You know how important it is to eat enough protein to build muscle.

But let’s be honest. Macro-friendly (translation: almost always dry) chicken breast can get boring after a while. Sure, there’s lean pork, beef, turkey, fish, etc., but they aren’t exactly … kind on the wallet. 💸

So, what’s a whole food protein source:

• That’ll provide your tastebuds with a respite from boring chicken breast, yet
• Is affordable?

Eggs. They’re so versatile, delicious, and easy to eat. The only problem?

They’re bad for your cholesterol. Supposedly.

But are they? In this article, we dive deep into the research to find out whether eggs are good or bad for you.

Why are eggs thought to be harmful?

It comes down to their dietary cholesterol content.

One large egg (50.3 g) contains 207 mg of cholesterol, all of which are found in the yolk.

Is that … a lot?

Well, for reference, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans used to recommend limiting dietary cholesterol consumption to 300 mg daily.

Why? Because dietary cholesterol was thought to increase blood cholesterol.

For the uninitiated, blood cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that helps your body make cell membranes, many hormones, and vitamin D. There are 2 types of blood cholesterol:

1. “Good” high-density lipoprotein, or HDL
2. “Bad” low-density lipoprotein, or LDL

While health-beneficial in the right amounts, high levels of blood cholesterol (this applies even to HDL — like all things in life, too much of a “good” thing can be bad) may clog your arteries, leading to a:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Other health problems

But here comes the shocker.

Relationship between dietary and blood cholesterol = weak

Recent research shows that, for most people, the biggest influences on blood cholesterol levels are the mix of:

• Fats (eating a lot of foods high in saturated fats raises “bad” LDL cholesterol levels)
• Carbohydrates (a higher dietary intake of simple carbohydrates, notably added sugars, could lower “good” HDL cholesterol while raising “bad” LDL cholesterol levels)

… in the diet, instead of the amount of cholesterol eaten.

This is why the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans no longer set a numerical limit for the daily consumption of dietary cholesterol!

Are eggs good or bad: what does the research say?

OK, but what about eggs specifically?

The current body of evidence doesn’t support the notion that eggs are harmful to blood cholesterol levels (and, in turn, heart health).

How many eggs should you eat?

Given the current evidence, it seems that it’s safe to eat 1-3 eggs daily.

Of course, this also depends on your current health status and nutritional habits. So, it's best to check in with your primary healthcare provider for a more personalized and medically accurate recommendation.

Another thing you should note is that it isn’t just the number of eggs you eat daily that matters, but also how you’re cooking it and what you’re eating it with. 

For example, holding all other things constant, deep-fried eggs will negatively impact your heart health more than hard-boiled eggs.

Something that you might be wondering about:

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And eating eggs with a stack of pancakes drenched in maple syrup plus greasy bacon would be worse for heart health than having them scrambled and topped on avocado toast.

Also, IF you are worried about eating too many eggs, consider buying liquid egg whites. They’re relatively affordable, high in protein, and cholesterol-free. 

You could also top up your dietary protein shortfall with protein shakes.

Learn more below:

How Many Protein Shakes Is It safe to drink?

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What else to do to keep your heart healthy

Your dietary habits are just a piece of the heart health puzzle.

To keep your heart in tip-top pumping condition, there’s also sticking to a regular exercise routine (a combination of strength training and cardio exercise) to keep those blood vessels strong and regulate blood pressure.

Need help getting started?

Let GymStreak, an AI-powered workout planner + nutrition tracker, show you the way.

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