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Years ago, everyone was ordering their omelets with egg whites only, fearing high cholesterol. Then yolks got a health seal of approval for their nutrient load. Now, research in the Journal of the American Medical Association again links eggs to heart issues. How much should we fear our favorite breakfast food? Dr. Luke Laffin, a preventive cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic, in Ohio, breaks it down.

The research sounds alarming, but men who are active and generally eat healthy should not be overly concerned. Nutrition studies tend to draw far-reaching conclusions—especially when they are talking about a single dietary component such as eggs. We shouldn’t dismiss the findings, however. The study is legit, using a large, diverse group of people. Here’s what I take from it: Be mindful that higher-cholesterol foods, like eggs, may increase the risk of future cardiovascular disease.

If you have a personal or family history of cardiac problems and you’re going through a dozen eggs a week, it’s something to think about. If you can limit yourself to three or four whole eggs a week, that is ideal, but don’t sweat it if you’re cracking open more than that. Rather than focusing on eggs alone, look at your overall dietary pattern. If it’s a choice between scrambled eggs and a blueberry muffin, I’d say eggs 10 out of 10 times.

Diets of moderation are really what everyone should be striving for. Eggs are an easy way to incorporate protein into your diet, but other sources—chicken, fish, tofu, quinoa—have their place, too.