Egg industry-funded study finds eggs are OK

Imagine that!

By University of South Australia

EDITOR'S NOTE: Normally, I do not post articles where the funding source for the research may raise doubts about the validity of the findings. For example, I almost always skip over articles funded by the American Chemical Council, a lobby group for the plastics industry. There are also articles where the research was sponsored by various trade associations who use the research to promote their product. This article is a pretty good example of how an industry-sponsored research project gets used to promote, in this case, eggs. NOTE - in recent years, there has been considerable softening in the views of nutrition experts toward eggs. If you want a heart-healthy diet but also like eggs, I suggest you talk to your doctor and only trust reputable research sources such as this recent article from the Mayo Clinic.  - Will Collette

New findings from the University of South Australia overturn decades of dietary advice by showing that egg-derived cholesterol, when consumed as part of a low-saturated-fat diet, does not raise LDL levels and may even lower cardiovascular risk. Credit: Stock

The study was funded by the Egg Nutrition Center.

Whether you prefer them poached, scrambled, or pan-fried, eggs are back on the menu. A new study from the University of South Australia has found that enjoying eggs for breakfast won’t harm your cholesterol levels as previously thought.

For years, eggs have carried a reputation for raising cholesterol and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, researchers at UniSA have now demonstrated that the real concern isn’t the cholesterol found in eggs, but the saturated fat commonly found in other parts of our diet.

In what is considered a world-first investigation, scientists studied how dietary cholesterol and saturated fat each affect levels of LDL cholesterol (commonly known as the “bad” cholesterol). They discovered that consuming two eggs daily, when included in a diet high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat, may actually reduce LDL cholesterol and help protect against heart disease.

Cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death globally, responsible for close to 18 million fatalities every year. In Australia alone, CVD claims a life every 12 minutes and is the cause of one in every four deaths nationwide.

Rethinking Eggs in a Healthy Diet

Lead researcher, UniSA’s Professor Jon Buckley, says it’s time to rethink the reputation of eggs.

“Eggs have long been unfairly cracked by outdated dietary advice,” Prof Buckley says.

“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.

“You could say we’ve delivered hard-boiled evidence in defense of the humble egg.

“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 impact your heart health.”

Reference: “Impact of dietary cholesterol from eggs and saturated fat on LDL cholesterol levels: a randomized cross-over study” by Sharayah Carter, Alison M Hill, Catherine Yandell, Lisa Wood, Alison M Coates and Jonathan D Buckley, 6 May 2025, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.05.001