Allergies

A low-allergen diet, also known as an elimination diet, is often recommended to people with suspected food allergies in order to find out if avoiding common allergen foods gives relief from symptoms. This diet eliminates foods and food additives considered to be common allergens, including eggs. Several popular books offer guidance to people who want to attempt this type of diet.

Atherosclerosis

Independent of their action on serum cholesterol, foods that contain high amounts of cholesterol—in the case of eggs, mostly egg yolks—can increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Therefore, it makes sense to reduce the intake of egg yolks. However, eating eggs does not increase serum cholesterol as much as eating saturated fat, and eggs may not increase serum cholesterol at all if the overall diet is low in fat. A decrease in atherosclerosis resulting from a pure vegan diet (no meat, poultry, dairy, or eggs), combined with exercise and stress reduction, has been proven in medical research.

Diabetes

Vegetarians have been reported to have a low risk of type 2 diabetes. When people with diabetic nerve damage switch to a vegan diet (no meat, dairy, or eggs), improvements have been reported after several days. In one trial, pain completely disappeared in 17 of 21 people.

Gallstones

Cholesterol is the primary ingredient in most gallstones. Some, but not all, research links dietary cholesterol to the risk of gallstones. Some doctors suggest avoiding eggs, either because of their high cholesterol content or because eggs may be allergenic.

Gallbladder attacks (though not the stones themselves) have been reported to result from food allergies. The one study to examine this relationship found that all of the subjects with gallbladder problems showed relief from gallbladder pain when allergy-provoking foods were identified and eliminated from the diet. Eggs were reported to be one of the most common triggers. Pain returned when eggs and other problem foods were reintroduced into the diet. Doctors can help diagnose food allergies.

Heart attack

Eating eggs may increase heart attack risk. People who consume eggs have been reported to be more likely to die from all types of heart disease, including heart attack, in some, although not all research. Cooking or exposure to air oxidizes the cholesterol in eggs. Eating eggs increases oxidation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which may in turn contribute to heart attack risk.

High cholesterol

Most dietary cholesterol comes from egg yolks. Eating eggs has increased serum cholesterol in most studies. However, eating eggs does not increase serum cholesterol as much as eating foods high in saturated fat, and eating eggs may not increase serum cholesterol at all if the overall diet is low in fat. Egg consumption does not appear to be totally safe, however, even for people consuming a low-fat diet. When cholesterol from eggs is cooked or exposed to air, it oxidizes. Oxidized cholesterol is linked to increased risk of heart disease. Eating eggs also makes LDL cholesterol more susceptible to damage, a change linked to heart disease.

High homocysteine

Since homocysteine is produced from methionine, intake of large amounts of methionine would presumably increase homocysteine levels. Indeed, ingestion of supplemental methionine is used experimentally as a way to increase homocysteine levels. Foods high in methionine that have also been linked with an increased risk of heart disease include meat and eggs. The extent to which consumption of these methionine-containing foods affects the risk of heart disease is unknown.

Hives

Allergy to foods and food additives is a common cause of hives, especially in chronic cases. Eggs are among the foods reported to trigger hives most often.

Pancreatic insufficiency

A few preliminary reports suggest that food allergy may cause some cases of acute pancreatitis. Food allergies identified in these cases included fish eggs. No research has investigated the possible role of food allergy in other causes of pancreatic insufficiency.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

A PKU diet is low in protein, providing no more than the minimum amount of phenylalanine needed by the body. All high-protein foods, including eggs, are usually eliminated.

Rickets

Eggs yolks are among the few foods that contain vitamin D. Rickets is a manifestation of vitamin D deficiency.

Seborrheic dermatitis (cradle cap)

A preliminary report suggested that an allergy elimination diet for an infant may be useful in the treatment of cradle cap. Eggs are among the most common food allergens to eliminate. More research is needed to confirm the value of this approach in the treatment of cradle cap.