Scientist tests egg‑heavy diet: Cholesterol levels unexpectedly drop
30 September 2024 16:49
Some recommend it, others warn against it. It is currently difficult to reach a consensus regarding the presence of eggs in the diet. Many controversies have arisen around them, and the most frequently repeated one concerns the negative impact of egg consumption on blood cholesterol levels. But is there something to be afraid of? A young scientist decided to test on himself how increased egg consumption would affect his lipid profile.
Nick Norwitz earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oxford in 2020 and is currently a medical student at Harvard Medical School. Recently, he shared a video on his YouTube channel presenting the results of his "egg" experiment. He conducted this experiment on himself, eating 24 eggs a day. The results may surprise you.
He ate over 700 eggs in a month. here are the effects
Dr. Nick Norwitz ate 24 eggs daily for 30 days, totalling over 720 eggs for the entire month. As he calculated, this amounts to 133 grams of cholesterol. This means that the specialist increased his dietary cholesterol intake fivefold. However, he assumed that this experiment would not negatively impact his blood's LDL (the so-called bad cholesterol) levels.
After two weeks, his bad cholesterol levels did not increase; in fact, they dropped by 2%. After a month, the drop was even greater, reaching 18%. Dr. Norwitz was also on a low-carbohydrate diet.
How many eggs can you eat?
According to the World Health Organization, one should consume up to 10 eggs per week, while the American Heart Association's position is that a healthy person should eat between 7 to 14 eggs per week.
The results presented by Dr. Norwitz somewhat confirm the research published in 2016. Researchers in Kuopio, Finland, observed over 1,000 healthy middle-aged men for over 20 years. The men kept detailed records of their eating habits at the beginning of the study (in the 1980s). After analysing the data collected over two decades, the researchers found no link between egg consumption and heart disease. They also found no link between dietary cholesterol and carotid artery atherosclerosis.
Further studies suggest that those who consume eggs frequently have larger, less dense LDL cholesterol particles that clog arteries less frequently. These "fluffy" particles are less likely to contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries. Other studies show that eating eggs raises HDL (good) cholesterol levels, reduces inflammation, and improves blood sugar control.
