Eggs back on the menu: They're not heart attackers, in fact they can help you diet, say experts



Eating eggs does not lead to high blood cholesterol, scientists said today

It's perfectly safe to go to work on an egg, experts declared last night after a study exploded the enduring myth that they can cause heart attacks.



In fact, two eggs a day as part of a balanced diet can even help you lose weight, they found.



The British Heart Foundation used to recommend that people should limit their egg consumption to no more than three a week because they contain cholesterol, known to raise the risk of heart attack.



It dropped this guidance in 2005 after studies showed very little of the cholesterol in eggs makes its way to the blood.



But a poll carried out by the British Egg Information Service found that 45 per cent of people did not know the three-a-week guidance had been junked and still believed they should stick to these limits.



Now, in a paper written for the British Nutrition Foundation, experts set out the definitive evidence showing there is no link between egg consumption and an increased risk of heart disease.



Dr Juliet Gray, a public health nutritionist funded by the egg industry, and Bruce Griffin, professor of nutritional metabolism from the University of Surrey, found that factors such as smoking, being overweight and a lack of physical activity can influence blood fat and cholesterol levels and heart disease risk.



The only people advised against eating too many eggs are those with a condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia.



Victoria Taylor, senior dietician-at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'We recommend that eggs can be eaten as part of a balanced diet.



'There is cholesterol present in eggs but this does not usually make a great contribution to your level of blood cholesterol.



'If you need to reduce your cholesterol level it is more important that you cut down on the amount of saturated fat from foods like fatty meat, full fat dairy products and cakes, biscuits and pastries.'





