For years, eggs have been blamed for raising cholesterol and increasing heart disease risk. “Don’t eat too many eggs, or your cholesterol will shoot up!”—sounds familiar, right?
But what if you are told that this is one of the biggest nutrition myths out there?
Recently, Dr Deep Dutta, an endocrinologist busted this common myth on X. In a long post on social media, the expert shared that he eats 4 eggs a day which makes it 28 eggs per week.
“It is a myth that cholesterol goes up on eating eggs! They are the cheapest & best source of proteins
Impact of eating 4 eggs per day over last 1.5 years on lipid profile (an experiment of thyself)
1) No impact of cholesterol & triglycerides!
2) Significant increase in good cholesterol! (HDL-C)!
Please note:
1) Have switched to salad based diet for last 9 months
2) Running on an average 3-5 km per day at least
3) Lost 12kg weight
4) No use of any medications ever
5) Our fate (takhdeer/kismat) which is actually our genes inherited from parents which primarily determine our body’s response to anything in life (including food),” Dr Dutta has posted on X.
“Yes full egg. I take 4 per day. That makes it 28 per week,” he replied to a comment.
Dr Dutta’s post is a reminder that myths and misinformation play a debilitating role in health.
Egg facts
Yes, eggs contain cholesterol—about 186 mg per egg yolk. But here’s the catch: dietary cholesterol (from food) has little impact on your blood cholesterol for most people! Your liver already produces cholesterol on its own. When you eat more cholesterol from food, your body simply produces less. It’s a well-balanced system!
In fact, studies show that for 70% of people, eating eggs doesn’t raise cholesterol at all. In the remaining 30%, known as “hyper-responders,” there might be a slight increase, but it doesn’t negatively affect heart health.
Eggs actually help raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol, which protects your heart. The real villains behind high cholesterol are processed foods, trans fats, and excessive sugar—not whole, natural foods like eggs.
How many eggs can you eat in a day?
Many experts, including doctors and nutritionists, say that eating 1-3 eggs daily is perfectly safe. Some health enthusiasts even eat 6+ eggs per day with no issues!
Take the example of doctors and athletes who consume 20+ eggs a week and maintain perfect heart health. The key is to pair eggs with a balanced diet full of veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats.
Eggs are not the enemy—processed junk food is! If you’re worried about cholesterol, focus on cutting out sugary drinks, fried foods, and refined carbs instead of avoiding eggs.
So, go ahead, enjoy your omelet, sunny-side up, or boiled eggs guilt-free—your heart (and taste buds) will thank you!