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For most healthy adults, it's safe to eat 1–2 eggs a day depending on how much other cholesterol is in your diet. If you already have high cholesterol or other risk factors for heart disease, it may be best to eat no more than 4–5 eggs per week.
Three eggs a day is perfectly fine to eat, but it is important to look at the rest of the diet. If your background diet is high in saturated fat this can affect the degree to which blood cholesterol is increased when more dietary cholesterol is eaten.
Six eggs a day is a hell of a lot, no matter how you cut it. An egg has 187 mg of cholesterol, and the recommended limit is 300 mg per day—or only 200 mg if you have diabetes or risk factors for heart disease. “You can definitely go with with one egg a day,” says Maxine Smith, R.D., L.D.
Consuming too many eggs in a day is believed to increase the level of bad cholesterol in the body. It is because of the presence of a high amount of cholesterol in the egg yolks. One egg yolk contains approximately 200 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol and its daily recommended level is not more than 300 mg per day.
The American Heart Association recommends up to one egg a day for most people, fewer for people with high blood cholesterol, especially those with diabetes or who are at risk for heart failure, and up to two eggs a day for older people with normal cholesterol levels and who eat a healthy diet.
Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without affecting their heart health. Some choose to eat only the egg white and not the yolk, which provides some protein without the cholesterol.
Eggs are a nutritious protein source and a staple in many people's diets. Though they're high in cholesterol, they also have many health-promoting qualities. For healthy adults, eating 1–2 eggs a day appears safe, as long as they're consumed as part of an overall nutritious diet.
Eating eggs leads to elevated levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as the “good” cholesterol. People who have higher HDL levels have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and other health issues. According to one study, eating two eggs a day for six weeks increased HDL levels by 10%.
“To increase muscle mass, you need about 1.6 or 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. That's about 155 grams of protein per day for a 200-pound man. If eating 4 meals per day, that would amount to about 39 grams of protein per meal, or about 11 egg whites.”
Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without increasing their risk of heart disease. Some studies have shown that this level of egg consumption might even help prevent certain types of stroke and a serious eye condition called macular degeneration that can lead to blindness.
A number of studies suggest that about one egg a day has no adverse effect on health outcomes. A study in my lab found that eating two eggs daily for six weeks also had no harmful effects in healthy adults, and we are even seeing similar results in people with high cholesterol.
Is it OK to eat eggs every day? Because of their numerous benefits, it's OK to eat one whole egg, including the egg yolk, every day if you don't have cardiovascular disease and you do have a healthy level of blood cholesterol. Or you can mix two egg whites with every egg yolk to give yourself more protein.
Eggs are also loaded with cholesterol—about 200 milligrams for an average-sized egg. That's more than double the amount in a Big Mac. Fat and cholesterol contribute to heart disease. A 2021 study found that the addition of half an egg per day was associated with more deaths from heart disease, cancer, and all causes.
For most people, eating eggs won't have a significant effect on your blood cholesterol, and they're good for you too.
Poached Eggs
Based on the goals of getting the most nutrients out of your eggs with the least risk of oxidizing cholesterol, poaching is the number one healthiest way to cook and eat eggs.
To get the best results, eggs should be eaten in breakfast. It will fuel your body with energy and will also keep you satiated for the rest of the day. Your digestion system is also at its best in the morning and thus it will be easier to break down proteins and many other nutrients present in eggs.
The Egg diet is a low-calorie, low-carb, high-protein eating plan that proponents argue can lead to rapid weight loss without losing muscle mass. The one-week egg diet plan recommends eating only eggs, water, non-sugary beverages, leafy greens, non-starchy vegetables, and whole grains.
No, 2 eggs do not contain enough protein for optimal muscle protein synthesis following a workout. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the optimal amount of high-quality protein for muscle protein synthesis post-workout is 20-30 grams [1].
If you ate that for dinner and had even just one egg at some point in the day — maybe boiled as a snack, or fried on toast for breakfast — you'd be at 50 grams, as one egg had six grams of protein in it.
Eggs are a quick, easy and delicious way to help meet our protein needs: two large eggs contain 13 grams of protein! Eggs are one of the few foods considered to be a complete high-quality protein source, because they contain all 9 essential amino acids.
Eating too many eggs can result in adverse effects. Being a rich source of protein, consuming it in excessive amounts can negatively affect the kidneys. Many people are allergic to eggs, so the use of eggs should be avoided. There are no side effects of eating a limited number of eggs.
Hard-boiled eggs are an excellent source of lean protein. They'll fill you up without packing in too many calories, which is helpful if you want to lose weight. The protein in hard-boiled eggs also works alongside vitamin D to promote prenatal development.
It's important to note that, whilst overall eggs can provide great health benefits, studies show that consuming up to a maximum of 3 eggs a day favoured well-balanced cholesterol levels, and 2 eggs a day favoured weight-loss in overweight individuals.