Egg yolk: dense in cholesterol, and two eggs a day did not significantly raise LDL in one small trial

In an 8-week crossover trial in 45 adults with high blood lipids, adding 2 whole eggs a day to a DASH diet raised LDL cholesterol by 4.2 mg/dL more than the same diet without eggs, a difference that did not reach significance (p = 0.317). It was a small trial of whole eggs, 78% of the volunteers were women, and nobody in it ate yolks alone. The yolk is still where the cholesterol sits. UK data list raw yolk at 1255 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g), and US survey data count one yolk as 17 g, about 213 mg a yolk on the UK figure. The most striking results here come from yolk products made for research. A drink of egg yolk phospholipids carrying 3 g of choline, far more than a meal provides, gave 18 adults a plasma choline response four times higher than the same dose as choline bitartrate. Lutein-enriched yolks in a buttermilk drink, taken daily for a year by 88 adults with early macular degeneration, raised plasma lutein 83% more than control and left LDL and HDL cholesterol unchanged.

How much is actually in it

• NIH ODS lists egg yolks among the few foods with natural vitamin D, in small amounts, mainly as vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D3. — US diets Evidence E source
  Qualitative; small amounts
• US Foundation Foods samples of large Grade A egg yolks range from 27.2 to 30.3 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g) across 24 samples. — USDA Foundation Foods, Eggs, Grade A, Large, egg yolk, 24 samples (n = 24 samples) Evidence E source
  Total fat median 29.0 g/100 g, range 27.2-30.3, spread 11%

What a real portion looks like

• US dietary survey data count one raw egg yolk as 17 g. — FNDDS Egg, yolk only, raw, food code 31110010 (fdc 2707172) (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  1 egg yolk = 17 g; 1 cup = 245 g; about 213 mg cholesterol per yolk at CoFID raw value

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover RCT in 18 healthy adults, choline from egg yolk phospholipids gave a 4 times higher plasma choline response over 6 hours than the same 3 g dose as choline bitartrate. — 18 healthy adults aged 30-70, single drink with 3 g choline, blood sampled for 6 h (n = 18) Evidence B source
  Plasma choline iAUC 4 times higher after egg yolk phospholipid drink (p < 0.01)
• In a crossover RCT in 16 young men, adding 5.3 oz (150 g) of scrambled whole egg to a raw vegetable salad raised absorption of carotenoids not found in eggs 3 to 8 fold. — 16 healthy young men, salad with 0, 75 or 150 g scrambled whole egg, blood for 10 h (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene AUC 3-8 fold higher with 150 g egg vs no egg

What cooking and storage change

• FDA warns that clean, uncracked fresh eggs may carry Salmonella and advises cooking eggs until both yolk and white are firm, with higher risk for children, older adults and pregnant women. — US consumers; higher risk groups named by FDA Evidence E source
  Guidance; no effect size
• UK composition data put raw egg yolk at 1255 mg cholesterol and 12.8 micrograms vitamin D per 3.5 oz (100 g), with boiled yolk at 1175 mg and 12.6 micrograms. — CoFID 2021 Eggs, chicken, yolk, raw (12-939) and boiled (12-942) (n = 2 records) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g raw vs boiled: cholesterol 1255 vs 1175 mg, vitamin D 12.8 vs 12.6 mcg, folate 122 vs 101 mcg, B12 8.2 vs 7.2 mcg, retinol 447 vs 410 mcg

What it does to your health

• In a 12-week RCT in 41 Japanese adults aged 60 to 80, 300 mg/day of egg yolk choline improved verbal memory scores versus placebo, while processing speed scores were lower at 6 weeks. — 41 analyzed Japanese adults aged 60-80 without dementia, 300 mg/day egg yolk choline for 12 weeks (n = 41) Evidence B source
  Verbal memory change significantly higher at 6 and 12 weeks; processing speed lower at 6 weeks
• In a 1-year RCT in 88 adults with early age-related macular degeneration, a daily drink with 1.5 lutein-enriched egg yolks raised plasma lutein 83% more than control without changing LDL or HDL cholesterol. — Men and women with early signs of AMD, 101 randomized, 88 analyzed, 1 year (n = 88) Evidence B source
  Plasma lutein increase 83% higher than control (P < 0.001); no difference in total, HDL, LDL cholesterol

