A study recently published by Harvard Health Publishing questions long-held beliefs about the association between eating eggs and cholesterol, finding that dietary cholesterol has a far smaller impact on blood cholesterol levels than originally believed.
It also reported that dietary cholesterol does not have a significant impact on the level of low-density lipoprotein, known as bad cholesterol, as was generally believed, but rather saturated fat intake is more of a determining factor.
It included 48 adults on three different diets: one on a diet high in cholesterol, yet low in saturated fat, with two eggs per day; one on a diet with low cholesterol and high levels of saturated fat; and the last one on both high levels of cholesterol and saturated fat, with one egg per day.
Results revealed that LDL cholesterol was mainly affected by the amount of saturated fat in the diet, rather than by the intake of cholesterol itself.
Of particular note, it was found that those subjects who ate two eggs per day as part of a diet low in saturated fat did not have an increase in cholesterol levels; in some cases, levels actually decreased.
Health experts also pointed out that foods most commonly linked to increased heart disease risk were red meat, processed meats, butter, and cheese, among foods high in saturated fats-not eggs.
They added that eggs can be part of a healthy, nutrient-dense diet, especially if the general intake of food is balanced.
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