Investigating Age-dependent Effects of Egg Intake on HDL and Immune Profiles

The goal of this intervention study is to determine whether consumption of different fractions of chicken eggs, including egg whites, egg yolks, and whole eggs, confer different changes in markers of HDL function and T cell profiles in younger vs. older men and women. The study will address the following objectives:

• Objective 1: Determine if daily consumption of egg fractions differentially alter HDL profiles across age groups.
• Objective 2: Determine if daily consumption of egg fractions differentially alter immune cell profiles across age groups.

Participants will be asked to consume egg whites, egg yolks, and whole eggs on a daily basis for 4-weeks each, and avoid eating eggs for a total of 8 weeks at different points in the study. Participants will additionally be provided guidance on following a generally healthy diet, and will be asked to complete surveys about dietary intake and physical activity, as well as provide blood samples throughout the course of the study.

Researchers will compare whether daily consumption of egg whites, egg yolks, and whole eggs differentially alter markers of HDL function and T cell profiles in younger vs. older adults.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Inflammatory Response; Lipoproteins
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Egg whites; Other: Egg yolks; Other: Whole eggs

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 44
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Connecticut
    • Storrs, Connecticut, United States, 06269
      • University of Connecticut

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18-30 years old, or 50-75 years old (at time of screening)
• Body mass index (BMI) < 30 kg/m2
• Willing to consume whole eggs, egg whites, or egg yolks on a daily basis during study periods, and refrain from eating eggs during other study periods
• Do not fit any exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

• < 18 years old; 31-49 years old; > 75 years old
• BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 or body weight < 110 pounds
• Weight changes > 10% over the last 4 weeks
• Self-reported history of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, renal or liver disease, cancer, eating disorders, certain severe and/or relapsing/remitting autoimmune, inflammatory, or metabolic diseases, chronic infections, scleroderma, blood clotting disorders, intravenous drug use, or current pregnancy or lactation
• Allergy or intolerance to eggs, egg components, or egg products
• Implanted medical device (e.g., pacemaker) or other health condition that would prevent measurement of body composition by bioelectrical impedance
• Highly elevated fasting lipid and glucose levels (triglyceride levels higher than 500 mg/dL, fasting glucose higher than 126 mg/dL), or total cholesterol < 120 mg/dL and HDL-cholesterol < 15 mg/dL
• Currently taking lipid-lowering medications (e.g. statins, fibrates), anti-inflammatory medications (e.g., NSAIDs, corticosteroids), or medications that primarily affect blood clotting (e.g., warfarin)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Egg whites; 3 large egg equivalent of liquid egg whites per day for 4 weeks	Other: Egg whites; 3 large egg equivalent of egg whites per day for 4 weeks
Experimental: Egg yolks; 3 large egg equivalent of liquid egg yolks per day for 4 weeks	Other: Egg yolks; 3 large egg equivalent of egg yolks per day for 4 weeks
Experimental: Whole eggs; 3 large whole eggs per day for 4 weeks	Other: Whole eggs; 3 large whole eggs per day for 4 weeks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in serum concentration of large HDL particles between diet periods	Measurement of serum large HDL particles (nmol/L) at the egg-free run-in period and the end of each intervention arm.	4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Connecticut
• Collaborators: American Egg Board
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Catherine J Andersen, PhD, RDN, University of Connecticut

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 23, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 29, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): December 29, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 10, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 10, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): October 17, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 29, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Aging; Diet; T-Lymphocytes; Lipoproteins; Eggs
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Food; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages; Eggs; Egg White; Egg Yolk
• Other Study ID Numbers: H22-0174; AG221113 (Other Grant/Funding Number: American Egg Board)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No