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a retrospective study of 123 children with egg allergy, 93.4% passed an oral challenge with boiled egg yolk and went on eating yolk at home. — 123 children with egg allergy, median age 12 months, challenges 2019-2022 (n = 123) Evidence C source
  115 of 123 (93.4%) tolerant; non-tolerant group had higher egg white IgE (28 vs 4.2 kU/L)
• A meta-analysis of 23 Iranian studies with 6126 children and adults found sensitization to egg yolk in 25% of atopic patients. — 6126 atopic children and adults in 23 Iranian studies (n = 6126) Evidence C source
  Pooled egg yolk sensitization 25% (95% CI 16% to 35%)

What people believe that the data does not support

• In an 8-week crossover RCT in 45 adults with hyperlipidemia, adding 2 whole eggs a day to a DASH diet did not significantly raise LDL cholesterol versus DASH without eggs (difference 4.2 mg/dL, p = 0.317). — 45 adults with hyperlipidemia, mean age 59.5, 2 eggs/day for 8 weeks (n = 45) Evidence B source
  LDL change difference 4.2 mg/dL (p = 0.317); flow-mediated dilation difference -1.1 (p = 0.767)

The bottom line

Eggs raised carotenoid uptake from the rest of the plate. In a crossover trial in 16 healthy young men, a raw vegetable salad eaten with 5.3 oz (150 g) of scrambled whole egg raised the uptake of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene, which eggs do not contain, 3 to 8 fold over 10 hours. That was a single-meal test with whole egg, and the effect is attributed to the yolk lipids. In 41 Japanese adults aged 60 to 80 without dementia, a supplement of 300 mg a day of egg yolk choline for 12 weeks improved verbal memory scores compared with placebo, while processing speed scores were lower at 6 weeks. The result is mixed, 19 of 60 volunteers were excluded for poor compliance, and the manufacturer funded the study. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists egg yolks among the few foods with natural vitamin D, in small amounts, mainly as vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D3. UK data give 12.8 micrograms per 3.5 oz (100 g) of raw yolk. Boiled yolk is listed at 1175 mg cholesterol, 12.6 micrograms vitamin D and 101 micrograms folate per 3.5 oz (100 g), against 122 micrograms folate raw. Those are two separate records, so the gap cannot be read as what boiling destroys. Yolks vary as well. Twenty-four US samples of large Grade A yolks ranged from 27.2 to 30.3 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g). The FDA warns that clean, uncracked fresh eggs can carry Salmonella and advises cooking eggs until both yolk and white are firm. It names children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immunity as those at greater risk of severe illness. In a single-center retrospective study of 123 children with egg allergy, median age 12 months, 93.4% passed an oral challenge with boiled yolk given under medical supervision, and only those who passed went on eating yolk at home. The other 8 children did not tolerate it, and they had higher egg white IgE. Across 23 Iranian studies of 6126 atopic children and adults, 25% were sensitized to egg yolk (95% CI 16% to 35%), and sensitization on a blood test is a different thing from clinical allergy. We have no card on egg yolk and medicines.

