Eggs May Actually Be Okay for Your Heart | Cardiovascular Disease

 When it comes to raising blood cholesterol, eggs have gotten a bad reputation. Over the years, doctors have warned that eating too many may have a negative impact on heart health, but research along the way has been mixed.

Yes, one study linked eating three or four eggs per week with a 6 percent increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease.

But other studies have concluded that consuming up to seven eggs a week is not associated with heart disease in healthy people.

Now a study to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Sessions in Atlanta in April supports the claim that eggs — specifically, fortified eggs from hens fed nutrient-enriched feed — may not be harmful.

The modest-sized study, led by scientists at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, found that over a four-month period, people eating a dozen fortified eggs each week had the same blood cholesterol levels as people eating no more than two eggs of any kind per week.

Why the Focus on Fortified Eggs?

“We wanted to add some solid evidence on the effects of fortified eggs, especially because nonfortified eggs have been a subject for investigation for many years,” says Nina Nouhravesh, MD, a study author and research fellow at the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

Fortified eggs, she noted, may be healthier than regular eggs because they offer extra amounts of vitamins D, B, and E, omega fatty acids, and iodine, along with less saturated fat.

Study Included People With or at Risk for Heart Disease

Dr. Nouhravesh and her team followed 140 adults, all 50 and older (average age 66), who’d had at least one cardiac event in the past, such as heart attack, or had risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased body mass index (BMI), or diabetes. Half were female; 27 percent were Black.

Over four months, half the subjects were directed to eat 12 fortified eggs per week while the other half were required to eat up to two eggs (fortified or not). Fortified eggs come from hens given special feed that is rich in vitamins and minerals.

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At the end of the study period, the researchers found that differences between the two groups in levels of HDL “good” cholesterol and LDL “bad” cholesterol weren’t statistically significant.

The researchers noted that participants in the fortified egg group actually had slightly lower levels of HDL and LDL: 0.64 milligrams per decliter (mg/dL) in HDL and 3.14 mg/dL in LDL.

Patients Want to Know, Are Eggs Bad for My Heart?

“I treat a lot of patients for cholesterol, so the egg issue comes up frequently,” says Parveen Garg, MD, a cardiologist with Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles. “I think what’s interesting about this study is that it shows eating fortified eggs doesn’t really adversely affect your cholesterol.”

Dr. Garg, who was not involved in this study, recognizes that eggs contain a high amount of dietary cholesterol: One large egg has about 200 mg, all in the yolk.

“There’s sufficient evidence, however, to question the whole idea that the more cholesterol you have in your diet, the more is going to show up in your blood levels,” says Garg, who emphasizes that dietary cholesterol is different from blood cholesterol.

He notes that saturated fat is more likely to impact blood cholesterol, adding that eggs are low in saturated fat compared with foods like red meat and dairy.

Study Limitations and More Research Ahead

Nouhravesh stresses that as a pilot study, her research has several limitations. While participants provided some information regarding dietary intake showing similarities in the two groups (including daily calories, proteins, and saturated fat), specifics were lacking.

Plus, the study did not take into account egg preparation: Some subjects might have fried their eggs in butter, increasing saturated fat, while others may have simply boiled them.

The research also did not take into account the subjects’ exercise regimens or medications, both which could be influencing factors.

The study was funded by Eggland’s Best, a company that makes and sells fortified eggs. Whether the results of this trial correspond to nonfortified eggs is unknown.

Nouhravesh suggests that some findings of the study warrant further exploration. “In the current trial we found a potential benefit [of fortified eggs] on cholesterol levels in patients who were older and in patients with diabetes, which we think is very exciting data which should be further investigated in larger trials,” she says.