SCIENCE EPISODE
Are eggs bad for your heart?
Some people still believe eggs raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. Some doctors even still say this. But today, I’m taking you on a deep dive into the real science, because what we were taught in the 90s is outdated.
Spoiler: Eggs are not the enemy. In fact, they’re better for your heart than orange juice and oatmeal.
What’s actually in an egg?
Let’s start with the basics. An egg has two main parts:
- The yolk – It’s rich in fat, about 185 mg of cholesterol, 3 grams of protein, and packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- The white – Mostly water and 4 grams of protein. No fat. No cholesterol.
Eggs also contain:
- Choline: for brain and liver function
- Protein: about 7g per egg
- Fat-soluble vitamins (read USDA)
- Lutein + Zeaxanthin: for eye health (read study)
I personally eat 3 to 4 eggs every single day. They help steady my glucose, reduce cravings, and keep me full for hours.
Where did the “eggs cause heart disease” myth come from?
If you grew up hearing that eggs raise cholesterol and lead to heart disease, you’re not alone. That belief took off in the 1950s and 60s after a few now-controversial studies.
The 1950s Study That Started It All
The cholesterol fear started with the Seven Countries Study by Ancel Keys. (read study)
His famous graph showed a perfect link between a country’s fat consumption and heart disease deaths. Countries like Japan (low fat, low heart disease) and the US (high fat, high heart disease) were plotted in a neat upward line.
But here’s the problem…
He left out countries that didn’t fit. France and Germany, for example, where people eat a lot of fat but don’t have high heart disease rates, were excluded.
His data was associative, not causal. That’s like saying people with long toenails watch more TV. It doesn’t mean one causes the other.
The 1960s Study That Kept It Going
The Framingham Heart Study, first published in 1961, also linked high cholesterol with heart disease, but didn’t distinguish between dietary cholesterol (what you eat) and blood cholesterol (what circulates in your body).
So the assumption stuck: eating cholesterol = bad for your heart.
The Cholesterol Confusion
Following this work, doctors and health guidelines began warning us: Don’t eat more than 300mg of cholesterol a day, basically no more than two eggs.
So people ditched eggs, full-fat yogurt, butter, and all kinds of animal fats. Low-fat diets exploded. But to make low-fat foods taste good? Food companies added tons of sugar.
And it turns out: That shift did more harm than good.
What we know now about eggs: the science has changed
In the 2000s, researchers started digging deeper into cholesterol. And here’s what they found:
- Your liver makes 80% of your body’s cholesterol.
- Only 20% comes from food, and most of it is excreted.
- Eating cholesterol-rich foods like eggs does not significantly impact blood cholesterol.
Even Ancel Keys said in 1977: “There is no connection whatsoever between cholesterol in food and cholesterol in blood.”
A study review of multiple meta-analyses confirmed that dietary cholesterol, especially from eggs, does not significantly increase blood cholesterol or heart disease risk for most people. (read study)
Finally a change: In 2015, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee officially removed dietary cholesterol from its list of nutrients of concern, stating that "available evidence shows no appreciable relationship between consumption of dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol." (ready report)
This decision was based on a wealth of evidence, including large population studies, and marked a significant shift in public health policy on cholesterol.
FREE RESOURCE
The Glucose Goddess Hacks
Instantly download the hacks as a 1-page printable PDF.
What actually increases heart disease risk?
Now that we’ve cleared eggs of the blame, let’s look at what really drives heart disease.
The current understanding of heart disease points to two major factors:
- Small, dense LDL particles – These are the dangerous form of “bad cholesterol” that easily get stuck in artery walls.
- Inflammation and oxidation – These damage your blood vessels, making it easy for those small LDL particles to build up in the wrong places.
What increases both of these?
👉 Glucose spikes and high insulin levels
When your blood sugar spikes, your liver produces more small LDL particles, and inflammation increases, making your heart work harder.
The real culprits: Sugar and Trans Fats
The low-fat craze of the 80s and 90s led to an explosion in low-fat processed foods — loaded with sugar and trans fats (like margarine and hydrogenated oils). These fats are directly linked to heart disease.
If you really want to support your heart, avoid:
- Trans fats – Found in margarine, hydrogenated oils, and many processed spreads.
- Processed low-fat foods – Usually loaded with sugar.
- Refined carbs and sugary drinks – Major drivers of glucose spikes and inflammation.
