Posted on 06/23/2026 5:16:06 PM PDT by Red Badger
Eggs are a dietary staple for millions worldwide, known for their flavor and nutritional value. In the United States alone, per capita egg consumption reached 281.3 eggs in 2023, with projections suggesting it will rise to 284.4 in 2024, according to Statista. Yet, eggs have long been at the center of debates about their effects on cholesterol and heart health.
In a groundbreaking experiment, Nick Norwitz, a Harvard student and Oxford-trained physiologist, consumed 24 eggs a day for 30 days, challenging conventional beliefs about dietary cholesterol. His unexpected results have sparked renewed discussions about the role of eggs in a healthy diet.
Nick Norwitz’s Experiment: A Closer Look Norwitz’s experiment, conducted in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was both rigorous and extreme. Over the course of one month, he consumed one egg per hour, every hour, totaling 720 eggs. His goal was simple: to measure the impact of this massive cholesterol intake on his LDL cholesterol levels.
Remarkably, the results contradicted traditional assumptions. “My LDL cholesterol dropped 2% during the first two weeks, and then dropped another 18% over the next two weeks,” Norwitz said. These findings challenge the prevailing view that dietary cholesterol directly raises blood cholesterol.
The Role of Macronutrients in Cholesterol Regulation Norwitz attributes the surprising results to the body’s ability to regulate cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol binds to receptors in the intestines, triggering the release of cohesin, a hormone that signals the liver to reduce its cholesterol production. This process ensures the body maintains a delicate balance, even with significant dietary intake.
Adding to the intrigue, Norwitz incorporated 60 grams of carbohydrates daily from fruits like bananas, blueberries, and strawberries. He theorized that these carbs influenced cholesterol levels by interacting with a metabolic profile he termed a “lean mass hyper-responder phenotype”, a condition seen in individuals on low-carb diets. This combination may have contributed to the unexpected drop in LDL cholesterol.
Key Takeaways from the Experiment Norwitz’s results highlight the complexity of cholesterol regulation, which goes beyond simple dietary cholesterol intake. His findings offer insights for nutrition science and raise questions about the validity of blanket dietary guidelines.
Here are two key points to consider:
Individualized responses to cholesterol: Norwitz’s case illustrates that responses to dietary cholesterol vary widely among individuals, influenced by genetic and metabolic factors. His results may not apply universally, especially for those with pre-existing metabolic or cardiovascular conditions. The interplay of macronutrients: The experiment suggests that balancing macronutrients, particularly fats and carbohydrates, plays a significant role in regulating cholesterol. This nuanced view challenges the oversimplified focus on cholesterol-rich foods alone. Debunking Food Myths: What Does This Mean for Egg Lovers? Norwitz’s experiment underscores the need for individualized approaches to nutrition. It suggests that traditional recommendations to limit egg consumption may oversimplify the relationship between diet and health. Instead, the balance of nutrients, personal metabolic factors, and overall dietary patterns may hold the key to better understanding cholesterol regulation.
For millions of people who enjoy eggs, these findings offer a new perspective, though they should be interpreted cautiously. Extreme experiments like Norwitz’s provide intriguing insights, but are not substitutes for large-scale scientific studies.
The debate over eggs and cholesterol is far from settled, but this bold experiment opens the door for a more nuanced discussion about diet and health. As Norwitz himself suggests, the relationship between food and our bodies is more intricate than previously believed, requiring a deeper exploration of macronutrient interactions and individual differences.
VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhUMUCoJOsc
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My cholesterol has never been higher than 160.
It was slightly lower when I consumed more hamburgers and prime ribs. Now I eat less red meat and less fatty pizza, but cholesterol has creeped up 10 points over a decade.
Had left over macaroni for dinner...and graham crackers dunked in milk for desert.
Note: I only had two meals.....and do this on many days.
It's why I'm 82 and weigh the same when I was 18.
And he’s what....early 20s?? My blood panels were perfect when I was in my 20s. I had a 29 inch waist and weighed 158.
But we can ingest statins to short circuit that brain. I have a friend going senile over statins and he won’t stop taking them.
Where did you see that in the article? Article shows eating only eggs which they claim causes bad cholesterol actually reduced his cholesterol.
No claim about calories was discussed.
My doctor always tries to get me on statins and I always say no................
It’s all about BigPharma selling Lipator and other statins ... that are doing more harm than good.
“In other words, it’s all about calorie intake, not any of that other bushwa.”
No, that is NOT true. Nor does anything in this example suggest it.
First, there is no significant correlation even between total cholesterol and cardiovascular problems. Never was, except among young men.
But eggs are also low-carb and won’t spike your insulin the way bread will. And Nick has NEVER been obese, so what he needs to maintain weight or other markers may well be different than someone who has become obese.
FWIW, I’m a 5’8” guy who currently is a fairly lean 160 pounds. In my youth, after being the fattest kid in the class growing up, I dieted down just below 120 using “calories in, calories out” - and still had a thick layer of fat on my belly while looking boney everywhere else. So no, it was NOT “all about calorie intake, not any of that other bushwa”...
Hummingbird.
Ain’t no man dat can eat dat many eaggs!
“After that experiment, he couldn’t even look at an egg (real or photographed) without feeling his stomach tightly clench up.” /////
It’s always been a scam for the big pharma stating folks.
Had an egg this morning and pork sausage, turkey pot pie tonight.
Cadbury Eggs? Doing a diabetes speedrun are we?
If they were hard boiled, phew....
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