Eating 3 or More Eggs a Day May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease and Early Death

We always hear  about so many controversial studies about eating eggs. Are they good for us? Are they bad for us? Should we discard the yolk? Should we limit the amount of eggs we eat?

Dang, eggs, what’s your deal?

The most recent research is pointing us to the latter—that we should limit eggs. A new study published in the journal JAMA found that people who eat three or four eggs a day may have a higher risk of both heart disease and early death compared to those who eat fewer eggs.

The main reason? Cholesterol. One single large egg contains about 186 mg of cholesterol (mainly found in the yolk), and experts say anything over 300 mg of dietary cholesterol is not good for you (whether it’s in eggs or another food).

The study followed more than 29,000 people for the course of 17 ½ years. After that amount of time, a total of 5,400 cardiovascular health issues occurred, including 1,302 fatal and nonfatal strokes, 1,897 incidents of fatal and nonfatal heart failure and 113 other heart disease-related deaths. On top of that, 6,132 participants died of other causes.A result of eating three eggs a day was a 3.2% higher risk of heart disease and a 4.4% higher risk of early death.

Uh, that sounds pretty awful! Why do other studies say eggs are okay?

Researchers say that previous studies may not have taken into consideration things like things like low physical activity, smoking or an otherwise unhealthy diet.

However, this new study “is far more comprehensive, with enough data to make a strong statement that eggs and overall dietary cholesterol intake remain important in affecting the risk of [cardiovascular disease], and more so the risk of all-cause mortality,” said Dr. Robert H. Eckel of University of Colorado School of Medicine.

That’s not to say you should ban eggs together—but maybe switch up breakfast every once in a while, instead of always counting on your bacon, egg and cheese. Eggs still have plenty of health benefits, but limiting high-cholesterol foods is key here.

Do you like eggs? Will this study sway your decision to eat them?