Eggs are often recommended by gut health doctors because they are affordable and packed full of gut-friendly nutrients like vitamins A and D, omega-3 fatty acids, and the amino acid methionine.
If you were privy to the research surrounding the choline content in eggs and the idea that it increases the production of trimethylamine-n-oxide, or TMAO, in your gut microbiome (which in turn puts you at risk for heart attacks or strokes), medical experts have since debunked this theory. As explained by family physician and functional medicine specialist Dr. Mark Hyman, the study done in 2017 was very small (18 subjects) and only linked supplementary choline with an increase in TMAO. A subsequent study done in 2021 and published in the American Journal of Medicine found that it was supplemental choline and not dietary choline found in eggs that caused such a spike. Choline is an important nutrient for brain and cell health, and the choline found in eggs is very different from pharmaceutically produced supplemental choline, according to Dr. Hyman. “Having a few eggs every day is no problem,” shared the physician, even for those with cholesterol concerns.
What, then, does this mean for gut health? Can everyone eat the safely recommended 1-2 eggs a day?