The Heart Foundation has doubled its recommended limit on eggs for people at increased risk of heart disease.
An independent scientific report titled "Eggs and the Heart", commissioned by the foundation last year, raised the advised number of eggs from three to six.
Research has suggested egg cholesterol might be less damaging than previously believed. Photo: 123rf
The Heart Foundation began recommending three eggs per week 17 years ago, however a new report has doubled the number to six.
Its original position paper on eggs was published in 1999, but recent evidence suggested the previous restriction was not necessary.
Heart Foundation national nutrition advisor Angela Berrill said most organisations around the world had relaxed their advice on eggs.
"This is based on an amount of research that's come out that essentially shows that perhaps the levels of cholesterol that's dietary cholesterol - so that's the cholesterol that's found in eggs - are not impacting on our blood cholesterol as much as perhaps we thought they might have been in the past."
Ms Berrill said, for the general healthy population, eggs could be included as part of a heart-healthy eating pattern.
"There are more important changes people should be focusing on, such as increasing vegetable intake, eating more whole and less processed foods and reducing saturated fat intake, rather than restricting egg intake."
However, Ms Berrill said care should still be taken with the company eggs keep.
"It is important to pay special attention to the foods you eat alongside your eggs. Many people like to pair their eggs with refined white bread, butter, salt, or processed meats like bacon or sausages, which are not so good for our hearts," she said.
