While there\u2019s no known cure for Alzheimer\u2019s disease, scientists are slowly chipping away at things you can do to lower your chance of developing the devastating illness. Now, the latest research suggests that regular egg consumption might be linked to a lower risk profile.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the take-home message from new research published in The Journal of Nutrition<\/a>. The study found that regular egg-eaters had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer\u2019s disease compared to those who didn\u2019t regularly eat eggs. That\u2019s great news, considering eggs are a supermarket staple that can cost as little as \u00a33 per dozen.<\/p>\n While the findings don\u2019t suggest that eating eggs alone will magically obliterate the odds you\u2019ll develop Alzheimer\u2019s disease, it does add some interesting context to the existing research about diet and Alzheimer\u2019s risk (this isn\u2019t the first time eggs have been linked to Alzheimer\u2019s risk). It\u2019s also important to flag that the study was supported by a grant from the American Egg Board, although the organisation didn\u2019t have a role in the study design, analysis, or interpretation of the findings.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what the experts say about the latest data.<\/p>\n What did the study find?<\/p>\n For the observational study, researchers analysed health data from nearly 40,000 participants in the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort, a long-term study in the U.S. and Canada that examines lifestyle, diet, and diseases.<\/p>\n During the nearly 15-year study period, 2,858 of the participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease. After analysing the data, researchers found that people who ate eggs one to three times a month had a 17 per cent lower risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease compared to those who didn\u2019t eat eggs. Interestingly, the risk dropped even further among those who ate eggs two to four times a week \u2013 by 20 per cent. Those who reported eating the most eggs (more than five times a week) had up to a 27 per cent lower risk.<\/p>\n Why might eggs lower your risk of Alzheimer\u2019s disease?<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that the study didn\u2019t prove that eating eggs lowered the risk of Alzheimer\u2019s disease \u2013 it just found an association between egg-eaters and a lower risk.<\/p>\n \u2018The main takeaway is that moderate egg consumption as part of a healthy diet may support brain health and be associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer\u2019s disease,\u2019 says Jisoo Oh<\/a>, lead study author and associate professor of epidemiology at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s worth pointing out that this isn\u2019t the first study to link egg consumption with a lower risk of Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Another study published in the same journal in 2024<\/a> analysed data from more than 1,000 older adults and found that those who had more than an egg a week were associated with a 47 per cent lower risk of developing Alzheimer\u2019s disease. People who ate two or more eggs a week saw similar risk reductions. In the 2024 study, two of the authors previously received research support from the Egg Nutrition Center. However, none of the funding sources \u2013 including the National Institutes of Health \u2013 played a role in how the data were analysed or interpreted.<\/p>\n Experts hypothesise that the findings may be related to the nutritional content of eggs. \u2018Moderate egg consumption may lower the risk of Alzheimer\u2019s disease because eggs contain nutrients important for brain health, including choline, omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin B12,\u2019 Dr Oh says. \u2018These nutrients support memory, neurotransmitter function, and protection against oxidative stress and inflammation.\u2019<\/p>\n Eggs are also an \u2018excellent\u2019 source of protein<\/a>, points out Clifford Segil, DO<\/a>, a neurologist at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Prior research<\/a> suggests<\/a> that getting plenty of protein may help protect the brain from Alzheimer\u2019s disease, but this remains an ongoing area of study.<\/p>\n Dr Segil also says that choline found in eggs may help beyond supporting memory and inflammation, noting that some medications that increase acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter that\u2019s supported by choline) are used to treat Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the findings suggest that \u2018small, consistent improvements in diet quality can meaningfully shift dementia risk,\u2019 says Davide Cappon, PhD<\/a>, director of Neuropsychology at Tufts Medical Center.<\/p>\n How many eggs do you need to eat?<\/p>\n Since the study only observed an association between eggs and Alzheimer\u2019s risk, there\u2019s no exact, prescriptive amount of eggs that will reduce your risk. Instead, the study found that people who ate one to three eggs a month had a 17 per cent lower risk; those who ate eggs two to four times a week had a 20 per cent lower risk; and those who ate eggs more than five times a week had up to a 27 per cent lower risk.<\/p>\n What else should you do to lower your risk of Alzheimer\u2019s?<\/p>\n