Can you picture consuming 700 eggs in just one month? It may sound unusual, but a Harvard medical student recently embarked on this odd experiment to examine the effects of a high-egg diet and its impact on cholesterol levels. Here’s how his body responded to this ‘egg-centric’ regimen and everything you need to know about this unique study.
Nick Norwitz, a Harvard medical student, consumed around 700-720 eggs in a month to research the impact of a high-egg diet on his cholesterol levels. Contrary to popular belief, this diet surprisingly led to a 20 percent reduction in his LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, rather than increasing them as many would expect.
In an interesting twist, Norwitz shared in his YouTube video that before starting this unusual experiment of consuming about 60 dozen eggs, he had hypothesized that it would not lead to an increase in his LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or bad cholesterol, by the end of the month.
In the experiment, which has garnered over 160,000 views on YouTube, Dr. Norwitz explained that he consumed the eggs alongside his regular ketogenic diet, which included meat, fish, olive oil, nuts, dark chocolate, cheese, and yogurt. A ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat regimen designed to shift the body’s primary energy source from sugar to fat.
After the first two weeks of his experiment, Dr. Norwitz decided to introduce 60 grams of carbohydrates into his daily intake. To achieve this, he incorporated fruits like bananas, blueberries, and frozen cherries into his diet, which he enjoyed by dipping them in macadamia butter.
To reach his target of 60 grams of carbohydrates, Dr. Norwitz would need to consume the equivalent of two bananas or 21 ounces of blueberries daily. He explained that increasing carbohydrate intake could further aid in lowering cholesterol levels in the body.
For individuals on a low-carbohydrate diet, LDL levels often rise as the body shifts to burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. However, when a person increases their carbohydrate intake, the opposite effect occurs—LDL levels decrease because the body starts deriving more energy from carbs.