Instead of fake butter, use real butter or olive oil. Instead of low-fat yogurt with fruit syrup, go for full-fat yogurt with real berries. Instead of cereal, have eggs.
50 breakfast recipes
Regular price
Unit price
per
Eggs vs. Oatmeal: which is better for your heart?
Oats are often marketed as heart-healthy staples, but nutritionally, they’re starch. When we eat them, they’re rapidly broken down into glucose, leading to a glucose spike, and an associated insulin spike. This means: more small LDL particles, more inflammation, and over time, higher risk of heart disease.
In contrast, eggs contain protein and fat, leading to a much steadier glucose. Steady glucose means lower insulin levels, reduced oxidative stress, and less inflammation — all protective factors for your heart.
In fact, a study found that people with diabetes who ate one egg per day had less inflammation than those who ate an oatmeal for breakfast, without increasing cholesterol or heart disease risk. (read study)
So yes: Eggs are better than oats for your heart.
AND, they contribute to your daily protein intake. More on this in my protein episode.
How to test your heart health
Most doctors still look at total cholesterol, but this isn’t enough. Here are better markers for assessing heart disease risk:
- Triglycerides to HDL Ratio:
Ideal: less than 2
The formula to get your ratio: Triglycerides (mg/dL) ÷ HDL (mg/dL)
- hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)
Measures inflammation.
Aim for as low as possible.
- HOMA-IR
Measures insulin resistance (a major risk factor).
- ApoB
Tells you how many “bad” cholesterol particles you have.
Lower is better.
- Calcium Score
Detects plaque in arteries via a CT scan.
Check out my blood tests guide for more info.
FREE RESOURCE
Blood tests guide
Understand the most important blood tests for monitoring your metabolic health and what your results mean. Instantly download the guide as a free PDF below.
The scientific studies mentioned in this episode
Ballesteros M N et al., “One Egg per Day Improves Inflammation when Compared to an Oatmeal-Based Breakfast without Increasing Other Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Diabetic Patients.” Nutrients 7, no. 5 (2015) 3449-63. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4446761/
Bikman B. “Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease—and How to Fight It.” BenBella Books, 2020. https://benbellabooks.com/shop/why-we-get-sick/
Ceriello A et al., “Oscillating glucose is more deleterious to endothelial function and oxidative stress than mean glucose in normal and type 2 diabetic patients.” Diabetes 57, no. 5 (2008): 1349-1354. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18299315/
Fernandez M L and Murillo A G, “Is There a Correlation between Dietary and Blood Cholesterol? Evidence from Epidemiological Data and Clinical Interventions.” Nutrients 14,no. 10 (2022): 2168. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9143438/
Flynn M C et al., “Transient Intermittent Hyperglycemia Accelerates Atherosclerosis by Promoting Myelopoiesis.” Circulation research 127, no. 7 (2020): 877-892. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7486277/
Goodrow E F et al., “Consumption of one egg per day increases serum lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations in older adults without altering serum lipid and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations.” The Journal of nutrition 136, no. 10 (2006): 2519-24. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16988120/
Kannel W B et al., “Factors of risk in the development of coronary heart disease--six year follow-up experience. The Framingham Study.” Annals of internal medicine 55, no. 1 (1961): 33-50. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-55-1-33
Keys A., “Atherosclerosis: a problem in newer public health.” Journal of the Mount Sinai Hospital, New York 20, no. 2 (1953): 118-39. http://www.epi.umn.edu/cvdepi/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Keys-Atherosclerosis-A-Problem-in-Newer-Public-Health.pdf
Node K and Inoue T, “Postprandial hyperglycemia as an etiological factor in vascular failure.” Cardiovascular diabetology 8 (2009): 23. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2688503/
Succurro E et al., “Elevated one-hour post-load plasma glucose levels identifies subjects with normal glucose tolerance but early carotid atherosclerosis.” Atherosclerosis 207, no. 1 (2009): 245-249. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021915009002718
United States. Congress. Senate. Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs. “Dietary Goals for the United States.” Dietary Goals for the United States. 2d ed.--. N.p., 1977. Print. https://search.nal.usda.gov/permalink/01NAL_INST/27vehl/alma9916345683507426
United States. “Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA)”, 1980. Print. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/about-dietary-guidelines/previous-editions/1980-dietary-guidelines-americans
United States, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Agriculture. “Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Advisory Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture.” 2015. Print. https://ods.od.nih.gov/pubs/2015_dgac_scientific_report.pdf
