{"id":948513,"date":"2026-05-09T15:02:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T15:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/948513\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T15:02:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T15:02:38","slug":"is-it-true-that-eating-more-eggs-could-help-lower-alzheimers-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/948513\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it true that eating more eggs could help lower Alzheimer&#8217;s risk?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eggs-Alzheimers-GettyImages-1849911640-Header-1024x575.jpg\" alt=\"two sunny side up eggs in a pan\" class=\"css-1jytyml\"\/><a class=\"icon-hl-pinterest css-v6xz9i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" data-event=\"Any Page|Image Pinterest Click|Icon Clicked\" data-element-event=\"OPEN|CONTENTBLOCK|Any Page|Article Body|BUTTON|Image Widget Pinterest Click|\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalnewstoday.com%2Farticles%2Feating-eggs-5-times-a-week-linked-to-lower-alzheimers-risk&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.post.rvohealth.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2026%2F05%2Feggs-Alzheimers-GettyImages-1849911640-Header-1024x575.jpg&amp;description=Is%20it%20true%20that%20eating%20more%20eggs%20could%20help%20lower%20Alzheimer&#039;s%20risk%3F\" title=\"Share on Pinterest\" data-pin-custom=\"true\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/eggs-Alzheimers-GettyImages-1849911640-Header-1024x575.jpg\">Share on Pinterest<\/a>Eating eggs is linked to lower Alzheimer\u2019s risk but is there more to this story than meets the eye? Image credit: Tatiana Maksimova\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Some existing research has suggested that egg consumption could benefit brain health as we age, with one recent study indicating that eating one egg per week was linked to lower Alzheimer\u2019s risk.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>A new study now claims that eating eggs at least five times a week is linked to a lower likelihood of receiving an Alzheimer\u2019s diagnosis.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The study authors emphasize that moderate egg consumption is part of a balanced diet, which benefits health overall.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>However, some questions remain in place about whether or nor the relationship between egg intake and brain health is causal.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When it comes to health benefits, eggs have had a fluctuating reputation over time. For years, a belief persisted that their high content of dietary cholesterol might negatively affect cholesterol levels in the human body.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, there is evidence to suggest that the high nutritive content of chicken eggs could bring <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10304460\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">several health benefits<\/a>, including better protein synthesis in muscles, and increased satiety (the sensation of being full) that can aid weight management. <\/p>\n<p>According to this study of 1,024 older adults, eating one egg per week was linked with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/eating-1-egg-per-week-linked-to-lower-alzheimers-risk-study-finds\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">47% lower risk<\/a> of Alzheimer\u2019s compared with having eggs less than once a month.<\/p>\n<p>Now, new research from scientists at Loma Linda University Health in California \u2014 which also appears in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0022316626001902?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">The Journal of Nutrition<\/a> \u2014 has drawn similar conclusions, offering further support to the notion that regular moderate egg consumption may help protect brain health and lower the risk of cognitive problems.<\/p>\n<p>The research team acknowledges that \u201cthe analyses in this study were supported by an investigator-initiated grant from the American Egg Board.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>AHS-2 totalled a cohort of more than 96,000 people; of these, a little over 39,400 met the selection criteria for the current study.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Looking at participants\u2019 reported dietary habits and the Medicare claims linked to their health diagnoses, the researchers found that people who reported eating eggs at least five times a week had an up to 27% lower risk of receiving an Alzheimer\u2019s diagnosis compared to those who reported no egg consumption.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Compared to no consumption, having eggs 1 to 3 times per month was linked to a 17% lower risk of Alzheimer\u2019s, and having eggs 2 to 4 times per week was linked to a 20% lower Alzheimer\u2019s risk<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Medical News Today, first author <a href=\"https:\/\/llu.edu\/academics\/faculty\/oh-jisoo\/education\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">Jisoo Oh<\/a>, DrPH, MPH, Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University, said that she and her colleagues were keen to study this association because they wanted to gain a better, more granular understanding of the modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile there is substantial interest in how nutrition influences brain health, there is still a knowledge gap regarding specific foods, including eggs,\u201d said Oh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEggs are widely consumed and contain several nutrients relevant to brain function, yet the evidence linking egg intake to clinically diagnosed Alzheimer\u2019s disease has been limited,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost prior studies relied on short-term cognitive outcomes or cross-sectional data. The Adventist Health Study-2 provided a unique opportunity to examine this question in a large, well-characterized cohort with long-term follow-up and linkage to Medicare data, allowing us to study incident Alzheimer\u2019s disease more rigorously,\u201d the researcher explained.<\/p>\n<p>While this study hasn\u2019t addressed causation, the researchers hypothesize that eggs may have a protective effect on brain health thanks to the specific nutrients they contain.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/327117\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">choline<\/a>, which is essential for producing acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory<\/li>\n<li>lutein and zeaxanthin, which accumulate in the brain and may help reduce oxidative stress<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/325179\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">omega-3 fatty acids<\/a> (including DHA), important for neuronal structure and function<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/219822\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vitamin B12<\/a>, which plays a role in reducing homocysteine levels and supporting neurological function<\/li>\n<li>high-quality protein and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/l-trytophan-supplements\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tryptophan<\/a>, which are involved in neurotransmitter pathways.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>According to her, \u201cthese nutrients may contribute to maintaining synaptic integrity, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and supporting overall cognitive resilience.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile our study does not directly test mechanisms, the findings are consistent with these biologically plausible pathways,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of whether or not people should up their egg intake in light of these study findings, Oh advised \u201cmoderation\u201d and paying attention to context.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur findings suggest that including eggs as part of a balanced diet may be beneficial for brain health, but they should not be viewed in isolation or as a \u2018silver bullet\u2019,\u201d she cautioned.