How eggs went from heart health scapegoat to nutrition all-star …

For decades, the humble egg was the villain of the breakfast table. It sat there in its sunny-yellow glory, falsely accused of crimes against human health. Headlines warned us off yolks, and some restaurants even took them off the menu entirely or offered only egg whites “for your heart’s sake.” It wasn’t just opinion. Doctors repeated it, magazines printed it, and most people believed it: eggs would raise your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease.

That story, like many food myths, didn’t crack under pressure, it held on for years. But the science never actually supported the claims in the way the public was led to believe.

The cholesterol myth that scrambled the truth
The confusion started in the 1960s and 70s, when researchers noticed a link between high blood cholesterol and heart disease. Eggs contain cholesterol — about 186 mg in a single large yolk — so it seemed logical at the time to think that eating eggs raised your blood cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association picked up the caution flag in 1968 and suggested no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day and no more than three eggs per week. The recommendation stuck.

But as the science evolved, researchers discovered that dietary cholesterol doesn’t have the direct impact on blood cholesterol that once was assumed. Most of the cholesterol in your bloodstream is produced by your liver, and it turns out the body adjusts production based on intake. Eat more cholesterol, and your liver produces less. Eat less, and your liver picks up the slack. For most people, eggs don’t meaningfully raise blood cholesterol levels or increase cardiovascular risk.

A landmark 2015 update from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reversed decades of confusion by stating that cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption. This echoed what large-scale studies had already begun to show. For example, research published in The BMJ and The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no connection between eating eggs and increased risk of heart disease in healthy people. While much of the data analyzed involved people who typically ate around one egg per day, the findings did not indicate harm from eating more. In fact, some studies have pointed to potential cardiovascular and metabolic benefits, particularly when eggs are part of a balanced diet.

Why eggs are now back in the spotlight for all the right reasons
Today, leading nutritionists, registered dietitians, and physicians widely recognize eggs as a nutritional powerhouse. One large egg contains about 6 grams of high-quality protein, all nine essential amino acids, choline (critical for brain health), lutein and zeaxanthin (important for eye health), and several key vitamins and minerals, including B12, D, and selenium.

Dr. Walter Willett of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has emphasized that eggs are a good source of nutrients and can fit easily into an overall heart-healthy diet. The Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and American Heart Association now reflect this understanding as well, recognizing that eggs have been unfairly stigmatized and are, in fact, a valuable part of healthy eating.

Athletes, fitness professionals, and brain health experts have also joined the chorus. Eggs are favored in performance nutrition because they’re portable, versatile, and digest well. The yolk’s choline content also earns praise among cognitive scientists for supporting memory and neural development, particularly in infants and older adults.

So, what do you do with a good egg?
On National Egg Day, the most fitting way to celebrate is to stop treating eggs like a guilty pleasure and start seeing them as the legitimate health food they are. You don’t need to overthink it — boiled, scrambled, poached, fried, or folded into an omelet, the egg does its job. The key is how you cook it: use minimal added saturated fat, and reach for heart-smart options like olive oil instead of butter when frying or scrambling. Loaded with vegetables and paired with fiber-rich foods, eggs can show up in your meals more than once a day without guilt or health risk. Let the egg do what it was designed to do.

Scotty