For years, eggs took the fall. You would crack one open, and somewhere in the back of your mind, there was guilt. That little yellow yolk, rich in cholesterol, was supposed to be a ticket to clogged arteries and heart trouble. At least, that is what we were told.
But now, that narrative is getting scrambled. New research from the University of South Australia just turned a major corner. The study, published in 2025, shows that eggs don’t actually raise bad cholesterol when they are part of a diet low in saturated fat. This means it is not the eggs doing the damage. It is what you are eating with them.
The Real Culprit is NOT the Egg!
This wasn’t just another food blog opinion. It was a randomized, controlled, crossover study, the gold standard in nutrition science. The research team, led by Professor Jon Buckley, found that eating two eggs a day didn’t raise LDL cholesterol, the so-called “bad” kind. In fact, in some cases, it even went down. The catch? The rest of the diet had to be low in saturated fat.
Mart / Pexels / New 2025 study cracks the old idea that cholesterol in food directly equals cholesterol in your blood. That belief, once the backbone of dietary guidelines, has been slowly unraveling.
Turns out, the real troublemaker is saturated fat. That is what is pushing LDL cholesterol up, not the eggs.
Blame the Bacon, Not the Yolk
It makes sense when you look at the usual breakfast plate. Eggs often show up next to bacon, sausage, buttered toast, and maybe some hash browns. All of these are loaded with saturated fat. No wonder people thought eggs were guilty by association. But when the eggs stand alone, or at least with heart-friendly sides, they behave very differently.
In the study, participants stuck to a low-saturated-fat diet while eating two eggs a day. Their LDL levels didn’t spike. Quite the opposite, they dropped. This finding pushed researchers to shift the focus.
However, that doesn’t mean all past research is worthless. Some older studies did find a link between egg intake and raised LDL levels. A 2020 meta-analysis looked at 17 studies and found that more eggs meant more bad cholesterol, especially in healthy people. But science moves fast. Methods improve. And newer, more controlled research often tells a clearer story.
Should You Eat Eggs Without Worrying?
Janet / Pexels / This new study points out that not everyone reacts to cholesterol the same way. Some people, called “hyper-responders”, do see a spike in cholesterol from foods like eggs.
But most folks don’t. Most people fall into the “normal” or “low-responder” category. For them, eating eggs has little to no effect on blood cholesterol.
So, where does that leave us? If you are generally healthy and eating a balanced, low-saturated-fat diet, you can probably enjoy eggs without worry. They are packed with protein, vitamins, and healthy fats. They are filling, versatile, and easy to cook. And now, they are off the hook for the whole cholesterol scare.
Still, this doesn’t mean you should go full Rocky and start pounding raw eggs by the dozen. The real takeaway is about balance. Eggs are fine, even daily, but keep an eye on what is on your plate with them. Skip the greasy sausage and instead go for avocado, spinach, or whole-grain toast. You will be doing your heart a favor.
