Comment by Mayo Clinic Staff

Chicken eggs are an affordable source of protein and other nutrients. They are also naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs does not seem to raise cholesterol levels the way other foods do, such as those high in trans fats and saturated fats. Although some studies have found a link between eating eggs and heart disease, there could be other reasons for these findings. The foods people often eat with eggs, such as bacon, sausage, and ham, may do more to increase the risk of heart disease. In addition, the way eggs and other foods are cooked, especially if fried in oil or butter, may play more of a role in the increased risk of heart disease than eggs themselves do. Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without increasing their risk of heart disease.