Do eggs raise cholesterol?

Yes, a little, on average. A 2020 meta-analysis of 17 trials in healthy people found that eating more eggs raised LDL cholesterol by 8.14 mg/dL. A 2018 meta-analysis of 28 egg trials put the rise at 5.55 mg/dL (95% CI 3.14 to 7.69), with HDL up 2.13 mg/dL and no change in the ratio of LDL to HDL. The average hides a spread. Some people's LDL climbs with extra eggs and some people's does not move, and in a 2025 trial saturated fat tracked LDL more closely than the cholesterol from eggs did.

Established. In randomized trials, eating more eggs raises LDL cholesterol on average, by roughly 5.6 to 8.1 mg/dL in the pooled analyses. Each extra 100 mg of dietary cholesterol a day added about 1.9 to 4.6 mg/dL of LDL across 55 diet trials in 2652 people, depending on the model, and the effect flattens at high intakes.

What the trials found

The size of the rise

The 2020 meta-analysis found the rise was larger in trials lasting over two months, and the LDL to HDL ratio rose by 0.14. Saturated fat was not always matched between the egg and comparison diets. A 2015 review of 14 trials found dietary cholesterol raised LDL by 6.7 mg/dL (95% CI 1.7 to 11.7), and that rise lost significance above 900 mg a day. In 8 trials in middle-aged and older adults, more than 4 whole eggs a week raised LDL by 6.6 mg/dL (95% CI 1.1 to 12; metric: 0.171 mmol/L, 0.028 to 0.315) compared with the same amount of egg substitute, which has no cholesterol. That contrast isolates the yolk.

A 2025 umbrella review of 14 meta-analyses found the same direction, LDL up 7.39 mg/dL (95% CI 5.82 to 8.95). It rated the evidence very weak because the meta-analyses it pooled were of critically low quality. Its authors still concluded eggs can be part of a healthy diet.

Eggs against saturated fat

A 2025 crossover trial in 61 Australian adults with LDL below 135 mg/dL (3.5 mmol/L) compared three diets for 5 weeks each. On 2 eggs a day within a diet low in saturated fat, LDL was 103.6 against 109.3 on a diet high in saturated fat with 1 egg a week (P = 0.02). Across all three diets, saturated fat intake tracked LDL (beta 0.35, P = 0.002) and dietary cholesterol did not (beta -0.006, P = 0.42). Small LDL particles rose on the egg diet. The phases were short, 48 people completed all of them, and the abstract prints the units as microgram/dL where mg/dL is meant. The USDA's 2020 review of 9 dietary cholesterol trials, mostly with eggs, explains why trials disagree. Fat composition often differed between the egg and comparison meals, so the effect of cholesterol alone could not be separated.

People with diabetes or heart risk

A review of 6 trials in people with or at risk of type 2 diabetes found 6 to 12 eggs a week did not change LDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides or blood sugar, and HDL rose in 4 of the 6. In a 12-month Australian trial of 128 adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, 12 or more eggs a week did not worsen blood lipids against fewer than 2. Both arms of that trial replaced saturated fat with unsaturated fat. In 140 adults with heart disease or two risk factors, 12 or more fortified eggs a week for 4 months left LDL 3.14 mg/dL lower than a diet without eggs (95% CI 10.81 lower to 4.52 higher). Those were fortified eggs, and the trial was unblinded.

Cholesterol in the blood versus heart disease

A raised LDL is a risk marker, and the outcome people care about is heart disease. Here the evidence is observational. The same 2015 review found no clear link between dietary cholesterol and heart disease in cohorts of 361,923 people, and judged the studies too heterogeneous for firm conclusions.

Unsettled. Whether eggs raise heart disease risk is not settled. Across cohorts of 3.6 million people, each extra 50 g egg a day was linked with a 4% higher risk (RR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.08), with high heterogeneity, I2 80%. In US cohorts the figure was 8% and in Asian cohorts there was no link, which points to what eggs are eaten with. The 2025 umbrella review found no association with cardiovascular outcomes or deaths overall, and a heart failure link it rated very weak.

