Here\u2019s something to get egg-cited about.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A new study<\/a> scrambles the long-held belief that eggs are bad for your heart, finding that eating a certain number daily might actually improve your cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not all sunny side up. While one breakfast staple has been eggsonerated, researchers warn that another could spell serious trouble for your ticker.<\/p>\n Eggs might not be the real villain lurking on your breakfast plate. Pixel Stories\/Stocksy \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse<\/a>, packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein and healthy fats. But they\u2019ve long been in the hot seat because they\u2019re naturally high in dietary cholesterol.<\/p>\n For years, health officials and medical groups have recommended limiting egg consumption, concerned it could raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease \u2014 the leading cause of death in the US<\/a>.<\/p>\n But growing evidence suggests that risk might not be as significant as once believed.<\/p>\n \u201cEggs have long been unfairly cracked by outdated dietary advice,\u201d Dr. Jon Buckley<\/a>, a professor at the University of South Australia and lead researcher on the study, said in a statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re unique \u2014 high in cholesterol, yes, but low in saturated fat. Yet it\u2019s their cholesterol level that has often caused people to question their place in a healthy diet,\u201d he continued. <\/p>\n Roughly 805,000 people in the US experience a heart attack each year, or about 1 in every 400 adults. Kannapat \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n To put it to the test, Buckley and his colleagues examined the independent effects of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat on LDL cholesterol \u2014 the so-called \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol that can build up in the arteries and raise your risk of heart disease and stroke.<\/p>\n They found that eating two eggs a day, as part of a high-cholesterol but low\u2013saturated fat diet, can actually reduce LDL levels and lower heart disease<\/a> risk.<\/p>\n Instead, real culprit behind elevated blood cholesterol was saturated fat. This primarily comes from animal sources, such as meat and dairy products, along with tropical oils like coconut and palm.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could say we\u2019ve delivered hard-boiled evidence in defense of the humble egg,\u201d Buckley said. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, when it comes to a cooked breakfast, it\u2019s not the eggs you need to worry about \u2014 it\u2019s the extra serve of bacon or the side of sausage that\u2019s more likely to impact your heart health.\u201d<\/p>\n Processed meats like bacon, sausage, hot dogs and ham often contain significant amounts of saturated fats. Nelea Reazanteva \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Across the country, nearly 94 million American adults over the age of 20 have high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n However, because high cholesterol typically comes without noticeable symptoms, many people don\u2019t know they have it until serious complications arise \u2014 such as a heart attack or stroke.<\/p>\n To keep cholesterol levels in check, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends<\/a> making key lifestyle changes, including limiting saturated fat to less than 6% of your total daily calories.<\/p>\n For someone who eats about 2,000 calories a day, that means no more than 120 calories \u2014 or roughly 13 grams \u2014 should come from saturated fat.<\/p>\n