The Great Cholesterol Confusion

Why Eggs Won't Clog Your Arteries

Apr 04, 2025

GutLove Eggs and Spinach from my 7-Day GutLove Reset

For decades, we've been told to fear the egg yolk, trim the fat from our steak, and generally tiptoe around anything labeled "high in cholesterol." The prevailing wisdom has been that eating cholesterol directly translates to higher cholesterol levels in our blood, paving the way for heart disease.

So, where did this cholesterol phobia come from?

Initial research in 2008 conducted on rabbits suggested a direct link between dietary cholesterol and clogged arteries. This is the basis for decades of misinformed dietary guidelines.

The Great Cholesterol Confusion: Why?

Because rabbits metabolize cholesterol differently than humans!

Today, I am diving headfirst into one of the biggest myths surrounding nutrition.

Myth: Eating Cholesterol Raises Cholesterol Levels in the Blood.

Prepare to have your perception of cholesterol challenged.

The Body's Balancing Act

Let's start with a crucial fact: Your body is a cholesterol-producing powerhouse! On any given day, a healthy human has between 1,100 and 1,700 milligrams of this waxy substance circulating inside you. Interestingly, only about 25% of that comes from your diet.

The other 75%?

Your liver is diligently manufacturing it.

Here's the fascinating part: From the cholesterol originating from your diet, about 1/3 is absorbed by your gut. The remaining 2/3 of the cholesterol absorbed by your gut is manufactured by your body, making its way via the liver and gallbladder.

Let’s see how cholesterol operates in more detail:

The LDL and HDL Cholesterol Ratio: The Key to Heart Health

The Liver: Your Body's Cholesterol Control Center

If you’re saying, “Wait, what? The liver makes cholesterol? I thought the liver acts as a filter?”

It does filter but your brilliant body has a sophisticated internal system for balancing cholesterol. In a healthy body, when there isn’t enough cholesterol, your liver increases production to compensate. Conversely, when your dietary cholesterol intake increases, the liver dials back production.

Let’s see how cholesterol operates in more detail:

Calibration: The Liver’s Balancing Act

aerial view of body of water — Photo by Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash

Think of the liver like a swimming pool’s filter and pump. It manages the amount of water going in and out of the pool as well as collecting the debris. If the water overflows and there is more debris than what can be held in the filter, there is a breakdown. The pump can burn out and the debris can spill over the container. This is the same process when the liver can’t do its job to clear out toxins and gets inundated. Then the liver is also unable to calibrate cholesterol levels which strains the cardiovascular system.

Let’s see how we measure cholesterol and how that can tell us more about our heart health.

The LDL and HDL Cholesterol Ratio: The Key to Heart Health

Cholesterol isn't a single entity. Total cholesterol contains LDL and HDL cholesterol. Imagine your blood vessels are plumbing pipes. LDL is “The Clogger” which sends too many items going into the pipes that clog it which results in plaque. HDL cholesterol, “The Cleanup Crew” shuttles cholesterol away from the pipes, so they stay clean and open. HDL’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects also prevent plaque build up.

The HDL:LDL ratio is about who’s doing what with it. You’re getting a more accurate result of how much cholesterol is building up or being removed from your arteries.

For optimal heart health, the goal is a lower total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio, ideally below 3.5:1 respectively. This lower ratio signifies that you have more "good" cholesterol in relation to your total cholesterol.

Looking Beyond Total Cholesterol: The Importance of LDL Particle Numbers

man walking towards opened door — Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Since the ratio is a key measurement of heart health, the next targeted metric is to measure the LDL-P particle number. This number shows the volume of cholesterol being carried inside LDL particles. Picture your arteries as a school hallway. Each LDL particle is like a person walking through that hallway. LDL-P tells you how many people are in that space at once. If there are few people, it’s easy to move around. But if the hallway is crowded, it’s hard to move. So, in your arteries, a high number of LDL-Ps means more crowding, a higher chance of damage to the artery walls, and a likelihood of plaque buildup."

LDL-Ps are strongly linked to metabolic dysfunction and are valuable markers to assess if the body is working well or struggling, and to chart the effectiveness of dietary and lifestyle changes.

If Not Dietary Cholesterol, Then What?

Data from the (PURE) Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study evaluated egg consumption over 9 years of people from 21 countries. Results showed that having 2+ eggs/week wasn’t significantly associated with HDL and LDL cholesterol.

So, if this outdated advice to avoid eggs is largely unfounded for most people, what contributes to unhealthy cholesterol levels and heart disease?

Genetics do play a small role, but the evidence increasingly points mostly to metabolic dysfunction and inflammation as the primary culprits. Think insulin resistance, high blood sugar, chronic inflammation, elevated triglycerides – these are the factors that truly wreak havoc on our cardiovascular system.

It’s time to re-think cholesterol less in terms of what food we eat, but how well our body is managing cholesterol.

The Takeaway? Question the Conventional Wisdom

The idea that eating cholesterol directly causes high blood cholesterol is a persistent myth that should be debunked. Our bodies are remarkably adept at regulating cholesterol levels, and for most people, dietary cholesterol has a limited impact.

Nourishing Tip:

While this article provides a broad overview, individual responses to dietary changes and cholesterol regulation can vary considerably. Understanding these general principles is a starting point, but for truly effective strategies tailored to your unique health profile, personalized guidance is key. My expertise lies in providing that individualized care.

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