Who should be careful

Responses differ between people. In a crossover trial of 40 healthy men given 640 mg a day of extra cholesterol from eggs for 30 days, LDL and HDL rose in the hyper-responders and did not rise in the hypo-responders. The LDL to HDL ratio rose in the hyper-responders, though the authors say it stayed within guideline limits.

Not for everyone. If your cholesterol is already high, the trials in that group are small and mixed. In 40 adults with high cholesterol, 6 weeks of egg substitute lowered LDL by 14 mg/dL against 2 mg/dL with 2 whole eggs a day. Eggs themselves did not raise LDL from baseline. In 45 adults with high cholesterol on a DASH diet, adding 2 eggs a day for 8 weeks raised LDL by 4.2 mg/dL more than no eggs. That difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.317), and a trial this small cannot rule out a modest rise. We found no trial of eggs in people with familial hypercholesterolemia. If you have high LDL or an inherited form of it, how many eggs fit your diet is a question for whoever manages it.

What expert bodies say

A 2019 American Heart Association science advisory says most intervention studies link cholesterol intakes above current average levels with higher total or LDL cholesterol. It steers advice toward Mediterranean and DASH-style eating patterns rather than a numeric limit. The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023, from a scoping review of 38 systematic reviews, concluded that one egg a day is unlikely to harm overall disease risk, and noted data are scarce above that. The FDA keeps a Daily Value of 300 mg of cholesterol on US food labels, as an intake not to exceed to lower the risk of heart disease. The 2015 to 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans dropped a numeric 300 mg limit.

For the rest of the egg, from protein to how to cook it, see the eggs page.

How we searched

What would change this answer

• Trials of eggs in people with familial hypercholesterolemia. We found none.
• More trials that hold saturated fat equal between the egg and comparison diets. Without that, the cholesterol in eggs and the fat that comes with them cannot be told apart.
• A way to know in advance who is a hyper-responder. The average rise is small, and the people for whom it is large are not identified before they start.
• Trials long enough to measure heart disease, not only blood cholesterol. All the outcome data on heart disease here are observational.

Sources

1. ev-eggc-01 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 17 RCTs
   The MEC group also had higher LDL-c than the control group (MD = 8.14, p < 0.0001, I2 = 18%).
   
   Who: healthy people in randomized controlled trials of egg consumption without combination therapy
   Effect: LDL-c MD +8.14 mg/dL (p < 0.0001, I2 18%); LDL-c/HDL-c ratio MD +0.14 (p = 0.001); larger effect in trials over two months
   Certainty: Best synthesis for the question; egg doses and background diets varied, and saturated fat was not always matched.
   Nutrients, 2020 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
2. ev-eggc-02 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 28 studies
   RESULTS: Overall, egg consumption increased total cholesterol (TC) by 5.60 mg/dL (95% CI: 3.11, 8.09; P<0.0001), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) by 5.55 mg/dL (95% CI: 3.14, 7.69; P<0.0001) and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) by 2.13 mg/dL (95% CI: 1.10, 3.16; P<0.0001) compared with the control group.
   
   Who: participants in randomized trials published after 2000 comparing egg consumers with non-egg consumers
   Effect: total cholesterol +5.60 mg/dL (95% CI 3.11 to 8.09); LDL-C +5.55 (3.14 to 7.69); HDL-C +2.13 (1.10 to 3.16); no effect on LDL-C:HDL-C, TC:HDL-C or triglycerides
   Certainty: No dose-response with number of eggs or study length; heterogeneity partly from responder status.
   J Am Coll Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
3. ev-eggc-03 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · Bayesian meta-regression of randomized dietary intervention trials · n = 2652
   Mean predicted changes in LDL cholesterol for an increase of 100 mg dietary cholesterol/d were 1.90, 4.46, and 4.58 mg/dL for the linear, nonlinear MM, and Hill models, respectively.
   
