This high-protein food was linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, study finds

While there’s no known cure for Alzheimer’s 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.

That’s the take-home message from new research published in The Journal of Nutrition. The study found that regular egg-eaters had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who didn’t regularly eat eggs. That’s great news, considering eggs are a supermarket staple that can cost as little as £3 per dozen.

While the findings don’t suggest that eating eggs alone will magically obliterate the odds you’ll develop Alzheimer’s disease, it does add some interesting context to the existing research about diet and Alzheimer’s risk (this isn’t the first time eggs have been linked to Alzheimer’s risk). It’s also important to flag that the study was supported by a grant from the American Egg Board, although the organisation didn’t have a role in the study design, analysis, or interpretation of the findings.

Here’s what the experts say about the latest data.

What did the study find?

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.

During the nearly 15-year study period, 2,858 of the participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 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’s disease compared to those who didn’t eat eggs. Interestingly, the risk dropped even further among those who ate eggs two to four times a week – 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.

Why might eggs lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease?

It’s important to note that the study didn’t prove that eating eggs lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s disease – it just found an association between egg-eaters and a lower risk.

‘The 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’s disease,’ says Jisoo Oh, lead study author and associate professor of epidemiology at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health.

And it’s worth pointing out that this isn’t the first study to link egg consumption with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Another study published in the same journal in 2024 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’s 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 – including the National Institutes of Health – played a role in how the data were analysed or interpreted.

Experts hypothesise that the findings may be related to the nutritional content of eggs. ‘Moderate egg consumption may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease because eggs contain nutrients important for brain health, including choline, omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin B12,’ Dr Oh says. ‘These nutrients support memory, neurotransmitter function, and protection against oxidative stress and inflammation.’

Eggs are also an ‘excellent’ source of protein, points out Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Prior research suggests that getting plenty of protein may help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease, but this remains an ongoing area of study.

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’s supported by choline) are used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Ultimately, the findings suggest that ‘small, consistent improvements in diet quality can meaningfully shift dementia risk,’ says Davide Cappon, PhD, director of Neuropsychology at Tufts Medical Center.

How many eggs do you need to eat?

Since the study only observed an association between eggs and Alzheimer’s risk, there’s 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.

What else should you do to lower your risk of Alzheimer’s?

Beyond eggs, if you’re aiming to eat for brain health, Cappon suggests focusing on the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet (both of which include eggs).

Egg consumption should be considered part of a broader Alzheimer’s prevention strategy, rather than a primary intervention, Dr Oh says. ‘Established preventive approaches still include regular exercise, cardiovascular health management, adequate sleep, and overall healthy dietary patterns.’