When it comes to coronary heart disease (CHD), many people immediately think of "blocked arteries," "old age," or "no more greasy food." Eggs are often singled out when discussing dietary restrictions. Some worry about the high cholesterol content being bad for the heart, while others believe eggs are too nutritious to skip. All these conflicting opinions are confusing. So who is actually right? Can CHD patients eat eggs or not?

To be honest, after decades working in hospitals, I’ve seen far too many CHD patients whose conditions worsened due to diet mistakes. Some were in their 40s, felt fine, but upon examination, had severe arterial narrowing. Others, in their senior years, were overly strict with their diet and ended up malnourished, with weakened immunity. Some refused to eat eggs, which led to protein deficiency, muscle loss, and shortness of breath after walking a few steps. Others followed dubious health tips, eating so-called “heart-nourishing” foods that ultimately triggered acute heart attacks.

Seeing such cases repeatedly over the years has made one thing clear to me: some foods that appear healthy — or unhealthy — can have very different effects on CHD patients. You think avoiding eggs keeps you safe? You think “eating light” is always good for your heart? In reality, the real culprits damaging your arteries might not be the one egg you eat a day, but those foods that seem harmless.

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1. Eating Glutinous Rice Every Day

One of my patients, in his 40s, was a diligent worker but often felt chest tightness and shortness of breath. One day, he suddenly turned pale and collapsed while working. He was rushed to the hospital, and tests showed that two of his three main coronary arteries were severely narrowed. What was surprising was that he didn’t smoke or drink and ate lightly. So what went wrong?

After some digging, his family revealed that he loved glutinous rice. His daily breakfast routine was fixed — glutinous rice chicken, sticky rice dumplings, glutinous rice shumai — every meal involved glutinous rice, and even dinner often included sweet glutinous rice balls.

Glutinous rice is, well, sticky. That might not sound too alarming, but think about it: our digestive system functions like a machine. Glutinous rice is a starchy, highly viscous food that digests slowly — especially in middle-aged or older adults whose digestive functions are already declining. When glutinous rice enters the digestive tract, it causes blockages and indigestion, leading to bloating and discomfort.

More importantly, slow-digesting foods force the stomach to work under constant stress, triggering chronic inflammation — which is the underlying soil for coronary heart disease. Long-term consumption of sticky carbohydrates like glutinous rice and rice cakes is significantly linked with atherosclerosis.

In other words, the more you eat these foods, the narrower your arteries become and the more likely plaque forms. These foods stimulate the intestines to release pro-inflammatory cytokines and can also cause blood sugar fluctuations, damaging the blood vessel lining.

Also, while glutinous rice itself isn’t greasy, the fillings and seasonings commonly paired with it — like salted egg yolk, pork belly, sausage — are oily. Eating them together is like adding more limescale to an already clogged water pipe.

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2. Always Drinking Cold Beverages

Many assume only young people love cold drinks — not true. We had a 53-year-old patient who kept iced drinks in his car all year round. Summer or winter, an iced tea or cold water was his go-to. He believed it helped beat the heat and boost energy. He drank three to four cold drinks a day. Then one day, while sitting in his car, he had a sudden, severe chest pain. He was rushed to the ER and diagnosed with an acute myocardial infarction — a heart attack. He barely made it.

Everyone knows sugary drinks are bad, but the real danger here was the cold. Most people don’t realize that cold stimulation is a major trigger for cardiovascular events. When a cold drink suddenly hits the stomach, the blood vessels in the stomach wall constrict quickly, causing a vagus nerve reflex. This leads to heart rate fluctuations and spells trouble for anyone with underlying heart disease.

Cold drinks also cause temporary vasoconstriction, especially in coronary arteries that are already prone to spasms. When exposed to cold, peripheral blood vessels constrict, blood pressure rises, and the heart is overburdened. For those with narrowed coronary arteries, this can trigger angina or even a heart attack.

Cold drinks also stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, increasing heart rate and causing blood pressure fluctuations — all added stress for the cardiovascular system. This habit may seem harmless, but that moment of icy refreshment can lead to emergency room sweats.

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3. Drinking Three Cups of Green Tea a Day

You might be surprised to learn that even green tea can negatively affect CHD patients. But it’s not just alarmist talk. One of my patients, a retired teacher in his 60s, had abnormal ECG results during a checkup.

When I asked about his diet, he said he drank three large cups of strong green tea daily — morning, noon, and night — a habit he’d maintained for 20 years. He believed green tea was light, antioxidant-rich, and good for health. However, further examination showed extreme fluctuations in blood pressure and irregular heartbeats, especially in the morning and evening.

Green tea isn’t inherently bad, but the issue lies in concentration and timing. Many believe the stronger the tea, the better, but green tea contains relatively high amounts of caffeine and theobromine, especially in the first brew. Strong tea stimulates the central nervous system, speeding up heart rate and raising blood pressure — a real burden for older adults, especially when consumed on an empty stomach or before bed.

CHD patients already have reduced vascular elasticity. A sudden spike in heart rate and blood pressure can lead to insufficient blood supply. Moreover, the polyphenols in green tea, when too concentrated, can interfere with the metabolism of certain heart medications — especially anticoagulants like aspirin and warfarin — reducing their effectiveness and increasing the risk of heart attacks or blood clots.

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4. So, Can CHD Patients Eat Eggs?

Eggs are undeniably nutritious — they’re a great source of high-quality protein. While they do contain cholesterol, most people won’t experience a cholesterol spike from eating one egg a day. The real issue lies in how eggs are eaten and what they’re eaten with.

One patient in his 50s ate the same breakfast every day: a crispy fried egg, a bowl of hot soy milk, and a deep-fried dough stick. It was convenient and satisfying. But during a checkup, he was found to have high blood lipids, coronary plaque buildup, and fatty liver.

The problem wasn’t the egg itself — it was frying it in oil and pairing it with a greasy dough stick every day. What he consumed wasn’t the egg’s nutrition but excess calories and saturated fat.

And while soy milk is healthy, some vendors add sugar or creamer for taste, increasing sugar intake without notice. Some even insist on eating double-yolk eggs for “good luck,” but those have significantly more cholesterol. Eating them daily can add up, posing a risk to heart health.

In fact, eating one egg per day does not significantly increase the risk of CHD. But if paired with high-fat foods or consumed in excess, that’s when problems arise. So the question isn’t can you eat eggs — it’s do you know how to eat them smartly?

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Final Thoughts

Often, the real harm doesn’t come from obvious bad habits, but from the everyday choices that seem harmless. For CHD patients, dietary control isn’t just about avoiding meat or eggs — it’s about scientific planning and wise choices. Don’t let seemingly “healthy” habits destroy your heart health.