According to Dr Lim, General Practitioner and member of the Egg Nutrition Advisory Group (ENAG), “This review provides strong evidence for GPs to be confident in recommending egg consumption as part of a healthy and balanced diet to their patients, without having to worry about the impact on their cholesterol levels.”

“Saturated fat is the major culprit in raising a patient’s levels of serum cholesterol, not the dietary cholesterol found in eggs. In fact, eggs play a vital role in the diet of my older patients because of their nutrient density, soft texture and convenience.”

In 2004, 63 per cent of GPs commonly believed that egg consumption led to a moderate or significant increase in serum cholesterol levels1. However, a significant number of published studies have challenged this view resulting in a need to raise awareness about the true effect of eggs on serum cholesterol. Following ongoing work by the Egg Nutrition Advisory Group and the announcement by the National Heart Foundation of Australia that eggs were eligible to carry the Tick, only 41 per cent of GPs still hold this opinion.

“The increased awareness that eggs have a limited impact on cholesterol is extremely encouraging, however there is still more work to be done in communicating the evidence supporting the role of eggs in a healthy diet to healthcare professionals.

“GPs are increasingly striving to treat their patients holistically which means going beyond prescribing medication and offering advice on other areas like diet and exercise. Eggs are a natural source of at least 10 different vitamins and minerals making them a nutrient rich food and GPs can be reassured about discussing the benefits of them with their patients,” Dr Lim concluded.

Regular consumption of eggs also contributes positive overall health benefits such as improving the results obtained when people follow a weight loss diet and reducing the risk of macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness in Australia.