While growing up, my grandma said eggs were bad for your heart. I kinda believed her. I would skip eggs, most of the time. But when I moved to a small town in Ohio, my neighbour, a 92 year retired teacher, said she’d never skipped eggs in her life. Curious, I started wondering – how many eggs should you really eat?
The cholesterol in eggs is mostly a red herring. Your liver makes most of the cholesterol in your blood, and what really drives up the bad kind—LDL—is saturated and trans fats, not the cholesterol in food. That means swapping out the sausage for avocado or spinach makes a much bigger difference than skipping the eggs altogether. For most healthy people, eating up to six to twelve eggs a week is just fine. It’s not a miracle food, but it’s not a villain either.
The Morning Connection
I’ll be honest—when I moved my coffee past 2 p.m., I slept like a baby. Same goes for eggs. When I started making them a regular part of my breakfast, I noticed I felt fuller longer and didn’t reach for that mid-morning snack. Eggs are packed with protein and healthy fats, which help keep your energy steady and your cravings at bay. Plus, they’re cheap, easy to cook, and fit into almost any routine—whether you’re rushing out the door or sitting down for a slow Sunday morning.
A Tiny Habit With Big Payoff
But here’s where it gets personal. If you already have high cholesterol or Type 2 diabetes, you might want to talk to your doctor about your egg intake. Some people, called “hyper-responders,” do see a small rise in blood cholesterol from eating eggs. But for the rest of us, the real win is in what we pair with our eggs. Swapping out processed meats and white bread for veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats is where the magic happens. It’s slow and steady wins the race, not the occasional bacon binge.
The Gut-Brain Axis
Eggs aren’t just about cholesterol. They’re full of nutrients that support your gut and brain health—like choline, which helps with memory and mood. And let’s be real, most of us aren’t eating enough of those. Whether you’re a celery-juice fan or an ice-bath bro, adding eggs to your routine is a simple way to boost your nutrient intake without overhauling your whole diet. It’s an ounce of prevention, not a cure-all.
The Real Takeaway
At the end of the day, eggs are a nutritious, affordable food that most of us can enjoy without guilt. The key is to focus on the whole picture—what you eat with your eggs, your overall diet, and your personal health history. If you’re worried, talk to your doctor. But for most of us, eggs are a quiet win in the daily grind of work, school runs, and Netflix binges. They’re not a miracle, but they’re a small, steady step toward feeling better—one sunny-side-up at a time.