Key Takeaways: 

  • New Studies Show Eggs May Support Brain Health Over Time 
    Long-term studies suggest a link between regular egg consumption and better cognitive function in older adults, with benefits seen in both men and women—and those who consumed eggs starting in middle age. 
  • Nutrients in Eggs Are Key for Healthy Aging 
    Eggs contribute choline, lutein + zeaxanthin, and high-quality protein—all of which are important for healthy aging, especially when included as part of a lifelong healthy diet. 
  • Choline Intake Still Falls Short for Most Americans 
    Despite its importance for brain health, many Americans don’t get enough choline. Just two eggs at breakfast can provide  50-70% of daily needs, making eggs an easy and effective way to boost choline intake. 

Alzheimer’s disease impacts an estimated 6.9 million Americans, with cognitive impairment affecting millions more [1, 2]. Identification of lifestyle factors that can be modified to help maintain cognitive function during aging is of high interest for public health [3].  

Eggs have multiple dietary components that have been linked to brain health, such as lutein + zeaxanthin (carotenoids found in the yolk) and choline [4], and ongoing research is evaluating the potential benefits of eggs as part of a healthy diet during aging. 

There are only a few studies that have evaluated egg consumption over time and the relationship to cognitive function, with mixed findings, although these studies were relatively short in duration [3, 5, 6]. A recent analysis of data from the Rancho Bernardo Cohort, which followed community-dwelling men and women aged 60+ for more than 16 years, found a relationship between consumption of eggs and better performance on select measures of cognitive function in men [3]. A separate analysis evaluating data from this cohort found that in women, those who consumed more eggs per week had less decline in performance on select cognitive tests over a 4-year follow-up period [7]. 

Interestingly, when analyses were limited to participants younger than 60 years of age at enrollment, eating more eggs was related to better performance on most cognitive tests 16 years later. These data suggest that egg consumption in middle age may also be related to better cognitive performance later in life [3], which supports benefits of lifelong healthy eating. 

Recent data from the Rush Memory and Aging Cohort builds on these data, which for the first time, found a relationship between egg consumption and lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia [8]. This relationship was driven by dietary choline, a nutrient that most Americans don’t get enough of, but is known to be important for brain health [9, 10]. 

Overall, while these new data do not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between egg consumption and measures of cognition, the findings strongly support that the nutrients in eggs can have a significant impact on the maintenance of brain health. Eggs have high quality protein, which aging adults need to consume more of [11], and provide a variety of nutrients to the diet, including choline, vitamin B12, lutein + zeaxanthin (carotenoids found in the yolk), and vitamin D that can help maintain health. Eating two eggs at breakfast provides a strong start to your day with 12 grams of high-quality protein and 50-70% of your daily choline requirement. 

For recipe inspiration, check out these recipes that fit into a healthy diet. 

  1. Rajan, K.B., et al., Population estimate of people with clinical Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment in the United States (2020-2060). Alzheimers Dement, 2021. 17(12): p. 1966-1975.
  2. 2024 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement, 2024. 20(5): p. 3708-3821.
  3. Kritz-Silverstein, D. and R. Bettencourt, The Longitudinal Association of Egg Consumption with Cognitive Function in Older Men and Women: The Rancho Bernardo Study. Nutrients, 2023. 16(1).
  4. Wallace, T.C., A Comprehensive Review of Eggs, Choline, and Lutein on Cognition Across the Life-span. J Am Coll Nutr, 2018. 37(4): p. 269-285.
  5. Ylilauri, M.P., et al., Association of dietary cholesterol and egg intakes with the risk of incident dementia or Alzheimer disease: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. Am J Clin Nutr, 2017. 105(2): p. 476-484.
  6. Bishop, N.J. and K.E. Zuniga, Egg Consumption, Multi-Domain Cognitive Performance, and Short-Term Cognitive Change in a Representative Sample of Older U.S. Adults. J Am Coll Nutr, 2019: p. 1-10.
  7. Kritz-Silverstein, D. and R. Bettencourt, Egg Consumption and 4-Year Change in Cognitive Function in Older Men and Women: The Rancho Bernardo Study. Nutrients, 2024. 16(16): p. 2765.
  8. Pan, Y., et al., Association of Egg Intake With Alzheimer’s Dementia Risk in Older Adults: The Rush Memory and Aging Project. The Journal of Nutrition, 2024.
  9. Wallace, T.C. and V.L. Fulgoni, Usual Choline Intakes Are Associated with Egg and Protein Food Consumption in the United States. Nutrients, 2017. 9(8).
  10. Wallace, T.C., et al., Choline: The Underconsumed and Underappreciated Essential Nutrient. Nutr Today, 2018. 53(6): p. 240-253.
  11. Phillips, S.M., S. Chevalier, and H.J. Leidy, Protein “requirements” beyond the RDA: implications for optimizing health. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2016. 41(5): p. 565-72.