Eating Eggs linked to Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s Dementia

Eggs may do more than just get breakfast on the table. A new study in older adults found that eating eggs more often was linked with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia.

Eggs, Alzheimer’s dementia, choline and brain health were the big ideas here. The results do not prove that eggs stop dementia, but they do add another small point for a balanced diet.

In older adults, eating more than one egg a week was linked with about half the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia compared with eating eggs less often. Choline, a nutrient that helps build brain cells, seemed to explain part of that link.

Researchers followed people in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a long-running study of aging and memory. They wanted to see whether egg intake at the start was linked with later Alzheimer’s dementia and brain changes found after death.

The team used a food frequency questionnaire to estimate egg intake. Then they tracked dementia diagnoses over time and looked at brain autopsy data from a smaller group.

The study included 1,024 older adults with a mean age of about 81 years. Over an average follow-up of 6.7 years, 280 people were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia.

The autopsy analysis included 578 deceased participants. That let the researchers compare egg intake with AD pathology in the brain, not just with the diagnosis on paper.

People who ate more than one egg per week had a 47% lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia than those who ate eggs less often. Those eating two or more eggs per week had a similar risk reduction.

More frequent egg intake was linked with lower Alzheimer’s dementia risk and less AD pathology in the brain.

Among people who later had brain autopsies, higher egg intake was also linked with less AD pathology. The pattern was similar for both more than one egg per week and at least two eggs per week.

Eggs are one of the best food sources of choline. Choline helps with cell membranes and may support memory and brain signaling.

The study found that 39% of the benefit seen with egg intake may run through choline. So choline may help explain part of the link, but not all of it. Eggs, as it turns out, are doing a little more than just showing up.

• Include eggs as part of a balanced breakfast or lunch if you enjoy them.
• Pair eggs with vegetables, whole grains or fruit for more fiber and nutrients.
• Remember that eggs are one piece of your diet, not a magic fix.
• If you have high cholesterol or other health concerns, ask your clinician what fits you best.

This study suggests that eating eggs more often may be linked with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia in older adults. It is not proof that eggs protect the brain, but it does support the idea that nutrient-rich foods can matter over time.