By the way, doctor: Diabetes and eggs

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

By the way, doctor: Diabetes and eggs

By the way, doctor

Diabetes and eggs

Q. My husband has type 2 diabetes and has started eating two eggs about three times a week. He’s looking to fill up on low-carb foods he likes. But I’ve read that eggs may not be a good idea for people with diabetes. Should he cut back?

A. People with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to any adverse effect from total or “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, and eggs do have a slight tendency to raise them both. A study from Harvard found an increased risk of heart disease among people with diabetes who ate one or more eggs a day. Still, cholesterol-rich foods like eggs (with the yolks) raise cholesterol levels far less than saturated fats in meat and full-fat dairy products. Is someone with diabetes, who has low levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, at risk from eating six eggs a week? I know of no good information on that. To be safe, I would suggest that your husband cut back to three eggs a week. He might also see whether he likes the products made with just egg whites; without the yolk, eggs don’t have any cholesterol.

— Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter

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Last updated:	August 21, 2006

Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

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