Egg intake and Alzheimer's dementia risk in older adults
What it found
Older adults who ate more than one egg a week had a lower chance of developing Alzheimer's dementia.
This was seen in 1024 people followed for about seven years.
What they found
Studies in people
Lower dementia risk
People eating more than one egg a week had about half the chance of getting Alzheimer's dementia compared to those eating fewer. Eating two or more eggs a week showed the same link.
Brain changes after death
Among 578 people who died and had brain autopsies, eating more than one egg a week was linked to less Alzheimer's disease damage in the brain.
Role of choline
About 39% of the link between eating eggs and lower dementia risk appeared to work through choline from the diet.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that eating eggs often is linked to a lower chance of Alzheimer's dementia and less brain damage from the disease.
- They note that dietary choline partly explains this link.
How it was done
Eggs contain nutrients like choline, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein that matter for brain health. Scientists did not know if eating eggs changes the chance of getting Alzheimer's dementia.
They tracked 1024 older adults with an average age of 81.38 years. People reported their diets at the start using a food questionnaire. They were followed for an average of 6.7 years to see who developed Alzheimer's dementia.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- Because this study followed people over time rather than assigning diets, it can only show a link, not prove that eggs prevent dementia.
- Other habits or traits of people who eat more eggs might explain the lower risk.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NIA NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- Tufts University, United States; George Washington University, United States; Rush University Medical Center, United States
The paper
- Title
- Association of Egg Intake With Alzheimer's Dementia Risk in Older Adults: The Rush Memory and Aging Project
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Pan Y, Wallace TC, Karosas T, Bennett DA, Agarwal P, Chung M (2024). Association of Egg Intake With Alzheimer's Dementia Risk in Older Adults: The Rush Memory and Aging Project. The Journal of nutrition. doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.05.012Free full textPubMed 38782209DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error