Sources

1. eyolk-daily-r2-09 · agency fact sheet
   Beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese have small amounts of vitamin D, primarily in the form of vitamin D3 and its metabolite 25(OH)D3.
   NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-09-29
2. eyolk-daily-r2-11 · food composition dataset
   Eggs, Grade A, Large, egg yolk: Total lipid (fat) 28.8 g, range 27.2-30.3 (median 29.0), 24 samples, spread 11% (USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30)
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30, Eggs, Grade A, Large, egg yolk · checked 2026-09-29
3. eyolk-daily-r2-12 · food portion dataset
   Egg, yolk only, raw (FNDDS 31110010, fdc 2707172, WWEIA Eggs and omelets): 1 egg = 17 g, 1 cup = 245 g, quantity not specified = 17 g
   USDA FNDDS, food code 31110010 Egg, yolk only, raw (FDC 2707172) · checked 2026-09-29
4. eyolk-daily-r2-01 · RCT
   The plasma choline response, as determined by the incremental area under the curve, was four times higher after consumption of the egg yolk phospholipid drink compared with the control drink (p < 0.01).
   Nutrients, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
5. eyolk-daily-r2-02 · RCT
   The TRL AUC(0-10h) of lutein and zeaxanthin increased 4-5-fold (P < 0.001), and the TRL AUC(0-10h) of carotenoid not present in eggs, including α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene, increased 3-8-fold (P < 0.01) for the HE meal compared with the control meal.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
6. eyolk-daily-r2-08 · agency guidance
   Fresh eggs, even those with clean, uncracked shells, may contain bacteria called Salmonella that can cause foodborne illness ... Certain people are at greater risk for severe illness and include children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems ... Cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm.
   US FDA, What You Need to Know About Egg Safety · checked 2026-09-29
7. eyolk-daily-r2-10 · food composition dataset
   Eggs, chicken, yolk, raw (CoFID 12-939): cholesterol 1255 mg, vitamin D 12.8 µg, folate 122 µg, vitamin B12 8.2 µg, retinol 447 µg, fat 31.3 g, protein 16.4 g, energy 347 kcal per 100 g; Eggs, chicken, yolk, boiled (CoFID 12-942): cholesterol 1175 mg, vitamin D 12.6 µg, folate 101 µg, vitamin B12 7.2 µg, retinol 410 µg, fat 32.6 g, protein 16.7 g, energy 360 kcal per 100 g
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0), codes 12-939 and 12-942 Eggs, chicken, yolk · checked 2026-09-29
8. eyolk-daily-r2-03 · RCT
   The change amount of verbal memory scores and verbal memory test-correct hit (delay) was significantly higher in the choline group than in the placebo group at baseline-6 and baseline-12 weeks.
   Lipids Health Dis, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
9. eyolk-daily-r2-04 · RCT
   As expected, the increase in plasma lutein concentrations in the Egg group was 83% higher than that in the Con group (P < 0.001). Changes in serum total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol, as well as the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol, were not different between the 2 groups.
   J Nutr, 2014 · checked 2026-09-29
10. eyolk-daily-r2-06 · retrospective cohort
    Of the 123 egg yolk OFCs, 115 (93.4%) patients were tolerant and consumed egg yolk at home.
    Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
11. eyolk-daily-r2-07 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    Our results in the total population revealed that allergic sensitization to egg yolk, cow's milk (CM), egg white, and wheat were 25% (95% CI: 16%-35%), 24% (95% CI: 19-29%), 23% (95% CI: 18%-28%), and 9% (95% CI: 6%-14%), respectively.
    Allergol Immunopathol (Madr), 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
12. eyolk-daily-r2-05 · RCT
    Despite dietary cholesterol not being considered a nutrient of concern, dietary guidelines still recommend that people with elevated LDL cholesterol limit their intake of egg yolks...Daily addition of eggs to the DASH (ΔI) compared with DASH without eggs (ΔC) did not negatively affect endothelial function (ΔI: 2.7 ± 10.8% versus ΔC: 3.7 ± 19.9% versus ΔI - ΔC = -1.1, p = 0.767) or LDL cholesterol (ΔI: 13.0 ± 23.5 mg/dL versus ΔC: 8.9 ± 19.6 mg/dL; ΔI - ΔC = 4.2, p = 0.317).
    J Am Nutr Assoc, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29