Put down the eggs, men! Well, not all of them. For some of you, anyway.

Middle-aged men who ate seven or more eggs per week had a higher risk of earlier death, say U.S. researchers reporting on the 20-year-long Physicians' Health Study. And men with diabetes who ate any eggs at all raised their risk of death.

Eggs have long been controversial -- and this research adds to a growing body of evidence about the safety of the possibly-forbidden food. Here are some initial conclusions:

• Men without diabetes could eat up to six eggs a week with no extra risk of death.

• Consumption of seven or more eggs a week was associated with a 23 percent greater risk of death.

• Among males with diabetes, any egg consumption was linked with overall mortality and a greater risk of heart attack and stroke.

• Men who ate the most eggs were older, fatter, ate more vegetables and less breakfast cereal, and were more likely to drink alcohol, smoke, and refrain from exercise -- all heart attack risk factors.

• More study in the general population is necessary.
  
  

As you digest this information, do remember this, says one expert: Eggs are like many other foods. They are neither good or bad and can be part of an overall heart-healthy diet. Be sure to talk with your physician about your own health and risk factors.