Are eggs bad for your cholesterol? It's one of the most common questions I get asked, and the honest answer might surprise you - here's what the NZ Heart Foundation actually recommends, not the old myth that's stuck around for decades.
Why eggs got a bad reputation in the first place
For years, eggs got a hard time because egg yolks are naturally high in dietary cholesterol. The old thinking was simple: eat cholesterol, raise your blood cholesterol, raise your heart disease risk. It made sense on paper, so limits like "just 3 eggs a week" became common advice, including here in NZ.
What the science actually shows now
The NZ Heart Foundation has since reviewed the research thoroughly, and the picture has changed. Their key finding is that it's actually saturated fat - not dietary cholesterol from foods like eggs - that has the bigger effect on your blood cholesterol levels. Eggs contain very little saturated fat, so on their own, they're not the villain they were once made out to be.
You can read their full position statement on their website - based on that review, the Heart Foundation relaxed its previous 3-eggs-a-week limit back in 2016, and the current position is:
- For the general healthy population, eggs can be part of a heart-healthy eating pattern, with no specific restriction on how many you eat.
- For people at increased risk of heart disease, including those with Type 2 diabetes, up to 6 eggs a week is considered a sensible, heart-healthy amount.
What actually matters more than the egg itself
The Heart Foundation's advice puts the focus where it really belongs: on the company your eggs keep. Pairing eggs with refined white bread, butter, salt, or processed meats like bacon and sausage does more to affect your heart health than the egg itself. If you want a genuinely heart-healthy plate, the bigger wins are eating more vegetables, more whole foods, and less saturated fat overall - not cutting back on eggs.
The bottom line
Eggs are an affordable, nutrient-dense whole food - a great source of protein, plus vitamin D, B12, selenium and choline, at a pretty modest calorie cost. If you have a specific heart condition or you're a "hyper-responder" to dietary cholesterol, it's always worth having a chat with your own doctor about what's right for you. But for most Kiwis eating a normal, balanced diet, there's no need to be afraid of your morning eggs.
