guide to fiber.
• Look at the whole pattern. The Mediterranean style we describe in this guide comfortably includes eggs.

Where this leaves you

For most healthy adults, an egg a day fits within a balanced diet. If you have heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol or a family history, a clinician can tell you what is right for you.

Sources

• Drouin-Chartier J-P, Chen S, Li Y, et al. Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: three large prospective US cohort studies, systematic review, and updated meta-analysis. BMJ, 2020;368:m513.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020.