Dietary consumption of eggs does not cause hypercholesterolemia and may not be indicated in the development of cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Although hypercholesterolemia (HC) is regarded as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), approximately 50% of Americans die from CVD without ever having HC. People often limit their egg consumption to reduce their cholesterol intake, in turn also depriving themselves of other nutrients known to have positive effects on overall CVD health. The objective of the present study was to examine the degree to which CVD risk factors were influenced by egg consumption. In a cross‐sectional study, 146 healthy, postmenopausal women were divided into 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles, respectively (<1 egg/week, 1 egg/week, 2–6 eggs/week, and >7 eggs/week). Overnight fasting measurements included lipid profiles, glucose, and inflammatory markers. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between variables of interest. The 2nd quartile was associated with increased HDL‐C levels (82±3 mg/dL) and reduced TG levels (78±5 mg/dL). The 4th quartile was associated with reduced TG levels (93±20 mg/dL), and all other variables, including TC, were not correlated. These findings suggest that egg dietary cholesterol does not cause HC and may not be indicated in the development of CVD. Source of funding: USDA/NRI.