Eggs may be one of the most versatile foods we have in modern society. Eggs can literally be cooked in a dozen different ways and added to more recipes than that.
Every morning I like to start my day with a few eggs, so naturally, I wondered if eating them every day was ok and safe to do so.
Can you eat eggs every day on keto? Eating eggs every day on keto is perfectly acceptable. A 2018 study published in the journal Heart suggests that eating eggs may even have a protective effect. 1
In this article, I’ll cover why you may or may not want to eat eggs every day, how many eggs to eat, the benefits of eating eggs, the best eggs to eat, and much more.
Can You Eat Eggs Every Day?
Eggs have gotten a bad rap in the past, way overblown if you consider the latest research. If there’s any food with a confusing health message, eggs may top that list.
Eggs do indeed have a high level of dietary cholesterol relative to other foods. Still, science now shows that it isn’t cholesterol in the foods we eat that necessarily raises our cholesterol. 2
When you eat cholesterol-rich foods, your liver produces less cholesterol to maintain a certain level and prevent levels from getting too high. 3 4
If you eat more cholesterol, your liver produces less. If you reduce your intake of cholesterol, your liver produces more. 5
On the extreme end, there was a case study of an 88-year-old man who consumed 25 eggs per day. This man was not only in perfect health, but his cholesterol levels were completely normal. 6
Don’t mistake this as a suggestion to eat 25 eggs per day, but you get my point.
Also, in a 2018 study, a moderate level of egg consumption every day was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Those who ate eggs every day had a 28% lower risk of stroke death and an 18% lower risk of death from heart disease compared to those who didn’t. 7
So can you eat eggs every day on keto? The science would suggest that there’s no negative consequence in doing so, quite the opposite in fact,How Many Eggs Can You Eat A Day On Keto?
How many eggs you can eat a day on keto comes down to a variety of factors. You may have heard of people doing “egg fasts,” but we’re referring to a typical every day ketogenic diet filled with a variety of foods.
Some of those factors include:
- The rest of your diet
- Your total daily calories and macros
- How much you love eggs
- The type of eggs you have access to
If eating a certain amount of eggs fits into your overall diet and macros for the day, there’s no reason why you couldn’t make however many eggs you want fit into your numbers.
However, for the sake of variety and introducing other sources of food that have different vitamins and minerals, it’s probably best to have a diet that consists of only eggs. When it comes to science, though, it’s clear that at least up to 3 whole eggs per day are perfectly safe for healthy individuals.
It may also be important to note that not all eggs are created equal, the healthiest eggs come from hens that are pasture-raised, 8
Pasture-raised eggs are much high in omega-3’s, and fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D. Eating omega-3 enriched eggs can lower blood triglycerides, an important risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. 910
Why Are Eggs Good For You? The Benefits Of Eggs
Eggs are not only delicious, but they are incredibly nutrient-dense. On top of that, there are a million things you can do with them (scrambled, poached, hard-boiled, etc.).
Incredibly nutritious
There are a lot of reasons to include eggs in your diet. Eggs are rich in vitamin D and E, lutein, selenium, folate, and choline, which play essential roles in your body.
Eggs contain a little bit of almost every nutrient that you need for optimal health.
Raise HDL “good” cholesterol
People who have higher levels of HDL are believed to have a lower risk of health problems, including heart disease and stroke. 1112
In one study, eating two eggs per day over six weeks increased people’s good cholesterol by 10%. 13 14
Contains choline
Gram for gram, eggs have the highest amount of choline, an essential nutrient vital in many processes in your body. 15
Processes include:
- DNA synthesis
- Maintain a healthy nervous system
- Fat transport and metabolism 1617
- Cell structure and messaging 18
While your body makes some choline, you must get choline from the diet to avoid a deficiency.
Many people are not meeting the recommended intake of choline, which ranges from 425mg per day for adult women and 550mg per day for adult men. One large egg contains 113mg of choline19
Choline is also used to make a neurotransmitter essential for learning and memory. It’s also involved in the methylation cycle, which affects your mood and energy.
Linked to a reduced risk of heart disease
LDL is generally known as the “bad” type of cholesterol, but not LDL cholesterol is bad.
There are two types of LDL particles,
- Small (Dense)
- Large (Fluffy)
Studies show that egg consumption may change the pattern of LDL particles from small (bad) to Large LDL, which is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. 20
Contributes to eye health
Egg yolks contain large amounts of zeaxanthin and lutein, powerful antioxidants that accumulate in the retina of the eye 21
In one study, eating 1.3 egg yolks per day over just under five weeks increased blood levels of zeaxanthin by up to 142% and lutein by up to 50%. 22
Studies show that adequate amounts of these two nutrients can significantly reduce the risk of eye disorders like cataracts and macular degeneration 23= 24
Lower triglycerides
Consuming omega-3 enriched eggs from pasture-raised or omega-3 fed hens is an effective way to lower blood triglycerides. According to one study, eating five omega-3 enriched eggs per week over three weeks reduced triglycerides by up to 18%. 25 26
High-quality protein
Eggs contain all the essential amino acids in the right ratios. Just one large egg contains six grams of high-quality protein.
Eating enough protein helps with:
- Weight los 27
- Increased muscle mass 28
- Optimized bone healt 29
Among many other benefits.
Help promote satiety
Eggs are highly satiating, which is an important factor to consider when you’re trying to lose weight. After all, you can’t sustain a diet if you’re always starving.
Eggs score high on the satiety index, a measurement of how different foods promote feelings of fullness and loss of appetite. 30
What Are The Best Eggs To Eat On Keto?
As I briefly mentioned above, not all eggs are created equal.
When it comes to choosing eggs, if you have the access and means to do so, pasture-raised eggs should be your first choice.Pasture-raised eggs mean that the chickens are allowed to roam free and forage on their natural diet of insects and vegetation.
Pasture-raised eggs are higher in vitamin A, E, and omega-3’s and lower in both cholesterol and saturated fat when compared to conventional eggs.
Hens that were allowed to roam out in the sun produced eggs with up to 4x the amount of vitamin D than eggs that were raised indoors 31
Your next best option to pasture-raised eggs are omega-3 enriched eggs. If omega-3 eggs are not an option either, free-range, cage-free, and organic are also ok.
Even if all of the above choices aren’t feasible, conventional eggs are still among the healthiest and most nutritious foods you can include on your ketogenic diet.
Is The Keto Egg Fast Diet Safe?
I want to briefly touch base on the subject of the keto egg fast since we’re on the topic of eggs.
Most people who choose to do an egg fast do so with the intention of weight loss, which is perfectly fine.
Just realize that there is no inherent benefit or magic to consuming nothing but eggs. If you do lose weight, then chances are you simply ate fewer calories overall.
There is also the potential for you to have reduced water weight and inflammation due to eliminating any food intolerances you may have had.
Limiting food choices acts as a great weight loss tool since research has shown that greater dietary variety increases food consumption. 32 Therefore, limiting your food selection to just eggs decreases the chances of you overeating.
While there is nothing wrong with an egg fast, and one can attempt it safely, what are you going to do after it’s over?
The best way to achieve weight loss is by doing so in a sustainable matter, and I don’t think you want to live on just eggs for the rest of your life.Just some food for thought.
The Takeaway
It’s perfectly acceptable and research shows, even healthy, to eat a few eggs every day.
If eating eggs every day on keto fits your diet and preferences, eat those eggs.
However, if eggs are a staple in your diet, it may benefit you to spend a little extra for pasture-raised or omega-3 enriched eggs as they offer a higher degree of nutrition.