Nearly half (45 percent) of the UK public believe they should eat a maximum of three eggs a week, but a study has concluded that cholesterol in eggs has only a small and clinically insignificant effect on blood cholesterol.
The British Heart Foundation responded to the report by dispensing with its recommendation of limiting eggs to three or four a week, and the Food Standards Agency advises that most people do not need to restrict their egg intake with a balanced diet.
The research paper was written by nutritionist Dr. Juliet Gray and Professor Bruce Griffin from the University of Surrey. They found that, while elevated blood cholesterol levels do increase the risk of heart disease, only a third of cholesterol in the body comes from the diet.
Other factors such as smoking, being overweight and a lack of physical activity can influence blood fat and cholesterol levels and heart disease risk.
The paper emphasises that it is saturated fat, not the cholesterol found in foods like eggs, which is the main dietary culprit in raising cholesterol.
Professor Griffin said: "The ingrained misconception linking egg consumption to high blood cholesterol and heart disease must be corrected.
