The Study
Moderate egg consumption has
been associated with improved cognitive function in the research literature.
This may be due to the high content of phosphatidylcholine in eggs. This study
examined the association between phosphatidylcholine and risk of dementia in 2,497
middle-aged men from Finland. After 21 years of follow-up, men who consumed the
most phosphatidylcholine had a 28% lower risk of dementia when compared to men
who consumed the least. Even more impressive was that in a subset of the study,
men who consumed the most phosphatidylcholine performed significantly better in
tests of memory and verbal fluency. American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2019;110:1416-1423.
Take Home Message
This is a very interesting study. For years, eggs were vilified
because of their high cholesterol content. While you don’t want to go overboard
with eggs, I tell my clients that up to 6 yolks a week are fine. Eggs yolks
contain a lot of healthy nutrients. This study adds to that list of healthy
nutrients. Just one note- if you have diabetes, it is a good idea to limit egg
yolk consumption. Some research has shown an increased risk of heart disease in
diabetics who consumed a lot of egg yolks.
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