Eggs were a breakfast staple many years ago until concerns about their high cholesterol content arose. Granted, a single large egg has 186 milligrams of cholesterol, but the American Heart Association now says that dietary cholesterol isn’t the same as blood cholesterol. In other words, eating a lot of eggs might not be the culprit for high cholesterol levels. Instead, it might be more about the amount of saturated fat and other elements of an unhealthy diet, such as sugar and sodium, that can lead to heart disease.
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You’ll want to add eggs back into your diet for another reason. Eggs might reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a 2024 study in the Journal of Nutrition. People who ate at least one egg per week had a 47% lower risk of Alzheimer’s compared to those who ate fewer eggs.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you should add eggs to every meal. The American Heart Association says healthy people can enjoy one or two eggs a day as a high-quality protein in a heart-healthy diet. Eggs are a great source of choline, which is a nutrient that might be key to cognitive health as you age.
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Choline Plays A Role In Brain Health
The study looked specifically at how eggs could protect the brain against damage related to Alzheimer’s, finding that 39% of the egg’s protective effect was due to choline. “This is the first time a research study suggests an association between consuming eggs and Alzheimer’s dementia risk has been identified and highlights the potential of simple dietary interventions in supporting normal brain health,” principal investigator Taylor Wallace, Ph.D., said in a Health Digest exclusive interview.
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Wallace said that choline is an important nutrient in maintaining the integrity and signaling of your cells, but it also maintains your brain as you get older. He adds that it’s not clear how choline works to improve brain health, and more research is needed. (Here are healthy and unhealthy ways to eat eggs.)
Eggs have 147 milligrams of choline, and men and breastfeeding women need 550 milligrams of choline every day, while women need 425 milligrams. “Most Americans would benefit from eating more choline to meet the recommended daily intake,” Wallace said. “The choline in eggs helps support lifelong brain health at every age and stage, including memory, thinking, mood, and more.”
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Focus On A Healthy Diet For Cognitive Health
An egg-centric diet probably won’t stave off Alzheimer’s, says Taylor Wallace. “It’s important to focus on the big picture — choosing a variety of foods in moderation to support overall healthy eating,” he said. “This includes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of protein – including eggs, legumes, nuts, fish, seafood, and low-fat dairy.”
If you’re looking for some dietary guidelines to protect your brain, you could look to whole food diets such as the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). A 2024 study in Neurology found that adhering to the MIND diet can reduce your risk of cognitive decline by 4%. Although the study didn’t find this effect to be significant for men, women were 6% less likely to have cognitive decline if they followed the MIND diet. The MIND diet was also more effective for Black participants.
The MIND diet blends the Mediterranean Diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet, which both boost brain health. Berries are emphasized in this diet to improve brain function, and you’re encouraged to eat green, leafy vegetables every day. You should also aim for more olive oil, nuts, whole grains, beans, and other vegetables in your diet. Foods like butter, cheese, red meat, fried food, and sweets are discouraged because they’re high in saturated fat, which might be linked to brain inflammation.