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow css-gc8ws5\">\n<p>\u201cFor most people, moderate [egg] consumption, such as a few times per week, appears reasonable and potentially beneficial, especially when part of an overall healthy dietary pattern that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other nutrient-dense foods.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Jisoo Oh, DrPH, MPH<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s also important for individuals to consider their overall health profile and dietary needs, ideally in consultation with a healthcare provider,\u201d the researcher added.<\/p>\n<p>Other experts also emphasized that we would be remiss to believe that the answer to better brain health as we age is to be found primarily in egg consumption.<\/p>\n<p>After reviewing the study findings, <a href=\"https:\/\/entirelynourished.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\">Michelle Routhenstein<\/a>, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, a preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished, who was not involved in this research, told MNT: \u201cMy first reaction was, well what else are [the people in this cohort] eating? That question matters more than most people realize.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Routhenstein, it is important to acknowledge that the group this study focused on is already characterized by better overall health thanks to consistently healthy lifestyle habits.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cThis was an observational study done in a very specific population, Seventh-day Adventists, who as a group smoke less, drink less, eat more plants, and have lower baseline rates of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/323551\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">obesity<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/323627\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">diabetes<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/257484\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cardiovascular disease<\/a> than the average American,\u201d the dietitian pointed out.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo when we see that moderate egg intake was associated with lower Alzheimer\u2019s diagnoses in this cohort, we\u2019re looking at what happens when people add eggs to an already protective dietary pattern, not to the typical Western diet,\u201d she maintained.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow css-gc8ws5\">\n<p>\u201cEggs do contain nutrients with real brain health relevance, but we need to assess the full dietary pattern, cardiometabolic health, labs, and individual metabolic markers before drawing any conclusions about what eggs mean for any one person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIt is also important to recognize that some of the funding came from the American Egg Board and the headlines need to be in check with the details of the study, what the actual study looked at and found,\u201d the dietitian cautioned.<\/p>\n<p>Routhenstein also outlined some potential health drawbacks to upping egg consumption, while stressing that overall it\u2019s not a bad idea to include eggs in our diets.<\/p>\n<p>Whether or not a person should start eating more eggs is always a matter of personal health context, said the dietitian.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cEggs aren\u2019t a \u2018free\u2019 food, but they\u2019re not automatically off-limits either,\u201d she told us. \u201cThey do contribute saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, so whether adding an egg makes sense really comes down to what the rest of your diet looks like and whether it keeps you within your daily saturated fat target.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s also important to recognize that some people are more sensitive to dietary cholesterol than others, they are called \u2018cholesterol hyper-responders\u2019,\u201d Routhenstein pointed out. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn those individuals, egg yolks can raise LDL more significantly, and may need to be limited more carefully, especially if cardiovascular risk is already elevated,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n<p>There are also people who prefer a diet that mostly or completely excludes animal food products, including eggs. According to Routhenstein, there is no reason for them to worry, as long as they are making sure they\u2019re following a nutritious diet overall.<\/p>\n<p>Like Oh, Routhenstein explained that \u201ceggs can support brain health because they contain several relevant brain protective nutrients \u2014from choline [to] lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin B12, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/287842\" class=\"content-link css-90fpmc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">selenium<\/a>, [and] protein \u2014 all of which can play positive roles in memory, brain structure, and brain associated inflammation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat said, the human data we have right now is mostly observational, which means we can see associations, but we can\u2019t say eggs prevent Alzheimer\u2019s disease,\u201d she cautioned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd it\u2019s worth knowing that most of these same nutrients can be found in other foods or through a well-planned plant-forward diet,\u201d Routhenstein emphasized.<\/p>\n<p>The dietitian advised that:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow css-gc8ws5\">\n<p>\u201cCholine can come from foods like soy, kidney beans, quinoa, and Brussels sprouts. Omega-3s and B12 are worth supplementing, with dosing based on your labs, age, and individual needs. And lutein and zeaxanthin? Dark leafy greens have you covered.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Concerning the current study, Oh outlined \u201cseveral important\u201d caveats, including that it was observational in nature, meaning that it cannot establish causation, and that \u201cthe study population is relatively health-conscious (Seventh-day Adventists), which may limit generalizability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She also noted that \u201cdiet was assessed at baseline only, and changes [to diet] over time were not captured\u201d and there was \u201climited data on very high levels of egg consumption.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile the results are encouraging, they should be interpreted as part of a broader body of evidence,\u201d Oh said.<\/p>\n<p>Going forward, Oh noted she would like to see this research replicated in more diverse populations, as well as \u201cstudies examining egg consumption earlier in life and long-term cognitive outcomes, more detailed work on specific nutrients in eggs (e.g., choline, DHA) and their independent roles, research incorporating biomarkers and neuroimaging to better understand mechanisms,\u201d and a rigorous exploration of potential causal relationships.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUltimately,\u201d she shared, \u201cwe hope this work contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how specific foods fit into dietary patterns that support healthy brain aging.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestEating eggs is linked to lower Alzheimer\u2019s risk but is there more to this story than&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":948514,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[231,2770,105,4434,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-948513","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-alzheimers-disease","9":"tag-brain-health","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116545228958690928","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/948513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=948513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/948513\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/948514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=948513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=948513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=948513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}