   Who: participants in randomized dietary intervention trials, cholesterol changes 0 to 1500 mg/day, adjusted for dietary fatty acids
   Effect: LDL +1.90 (linear), +4.46 (Michaelis-Menten) and +4.58 mg/dL (Hill) per 100 mg/day dietary cholesterol
   Certainty: Model-based; the effect flattens at high intakes in the nonlinear models.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
4. ev-eggc-04 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohorts and trials · n = 361,923 in cohorts; 632 in trials
   Dietary cholesterol statistically significantly increased both serum total cholesterol (17 trials; net change: 11.2 mg/dL; 95% CI: 6.4, 15.9) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (14 trials; net change: 6.7 mg/dL; 95% CI: 1.7, 11.7 mg/dL).
   
   Who: healthy adults in prospective cohorts and dietary cholesterol trials, 1979 to 2013
   Effect: LDL +6.7 mg/dL (95% CI 1.7 to 11.7; 14 trials); total cholesterol +11.2 mg/dL (6.4 to 15.9; 17 trials); ischemic stroke RR 1.13 (0.99 to 1.28; 4 cohorts)
   Certainty: Authors judge studies heterogeneous and lacking rigor for conclusions on CVD; LDL rise lost significance above 900 mg/day.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2015 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
5. ev-eggc-05 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · umbrella review of meta-analyses, AMSTAR-2 and NutriGrade · n = 14 meta-analyses
   The level of evidence was very weak for all the significant associations: risk of heart failure (RR 1.15; 95%CI: 1.02-1.30), cancer mortality (RR 1.13; 95%CI 1.06-1.20), higher levels of LDL cholesterol (WMD 7.39; 95%CI 5.82-8.95), total cholesterol (WMD 9.12; 95%CI 7.35-10.89), and apolipoprotein B-100 (WMD 0.06; 95%CI 0.03-0.08).
   
   Who: meta-analyses of observational and interventional studies of egg consumption published since 2020
   Effect: LDL WMD +7.39 (95% CI 5.82 to 8.95); total cholesterol +9.12 (7.35 to 10.89); HDL +1.37 (0.49 to 2.25); no association with cardiovascular outcomes or all-cause mortality
   Certainty: Overall quality critically low by AMSTAR-2; authors conclude eggs can be part of a healthy diet.
   Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2025 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
6. ev-eggc-06 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 8 RCTs
   Intake of >4 whole eggs/week compared to equivalent amounts of egg substitutes caused greater elevations in blood total cholesterol (WMD: 0.198 mmol/L; 95% CIs: 0.056, 0.339), HDL cholesterol (WMD: 0.068 mmol/L; 95% CIs: 0.006, 0.130) and LDL cholesterol (WMD: 0.171 mmol/L; 95% CIs: 0.028, 0.315) but did not differentially affect triglycerides concentration.
   
   Who: middle-aged and older adults in randomized controlled trials of whole eggs or egg substitutes
   Effect: vs egg substitutes: total cholesterol +7.7 mg/dL (95% CI 2.2 to 13; metric: 0.198 mmol/L, 0.056 to 0.339), HDL +0.068 (0.006 to 0.130), LDL +0.171 (0.028 to 0.315); >4 vs <=4 eggs/week no difference
   Certainty: Few trials; egg substitutes contain no cholesterol, so the contrast isolates the yolk.
   Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2019 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
7. ev-eggc-07 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review of randomized controlled trials · n = 6 trials
   Consumption of 6 to 12 eggs per week had no impact on plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, insulin or C-reactive protein in all studies that reported these outcomes in comparison with control groups.
   
