Ph.D. researcher challenges cholesterol fears with 24 eggs a day experiment
Some recommend it, while others warn against it. It is difficult to reach a consensus regarding the presence of eggs in the diet. Many controversies have arisen, with the most frequent concern being 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.
30 September 2024 11:57
Nick Norwitz earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oxford in 2020 and is 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. According to his calculations, this amounts to approximately 133 grams of cholesterol. Essentially, the specialist increased his dietary cholesterol intake fivefold. However, he assumed that this experiment would not negatively impact his blood LDL (the so-called bad cholesterol) levels.
It turned out that 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 suggests that a healthy person can eat between 7 and 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 analyzing 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 individuals 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.
