Three eggs a week can raise your risk of heart disease

EATING as few as three eggs a week raises the risk of cardiovascular disease that can lead to a heart attack or stroke, research has found.

In recent years, eggs have enjoyed a rehabilitation after previously being branded as unhealthy and artery clogging.

In 2007, the British Heart Foundation released advice to limit egg consumption to three a week.

Now a new study by Northwestern Medicine, in the United States, found that people who ate more eggs had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.

Egg yolks are one of the richest sources of cholesterol, with one large British egg supplying around 265mg.

The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found eating 300mg of dietary cholesterol per day was associated with 17 per cent higher risk of incident cardiovascular disease and 18 per cent higher risk of all-cause deaths.

Eating three to four eggs per week was associated with 6 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular disease and 8 per cent higher risk of any cause of death.

“Our study showed if two people had the exact same diet and the only difference in diet was eggs, then you could directly measure the effect on heart disease,” said study author Norrina Allen, associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

To date, evidence about eggs had been mixed but the study’s findings meant the current guidelines for dietary cholesterol and eggs might need to be re-evaluated, the authors said.

However, Prof Tom Sanders, of King’s College London, said that many studies had shown the eggs were safe to eat. He said: “Eggs in moderation – around 3 to 4 per week – is fine.”