A new study led by researchers at the University of South Australia, has found that people who ate two eggs a day experienced reductions in their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, as long as the rest of their diet remained low in saturated fat.

Results of the study are reported in the July issue of the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’. “Bad” cholesterol, or LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, is a type of cholesterol that can build up in the walls of the arteries, forming plaque and narrowing the vessels.

This buildup, called atherosclerosis, can restrict blood flow and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Indeed, the amount of saturated fat in a person’s diet tended to increase their LDL cholesterol levels, not the cholesterol found in eggs, results show.

“You could say we’ve delivered hard-boiled evidence in defense of the humble egg,” said senior researcher Jon Buckley, a professor at the University of South Australia.”