Can Eggs Really Lower Cholesterol? | Dr. Neal Barnard
The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee
Physicians Committee
4.9 • 3.3K Ratings
🗓️ 31 July 2025
⏱️ 45 minutes
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Summary
Saturated fat -- not eggs -- is the key culprit behind high LDL cholesterol, which can lead to cardiovascular disease And in fact, a diet low in saturated fat and high in dietary cholesterol, such as that found in eggs, can lower blood cholesterol levels. This -- according to a new study from researchers at the University of South Australia.
But what are we to make of this study, which received funding from an offshoot of the American Egg Board, an organization focused on marketing and promoting eggs?
Dr. Neal Barnard joins Chuck Carroll on this episode of The Exam Room to tell us what he makes of these findings, and to answer your questions about saturated fats, dietary cholesterol and eggs.
In this episode of The Exam Room, you'll learn:
- Whether eggs raise cholesterol for everyone
- Whether eggs egg whites and free-range eggs are healthier options
- Dr. Barnard's favorite egg substitutes
- Whether eggs or meat and dairy have a greater impact on cholesterol
- How many eggs are safe to eat per week
- How saturated fat influences cholesterol absorption
- How quickly eggs can raise cholesterol
- Genetic factors that influence cholesterol
This episode is sponsored by The Gregory J. Reiter Memorial Fund, which supports organizations like the Physicians Committee that carry on Greg’s passion and love for animals through rescue efforts, veganism, and wildlife conservation.
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Today on the exam room. |
| 0:04.8 | There was a study that you and I talked about last year that showed that fortified eggs, like think egglin's best, did not raise cholesterol. |
| 0:14.7 | The fact that they're fortifying those eggs with extra vitamins and nutrients remind us whether or not that also makes a difference one way or the other? |
| 0:23.1 | Well, you know, the egg industry has been trying to find ways to neutralize the effect of cholesterol. |
| 0:27.5 | And these are all sort of experimental techniques where they'll take chickens and they feed them all kinds of things to try to make the egg a little bit healthier. |
| 0:35.4 | They're not really succeeding, I have to say. |
| 0:39.6 | Welcome to the exam room podcast, brought to you by the Physicians Committee. |
| 0:43.8 | Hi, I'm the weight loss champion Chuck Carroll, raising health IQs coast to coast and around the world. |
| 0:50.3 | Hi to the exam room. |
| 0:51.1 | He's listening in Independence, Missouri, Deltona, Florida, and Barcelona, Spain. |
| 0:57.3 | Wherever you are, we appreciate you helping to make the world a healthier place. |
| 1:01.7 | This is episode 62 of season 8, number 661 overall. |
| 1:08.6 | Eggs. Do they or don't they raise your cholesterol? |
| 1:13.3 | There is so much competing science out there, but facts matter and today we are serving |
| 1:20.1 | up the truth here on the exam room. |
| 1:22.9 | And there is in fact one undisputed fact that everyone does seem to agree on. Eggs have cholesterol and a lot of it. |
| 1:31.4 | But that is where the consensus ends and the debate begins. Some say they will absolutely |
| 1:38.1 | positively raise blood cholesterol, but others say not so fast. For whatever reason, eggs don't have the same effect on cholesterol as other food. |
| 1:50.4 | And folks are getting all fired up about this. |
| 1:53.2 | And I want to read you this. |
| 1:54.6 | This is from a press release that crossed my desk recently. |
| 1:58.5 | It says, quote, from poached to pan friedfried, when it comes to eggs, it's all |
... |
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