Egg intake and Alzheimer's dementia risk in older adults
What it found
In 1,024 older adults followed for about 6.7 years, eating more than 1 egg a week was linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's dementia.
The link was partly explained by choline in the diet.
What they found
Studies in people
Dementia risk over time
People who ate more than 1 egg a week or at least 2 eggs a week had a lower risk of Alzheimer's dementia than those who ate less. The risk was about half as high in these groups.
Brain changes at autopsy
Among 578 deceased participants, eating more than 1 egg a week or at least 2 eggs a week was linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease pathology in the brain.
Role of choline
About 39% of the link between egg intake and Alzheimer's dementia was explained by dietary choline.
What the authors conclude
“These findings suggest that frequent egg consumption is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's dementia and AD pathology, and the association with Alzheimer's dementia is partially mediated through dietary choline.”
Also in their conclusions
- They suggest that frequent egg consumption is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's dementia and AD pathology.
- They note that the association with Alzheimer's dementia is partially mediated through dietary choline.
How it was done
Eggs contain nutrients important for brain health, including choline, omega-3 fatty acids and lutein. Some studies suggest frequent egg eating may improve verbal test scores, but whether it affects Alzheimer's dementia risk was unknown.
They followed 1,024 older adults with an average age of 81.38 years for an average of 6.7 years. Egg intake was measured once at the start using a food questionnaire, and 280 people were diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia during follow-up. Brain autopsies were available for 578 participants who died.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was an observational study, so it can show a link but not that eating eggs directly causes a lower risk of Alzheimer's dementia.
- Egg intake was measured only once at the start, so later changes in diet were not captured.
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 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error