Sharayah Carter , Alison M Hill , Catherine Yandell , Lisa Wood , Alison M Coates , Jonathan D Buckley
{"title":"Impact of dietary cholesterol from eggs and saturated fat on LDL cholesterol levels: a randomized cross-over study","authors":"Sharayah Carter , Alison M Hill , Catherine Yandell , Lisa Wood , Alison M Coates , Jonathan D Buckley","doi":"10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.05.001","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death. Although dietary cholesterol from eggs has been a focus of dietary guidelines, recent evidence suggests that saturated fat has a greater impact on LDL cholesterol.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study examined the independent effects of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat on LDL concentrations.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this randomized, controlled, cross-over study (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05267522), 61 adults (age 39 ± 12 y, BMI 25.8 ± 5.9 kg/m<sup>2</sup>) with baseline LDL cholesterol <3.5 mmol/L (135.3 μg/dL) were assigned to 3 isocaloric diets for 5 wk each: high-cholesterol (600 mg/d), low-saturated fat (6%) including 2 eggs/d (EGG); low-cholesterol (300 mg/d), high-saturated fat (12%) without eggs (EGG-FREE); and a high-cholesterol (600 mg/d), high-saturated fat (12%) control diet (CON) including 1 egg/wk. Outcomes were assessed at the end of each diet phase.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Fifty-four participants completed ≥1 diet phase, and 48 completed all diet phases. Compared with CON, EGG but not EGG-FREE reduced LDL cholesterol (CON 109.3 ± 3.1 μg/dL compared with EGG 103.6 ± 3.1 μg/dL <em>P =</em> 0.02 compared with EGG-FREE 107.7 ± 3.1 μg/dL, <em>P =</em> 0.52). Across all diets, saturated fat intake was positively correlated with LDL cholesterol (<em>β</em> = 0.35, <em>P =</em> 0.002), whereas dietary cholesterol was not (<em>β</em> = −0.006, <em>P =</em> 0.42). Compared with CON, EGG but not EGG-FREE reduced concentrations of large (EGG <em>β</em> = −48.6, <em>P =</em> 0.03; EGG-FREE <em>β</em> = −35.85, <em>P =</em> 0.12) and increased concentrations of small LDL particles (EGG <em>β</em> = 95.1, <em>P =</em> 0.004; EGG-FREE <em>β</em> = 55.82, <em>P =</em> 0.10).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Saturated fat, not dietary cholesterol, elevates LDL cholesterol. Compared with consuming a high-saturated fat diet with only 1 egg/wk, consuming 2 eggs daily as part of a low-saturated fat diet lowers LDL concentrations, which may reduce CVD risk. However, this effect on CVD risk may be mitigated, at least in part, by a reduction in less-atherogenic large LDL particles and an increase in more atherogenic small LDL particles.</div></div><div><h3>Trial registration</h3><div>This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05267522 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05267522?term=eggs%20and%20cholesterol&rank=3).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50813,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Clinical Nutrition","volume":"122 1","pages":"Pages 83-91"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American Journal of Clinical Nutrition","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916525002539","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NUTRITION & DIETETICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death. Although dietary cholesterol from eggs has been a focus of dietary guidelines, recent evidence suggests that saturated fat has a greater impact on LDL cholesterol.
Objectives
This study examined the independent effects of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat on LDL concentrations.
Methods
In this randomized, controlled, cross-over study (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05267522), 61 adults (age 39 ± 12 y, BMI 25.8 ± 5.9 kg/m2) with baseline LDL cholesterol <3.5 mmol/L (135.3 μg/dL) were assigned to 3 isocaloric diets for 5 wk each: high-cholesterol (600 mg/d), low-saturated fat (6%) including 2 eggs/d (EGG); low-cholesterol (300 mg/d), high-saturated fat (12%) without eggs (EGG-FREE); and a high-cholesterol (600 mg/d), high-saturated fat (12%) control diet (CON) including 1 egg/wk. Outcomes were assessed at the end of each diet phase.
Results
Fifty-four participants completed ≥1 diet phase, and 48 completed all diet phases. Compared with CON, EGG but not EGG-FREE reduced LDL cholesterol (CON 109.3 ± 3.1 μg/dL compared with EGG 103.6 ± 3.1 μg/dL P = 0.02 compared with EGG-FREE 107.7 ± 3.1 μg/dL, P = 0.52). Across all diets, saturated fat intake was positively correlated with LDL cholesterol (β = 0.35, P = 0.002), whereas dietary cholesterol was not (β = −0.006, P = 0.42). Compared with CON, EGG but not EGG-FREE reduced concentrations of large (EGG β = −48.6, P = 0.03; EGG-FREE β = −35.85, P = 0.12) and increased concentrations of small LDL particles (EGG β = 95.1, P = 0.004; EGG-FREE β = 55.82, P = 0.10).
Conclusions
Saturated fat, not dietary cholesterol, elevates LDL cholesterol. Compared with consuming a high-saturated fat diet with only 1 egg/wk, consuming 2 eggs daily as part of a low-saturated fat diet lowers LDL concentrations, which may reduce CVD risk. However, this effect on CVD risk may be mitigated, at least in part, by a reduction in less-atherogenic large LDL particles and an increase in more atherogenic small LDL particles.
Trial registration
This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05267522 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05267522?term=eggs%20and%20cholesterol&rank=3).
期刊介绍:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is recognized as the most highly rated peer-reviewed, primary research journal in nutrition and dietetics.It focuses on publishing the latest research on various topics in nutrition, including but not limited to obesity, vitamins and minerals, nutrition and disease, and energy metabolism.
Purpose:
The purpose of AJCN is to:
Publish original research studies relevant to human and clinical nutrition.
Consider well-controlled clinical studies describing scientific mechanisms, efficacy, and safety of dietary interventions in the context of disease prevention or health benefits.
Encourage public health and epidemiologic studies relevant to human nutrition.
Promote innovative investigations of nutritional questions employing epigenetic, genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic approaches.
Include solicited editorials, book reviews, solicited or unsolicited review articles, invited controversy position papers, and letters to the Editor related to prior AJCN articles.
Peer Review Process:
All submitted material with scientific content undergoes peer review by the Editors or their designees before acceptance for publication.