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Your brain on eggs. What does it mean for Alzheimer’s Disease?

            Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) has become a severe burden in the U.S., both financially and emotionally. Six million Americans already suffer from the condition and it is projected to more than double by 2050. It is not only because our population is aging. In my opinion, our diet plays a major role in the development of this debilitating disease. 

            Caveat: this blog addresses only a single nutrient. Many other factors, nutritional, inflammatory, toxicological and social are part of the picture. However, the one discussed here is entirely under our control.

            According to the Framingham Study, a research program that was instituted more than 75 years ago by Harvard Medical School and that carries a stellar reputation in tracking the dietary and lifestyle habits of generations of participants, a low intake of dietary choline is associated with an increased risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s Disease. It is one of many recent studies that have noted that inverse association. Further, it is becoming evident that the current DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) for choline “may not be optimal for proper brain health and cognition”. (Ref.: Velaquez R et al., Choline as a prevention for Alzheimer’s Disease, Aging 2020 Vol. 12, No 3, p. 2026-270).

            In July 2024 the Rush Memory and Aging Project, involving more than 1,000 subjects, reported that a modest intake of two eggs per week was associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, and at autopsy, AD patients with a higher egg intake showed fewer changes in the brain than are typical of that disease.

            Although choline is present in many common foods, especially poultry, fish, red meat, eggs, liver, cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, etc.), nuts and seeds, the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is lacking in almost all of these foods except for red meat. Taking a vitamin supplement won’t help; among several whose labels I examined, none lists choline in the list of ingredients. A solution appears to be the Mediterranean Diet, which includes the best sources of choline and many other nutrients.

            Eggs to the rescue! As noted in recent posts, eggs are among the healthiest foods and contain a generous amount of choline. Cholesterol is a non-issue. Eating two or three eggs every day will not raise your blood cholesterol by a single milligram, unless you eat them with “egg helpers” such as bacon, sausage, ham, hash browns, etc., all of which contain saturated fat, the real cholesterol-drivers. Eggs are excellent sources of protein and vitamins A, B complex, D and E, and several important but lesser-known nutrients.

            The recommendation of the month: Include a veggie omelet in your meal plan at least twice a week. Frozen mixed vegetables make it really easy. Be sure to add a tablespoon of olive oil to the mix. And leave those egg-helpers on the supermarket shelf!