   Who: individuals with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome in RCTs comparing egg diets with no-egg or low-egg diets
   Effect: no impact on total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglycerides, fasting glucose, insulin or CRP; HDL rose in 4 of 6 studies
   Certainty: Heterogeneous designs; eggs within heart-healthy diets.
   Can J Diabetes, 2017 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
8. ev-eggc-08 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized controlled crossover trial, three isocaloric diets for 5 weeks each · n = 61
   Across all diets, saturated fat intake was positively correlated with LDL cholesterol (β = 0.35, P = 0.002), whereas dietary cholesterol was not (β = -0.006, P = 0.42).
   
   Who: adults aged 39 +/- 12 years with baseline LDL cholesterol below 135 mg/dL (3.5 mmol/L), Australia
   Effect: LDL 103.6 (egg diet) vs 109.3 (control), P = 0.02; saturated fat correlated with LDL (beta 0.35, P = 0.002), dietary cholesterol did not (beta -0.006, P = 0.42); small LDL particles rose on the egg diet
   Certainty: Short phases; 48 completed all phases; units printed as microgram/dL in the abstract (mg/dL meant). NCT05267522.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
9. ev-eggc-09 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized controlled trial, 3-month weight loss and 6-month follow-up · n = 128
   People with prediabetes or T2D who consumed a 3-mo high-egg weight-loss diet with a 6-mo follow-up exhibited no adverse changes in cardiometabolic markers compared with those who consumed a low-egg weight-loss diet.
   
   Who: adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, Australia
   Effect: no between-group differences in serum lipids, glycemia or inflammation from 0 to 12 months (12+ eggs/week vs <2 eggs/week)
   Certainty: Diet replaced saturated with unsaturated fats in both arms. ACTRN12612001266853.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
10. ev-eggc-10 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized controlled single-blind crossover trial, 8-week phases · n = 45
    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).
    
    Who: adults with hyperlipidemia, mean age 59.5 years, 35 women
    Effect: LDL change +13.0 vs +8.9 mg/dL; difference 4.2 mg/dL, p = 0.317; no change in endothelial function
    Certainty: Small; non-significant does not exclude a modest rise in this group.
    J Am Nutr Assoc, 2026 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
11. ev-eggc-11 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial, 6-week phases · n = 40
    Daily consumption of egg substitute for 6 weeks significantly improved endothelial function as compared to egg (1.0 +/- 1.2% vs. -0.1 +/- 1.5%; p < 0.01) and lowered serum total cholesterol (-18 +/- 18 vs. -5 +/- 21 mg/dL; p < 0.01) and LDL (-14 +/- 20 vs. -2 +/- 19 mg/dL; p = 0.01).
    
    Who: hyperlipidemic adults, average age 59.9 years, total cholesterol 244 mg/dL
    Effect: LDL -14 +/- 20 vs -2 +/- 19 mg/dL (p = 0.01); total cholesterol -18 vs -5 mg/dL (p < 0.01)
    Certainty: Eggs themselves did not raise LDL from baseline; the egg-free product lowered it.
    Nutr J, 2010 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
12. ev-eggc-12 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized crossover trial, two 30-day periods · n = 40
    Male hyporesponders did not experience an increase in LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) or HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) during the egg period, whereas both lipoproteins were significantly (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.05, respectively) elevated in hyperresponders.
    
    Who: normolipidemic men aged 18 to 57 years given 640 mg/day additional dietary cholesterol from eggs for 30 days
    Effect: LDL-C and HDL-C rose in hyper-responders (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.05); no rise in hypo-responders; LDL/HDL ratio increased in hyper-responders
    Certainty: Individual response varies; the rise stayed within NCEP guidelines per the authors.
    J Nutr, 2003 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
13. ev-eggc-13 · Observational data · prospective cohort analysis and meta-analysis of cohort studies · n = 3,601,401
    The updated meta-analysis of cohort studies on the basis of 49 risk estimates, 3 601 401 participants, and 255 479 events showed consumption of 1 additional 50-g egg daily was associated with significantly increased CVD risk (pooled relative risk, 1.04 [95% CI, 1.00-1.08]; I2=80.1%).
    
