Cholesterol from Egg Consumption Associated With Early Death

Cholesterol from egg consumption may increase the risk of death from heart disease, according to a study published in PLoS Medicine. Researchers tracked dietary cholesterol and consumption of egg whites, whole eggs, and egg substitutes for more than 500,000 participants and monitored heart disease-related deaths. The addition of half an egg per day was associated with more deaths from heart disease, cancer, and all causes. For every 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol consumed per day, mortality risk increased by up to 24%. The authors attribute the increased risk to higher cholesterol levels from egg consumption and recommend replacing eggs with other protein sources such as nuts or legumes to improve heart health.