A study from researchers at Loma Linda University in California suggests that eating eggs — fairly frequently — could be linked to lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease among older adults.
The findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, indicated a 27 percent decreased risk of Alzheimer’s among study participants who ate at least five eggs per week, but even participants who ate fewer eggs were said to have a reduced risk, including those who only ate eggs between one and three times per month, according to the study.
“Overall, any egg intake was associated with a 17 percent to 27 percent reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease relative to no intake,” reads a portion of the published results.
The findings were based on an analysis of a large nationwide study comprised of Seventh Day Adventists at Loma Linda University who enrolled in 2007. Only information from those over the age of 65 at enrollment was considered in the latest published study.
Previous studies have found similar links between egg consumption and Alzheimer’s risk. A 2024 study out of University of California San Diego had determined that egg consumption among middle-aged participants was associated with “better cognitive performance” in later life. And a 2025 study from researchers at Tufts in Massachusetts and the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago found that participants who ate more than one egg per week could see as much as a 47 percent decline in Alzheimer’s risk.
In all of the studies, it was the nutritional components of the eggs, and especially choline, that was found to help preserve cognitive function. Other nutrients, such as lutein, tryptophan and an omega-3 fat known as docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, were said to play a role.
“These nutrients may act synergistically to support cognitive resilience and mitigate neurodegenerative processes,” the researchers of the Loma Linda study wrote. “Notably, deficiencies in choline and DHA have been documented in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.”
The study’s authors, however, acknowledged that “some” of the funding for the research was provided by the American Egg Board, though it had “no role” in the execution or publication of the study. They also acknowledged a few of the study’s limitations — including participants who may have underreported any cognitive symptoms, or those who may have changed their diet in later years — and said further research is needed.
“Further research is warranted to explore this relationship in more diverse populations, evaluate whether long-term egg consumption earlier in life influences later risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and to investigate the role of specific egg-derived nutrients in relation to that risk,” the study states.