    Who: participants in prospective cohort studies worldwide, plus 27,078 Finnish male smokers (ATBC)
    Effect: CVD RR 1.04 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.08) per 50 g egg/day, I2 80%; US cohorts RR 1.08 (1.02 to 1.14); no association in Asian cohorts
    Certainty: Observational with high heterogeneity; residual confounding by diet pattern (eggs eaten with processed meat in US diets).
    Circulation, 2022 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
14. ev-eggc-14 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · unblinded 2-by-2 factorial randomized trial (fortified eggs, time-restricted eating) · n = 140
    The difference in least squares (LS) means from baseline to 4-months for HDL and LDL levels revealed no significant clinical difference between FE vs nonegg supplemented diet (HDL: -0.64 mg/dL [95% CI: -3.86, 2.58]; LDL: -3.14 mg/dL [-10.81, 4.52]) and TRE vs usual care diet (HDL: 1.51 mg/dL [-1.65, 4.68]; LDL 1.17 mg/dL [-6.36, 8.70]).
    
    Who: patients with a prior cardiovascular event or two cardiovascular risk factors, median age 66, 24% with diabetes
    Effect: LDL -3.14 mg/dL (95% CI -10.81 to 4.52); HDL -0.64 mg/dL (-3.86 to 2.58), fortified eggs vs non-egg diet
    Certainty: Fortified eggs (not standard eggs); unblinded; 4 months. NCT04673721.
    Am Heart J, 2025 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
15. ev-eggc-15 · Observational data · scoping review of systematic reviews for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 · n = 38 systematic reviews
    Based on the available evidence, one egg/day is unlikely to adversely affect overall disease risk.
    
    Who: systematic reviews and meta-analyses of egg intake and health, 2011 to April 2022
    Effect: higher egg intake may raise total cholesterol and LDL:HDL ratio with heterogeneous response; moderate intake (up to 1 egg/day) not linked to CVD in European studies
    Certainty: Scoping review, no pooled estimate; data scarce above one egg a day.
    Food Nutr Res, 2024 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
16. ev-eggc-16 · Position of an expert body · science advisory reviewing human studies · n = —
    Although meta-analyses of intervention studies differ in their findings, most associate intakes of cholesterol that exceed current average levels with elevated total or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations.
    
    Who: general population, US dietary guidance
    Effect: intakes above current average levels associated with elevated total or LDL cholesterol; guidance on Mediterranean and DASH-style patterns rather than a numeric target
    Certainty: AHA position paper; no new pooled analysis.
    Circulation, 2020 · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the abstract
17. ev-eggc-17 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · agency systematic review (USDA Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review) · n = 9 articles
    Therefore, it was difficult to evaluate the independent effect of dietary cholesterol on blood lipids across this body of evidence.
    
    Who: adults in randomized trials of dietary cholesterol, mostly whole eggs or yolks vs cholesterol-free alternatives
    Effect: null effects in 7 articles; higher total, LDL or HDL cholesterol or triglycerides in some; independent effect of dietary cholesterol not separable
    Certainty: Explains why trials disagree: fat composition often differed between egg and comparison meals.
    USDA Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review, 2020, Types of Dietary Fat and Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the section
18. ev-eggc-18 · Position of an expert body · regulatory reference value · n = —
    However, the basis for the DRV is an intake level not to exceed to reduce the risk of CHD, rather than an intake level to achieve (e.g., a DV for essential vitamins and minerals).
    
    Who: US population aged 4 years and older, food labeling
    Effect: DRV 300 mg/day cholesterol (unchanged in the 2016 final rule)
    Certainty: One large egg yolk carries a large share of this value; the 2015-2020 DGA dropped the numeric 300 mg limit.
    FDA, 2016, Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, final rule (FR Doc. 2016-11867) · checked 2026-10-06 · we read the section