The debate over whether eating eggs leads to high cholesterol and increases heart disease risk has been ongoing for decades.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), for example, one large egg contains up to 186 milligrams of dietary cholesterol.

The now-outdated daily recommended limit was 300 milligrams, which fueled concerns. Now, however, according to current dietary guidelines, this daily intake is recommended to be kept “as low as possible” without compromising on nutritional needs.

However, a recent study showed that people still believe in outdated misconceptions about eggs, preventing them from including them in their daily diets. The study highlighted that eggs do not have a major impact on overall cholesterol levels.

Experts, including Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Dietitian Insights, have noted that eggs are a great source of protein and various micronutrients.

“Eggs are a good source of lean protein and many essential micronutrients, including folate, vitamin A, B2 (riboflavin), B5, B12, phosphorus, and selenium,” Costa told Medical News Today.

She also underscored that how eggs are produced and cooked can affect the potential benefits or harm related to eating them.

When did the guidelines change?

Limiting eggs and monitoring cholesterol consumption was first promoted in 1968 by the AHA.

The whole discussion received renewed attention in 2015 when the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) removed the daily limit on egg consumption over cholesterol concerns.

“At the time, it was thought that dietary cholesterol (i.e. the cholesterol found in eggs) could raise levels of plasma cholesterol. This amount of dietary cholesterol that could be consumed per day was further reduced later on for those at high risk of heart disease. It was not until 2015 — and after a lot of research had been done — that these guidelines were abandoned,” Donna Kritz-Silverstein, PhD, said.

Any further reading?

Speaking of cholesterol, another recent study found that there can be too much of a good thing. This study, which was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, indicated that older adults over the age of 55 may have a heightened risk of developing glaucoma if they had high levels of HDL cholesterol.

The findings were divisive with one expert, Yu-Ming Ni, MD, he would have expected higher “good” cholesterol (HDL-C) to be associated with lower rates of glaucoma, and higher “bad” cholesterol (LDL-C) associated with higher rates of glaucoma.

And if you are curious about why doctors refer to “good” and “bad” cholesterol, read this.

Although GLP-1 medications have become synonymous with weight loss, despite their main objective to treat type 2 diabetes, research into the benefits and harms of this class of drugs is growing each day.

The latest addition to the evidence is a review of its effects on eye health, with a few cases leading to potentially blinding eye conditions.

Is this something I should be worried about?

As part of this review, researchers discovered that nine people taking semaglutide and tirzepatide, which is the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro, experienced vision problems, including an eye condition called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and two other potentially blinding eye conditions.

Study author Bradley Katz, MD, PhD told us that:

“Between 2-3% of the U.S. population received a prescription for one of these medications in 2023. Because so many people are using these medications, it’s critical to monitor any ill effects on the eye or other parts of the body.”

The researchers have hypothesized that rapid changes in blood sugar levels might contribute to these complications, although the exact reason is still unclear.

Any further reading?

On a more positive note, new research also recently found a link between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms and GLP-1 medications.

The study found people with type 2 diabetes who are receiving treatment with GLP-1 and SGLT-2 medications have a lower risk of having COPD symptom flare-ups compared to those taking DPP-4 drugs.

The ketogenic diet, characterized by low carbohydrates and high fat consumption, has become increasingly popular over the last decade or so. As a result, ketone drinks or supplements have boomed.