Recent research from the University of South Australia (UniSA) suggests that eggs, despite their cholesterol content, aren't the dietary villains they’ve long been made out to be. Instead, it’s the saturated fats found in foods like bacon and sausage that actually elevate harmful LDL cholesterol levels.
In their findings, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers showed that eating two eggs a day, as part of a low saturated fat diet, can even help reduce LDL cholesterol, challenging outdated guidelines and offering heart-healthy news for breakfast lovers
Long blamed for high cholesterol, eggs have been maligned for their assumed role in cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Now, the researchers have shown definitively that it’s not dietary cholesterol in eggs but the saturated fat in our diets that’s the real heart health concern.
CVD is the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for nearly 18m deaths each year. In Australia, one person dies from CVD every 12 minutes, accounting for one in four of deaths nationwide.
Lead researcher, UniSA’s Professor Jon Buckley, said it’s time to rethink the reputation of eggs.
“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.
“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.
“Instead, it was the saturated fat that was the real driver of cholesterol elevation. 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 have an impact on your heart health.”
Study details
Impact of dietary cholesterol from eggs and saturated fat on LDL cholesterol levels: a randomised cross-over study
Sharayah Carter, Alison Hill, Catherine Yandell, Lisa Wood, Alison Coates, Jonathan Buckley.
Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in July 2025.
Abstract
Background
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death. Although dietary cholesterol from eggs has been a focus of dietary guidelines, recent evidence suggests that saturated fat has a greater impact on LDL cholesterol.
Objectives
This study examined the independent effects of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat on LDL concentrations.
Methods
In this randomised, controlled, cross-over study (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05267522), 61 adults (age 39 ± 12 y, BMI 25.8 ± 5.9 kg/m2) with baseline LDL cholesterol <3.5 mmol/L (135.3 μg/dL) were assigned to 3 isocaloric diets for 5 wk each: high-cholesterol (600 mg/d), low-saturated fat (6%) including 2 eggs/d (EGG); low-cholesterol (300 mg/d), high-saturated fat (12%) without eggs (EGG-FREE); and a high-cholesterol (600 mg/d), high-saturated fat (12%) control diet (CON) including 1 egg/wk. Outcomes were assessed at the end of each diet phase.
Results
Fifty-four participants completed ≥1 diet phase, and 48 completed all diet phases. Compared with CON, EGG but not EGG-FREE reduced LDL cholesterol (CON 109.3 ± 3.1 μg/dL compared with EGG 103.6 ± 3.1 μg/dL P = 0.02 compared with EGG-FREE 107.7 ± 3.1 μg/dL, P = 0.52). Across all diets, saturated fat intake was positively correlated with LDL cholesterol (β = 0.35, P = 0.002), whereas dietary cholesterol was not (β = −0.006, P = 0.42). Compared with CON, EGG but not EGG-FREE reduced concentrations of large (EGG β = −48.6, P = 0.03; EGG-FREE β = −35.85, P = 0.12) and increased concentrations of small LDL particles (EGG β = 95.1, P = 0.004; EGG-FREE β = 55.82, P = 0.10).
Conclusions
Saturated fat, not dietary cholesterol, elevates LDL cholesterol. Compared with consuming a high-saturated fat diet with only 1 egg/wk, consuming 2 eggs daily as part of a low-saturated fat diet lowers LDL concentrations, which may reduce CVD risk. However, this effect on CVD risk may be mitigated, at least in part, by a reduction in less-atherogenic large LDL particles and an increase in more atherogenic small LDL particles.
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