Egg Intake and the Incidence of Alzheimer's Disease in the Adventist Health Study-2 Cohort Linked with Medicare Data - PubMed

Egg Intake and the Incidence of Alzheimer's Disease in the Adventist Health Study-2 Cohort Linked with Medicare Data

Jisoo Oh et al. J Nutr. 2026 Jun.

Abstract

Background: A substantial knowledge gap remains regarding the relationship between modifiable dietary factors and Alzheimer's disease risk. Eggs are a source of key nutrients that support brain health.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between egg consumption and the incidence of Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Adventist Health Study-2, a large, prospective cohort of United States Seventh-day Adventists, linked with Medicare records to identify Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. Diet and lifestyle factors were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Egg consumption was categorized by frequency, ranging from never/rarely to ≥5 times per week. The analytic sample included 39,498 participants (mean follow-up: 15.3 y), among whom 2858 developed Alzheimer's disease. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Restricted cubic spline analysis was conducted using continuous egg intake (g/d).

Results: Egg consumption was inversely associated with Alzheimer's disease risk.

Compared with never/rarely consuming eggs, HRs (95% CIs) after adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, food groups, and comorbidities were 0.83 (0.75, 0.92) for 1-3 times per month, 0.83 (0.74, 0.94) for once per week, 0.80 (0.71, 0.90) for 2-4 times per week, and 0.73 (0.60, 0.89) for ≥5 times per week. In the spline model, zero egg intake was curvilinearly associated with an adjusted HR of 1.22 (1.11, 1.34) compared with 10 g/d.

Conclusions: In this health-conscious population, moderate egg consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. These findings suggest a potential neuroprotective benefit of nutrients found in eggs when consumed as part of a balanced diet.

Keywords: Adventist Health Study-2; Alzheimer’s disease; Medicare; cohort study; egg intake.

Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1

Restricted cubic spline model depicting the association between energy-adjusted egg intake (g/d) and risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Adjusted HRs are estimated with 10 g/d as the reference value; shaded areas represent 95% CI.

CI, confidence interval; HR, hazard ratio.

References

Stefaniak O., Dobrzyńska M., Drzymała-Czyż S., Przysławski J. Diet in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease: current knowledge and future research requirements. Nutrients. 2022;14(21):4564. doi: 10.3390/nu14214564. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Prince M., Albanese E., Guerchet M., Prina M. World Alzheimer Report 2014: Dementia and risk reduction: An analysis of protective and modifiable risk factors. Alzheimer’s Disease International; London: 2014.

Vincent G.K., Velkoff V.A. The next four decades: The older population in the United States: 2010 to 2050 (Current Population Reports, P25-1138) U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration; Washington, DC: 2010.

Wen B., Han X., Gong J., Wang P., Sun W., Xu C., et al. Nutrition: a non-negligible factor in the pathogenesis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's Dement. 2025;21(2) doi: 10.1002/alz.14547.

- DOI - PMC - PubMed

Jurcău M.C., Andronie-Cioara F.L., Jurcău A., Marcu F., Ţiț D.M., Paşcalău N., et al. The link between oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease: therapeutic implications and future perspectives. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022;11(11):2167. doi: 10.3390/antiox11112167. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources Elsevier Science PubMed Central Medical MedlinePlus Health Information Miscellaneous NCI CPTAC Assay Portal