Eggs with Fatty Liver Disease: All About Yolks, Whites, and Weekly Limits

Eggs spark debate like few other foods, especially when it comes to fatty liver disease (NAFLD/MASLD). Considered staples for breakfast, they are high in protein and nutrients, yet they carry a long-standing reputation for being risky because of their cholesterol.

If you’ve been diagnosed with fatty liver disease, you’re probably wondering: Can you keep eggs in your diet without making things worse?

The short answer: yes, you can eat eggs with a fatty liver – but only in moderation, and ideally not every day. The longer answer is more nuanced, and that’s what we’ll go through step by step, using both medical research and my own experience reversing fatty liver disease.

Eating Eggs if You Have Fatty Liver Disease

Eggs are definitely not on the list of liver-friendly superfoods you should consume regularly. The debate comes from the fact that they contain, among other goodies, choline, which supports fat metabolism. On the other hand, they are high in cholesterol.

Studies seem to back up opponents of eggs: A 2017 study found that people who ate 2-3 eggs per week had a 3.71 times higher risk of developing fatty liver compared to those eating fewer than two eggs weekly.

However, another study from 2023, with a large number of participants (over 6,500 people), found that eating 5-7 eggs per week was actually linked to a lower risk of fatty liver.

To make things even more interesting, a 2025 study reported that dietary choline – one of the key nutrients in eggs – may reduce the risk of fatty liver.

So, what do we do with these mixed findings? In my opinion, moderation is the safest path: a maximum of two eggs per week, cooked in a liver-friendly way (boiled, poached, or scrambled without added oil) should be enough.

Cholesterol, Fats & Cooking Methods

Eggs are undeniably nutritious: they’re rich in protein, vitamin D, cobalamin (B12), choline, and iron. But there are a few potential problems to consider:

Cholesterol: One large egg has about 186 mg of cholesterol, which is 62% of the recommended daily limit. Since the liver synthesizes cholesterol, extra dietary cholesterol forces it to work harder, which is not great with a liver that’s already struggling.

Fat & Calories: A single medium-sized egg contains about 5 grams of fat and 70 calories. That may not sound like much, but in a condition where calorie control and reduced fat intake are important, these numbers add up.

Cooking methods: The way eggs are prepared can make things worse. Frying them in oil or butter can double the unhealthy fat content (which will also increase cholesterol).

This is why eggs get a worse reputation than they should: they’re not cooked in a liver-friendly way. As mentioned above, you should only eat eggs poached, boiled or “fried” without added oils. This keeps them as safe as they can be.

Sure, they’re not exactly like tofu for a fatty liver, but they’re not that bad either.

Egg Yolks vs Egg Whites

Egg whites are very popular in the NAFLD communities because they are low in calories, have no cholesterol, but they have plenty of protein.

The yolk is where almost all the cholesterol and fat are found (but also where most of the vitamins and minerals are stored).

Egg whites are the safer choice if you want to increase your intake without pushing your cholesterol levels. They won’t give you the same nutrition as yolks, but they also won’t overload your liver. Here’s a quick overview of the estimated amounts of nutrients whites and yolks have:

Nutrition	Whole Egg	Egg Yolk	Egg White
Calories	70	55	15
Protein	6 g	3 g	3 g
Fat	5 g	4.5 g	0 g
Cholesterol	186 mg	184 mg	0 mg
Key Nutrients	Vitamin D, Iron, B12, Choline	Most vitamins/minerals	Potassium, protein

Personally, I never enjoyed egg whites on their own, so I rarely ate them and went for the full egg instead (and still reversed my condition). But if you like them, they’re a practical way to enjoy eggs more often without adding stress to your liver.

Best Ways to Cook Eggs with Fatty Liver

If you’re going to eat eggs, how you cook them matters almost as much as how many you eat. Here are the safest approaches you should try:

• Boiled: The easiest and healthiest option.

• Poached: Similar benefits to boiling, but with a fried-egg look.

• Scrambled without oil: Works well in a non-stick pan. I use mine to “fry” eggs dry, and while it doesn’t taste the same as oil-fried eggs, it’s not bad once you get used to it. IMPORTANT: Use a high-quality pan like this one (affiliate link).

What you want to avoid are fried eggs in oil or butter, and eggs loaded with mayonnaise, cheese, various dressings, or fatty meats on the side. Those extras can turn this otherwise acceptable food into something harmful.

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Conclusion

If you have just been diagnosed with a fatty liver, you probably have no idea what is safe to eat and what is not. But the fact that you read more on the matter means you’re closer to healing your liver!

The research on eggs and fatty liver is mixed, but moderation remains the safest recommendation. Too many eggs can raise your cholesterol and calorie intake, which won’t help a struggling liver.

On the other hand, nutrients like choline in eggs may provide benefits, so you don’t have to completely stop eating them (as is the case with these foods you should avoid).

Also, you can check out my review of The Fatty Liver Remedy – a really good book, well written and well organized, that will help you reverse your condition.

If you’re curious about other specific foods in relation to fatty liver disease, here are a few more articles (or simply use the search button to find even more):

• Fatty Liver Disease and Garlic
• Cheese and Fatty Liver
• Protein Powder & Fatty Liver Disease
• Are Noodles Good for Fatty Liver?