Cholesterol from Your Diet Has Little Impact on Serum LDL 'Bad' Cholesterol: Study Review

The consensus in the medical community about how dietary cholesterol impacts serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is finally shifting.

Cholesterol syntheses (by your body) contributes three times more cholesterol to the total body pool than does the absorption of dietary cholesterol. In fact, low-cholesterol diets actually increase cholesterol synthesis…

Moreover, high-cholesterol foods like eggs and red meat, have a negligeable impact on serum LDL and total cholesterol, according to this new systematic review.

So what’s increasing LDL and total cholesterol, you ask? Poor metabolic and obesity.

Studies Mentioned:

Salih, K. J. The major pathways of lipids (triglyceride and cholesterol) and lipoprotein metabolism. Zanco J Pure Appl Sci 33, 61–72 (2021).

Schoeneck, M. & Iggman, D. The effects of foods on LDL cholesterol levels: A systematic review of the accumulated evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition Metabolism Cardiovasc Dis 31, 1325–1338 (2021).

Bonilha, I. et al. The Reciprocal Relationship between LDL Metabolism and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Metabolites 11, 807 (2021).

Auley, M. T. M. Effects of obesity on cholesterol metabolism and its implications for healthy ageing. Nutr Res Rev 33, 121–133 (2020).

Lu, K., Lee, M.-H. & Patel, S. B. Dietary cholesterol absorption; more than just bile. Trends Endocrinol Metabolism 12, 314–320 (2001).

Time Stamps:

1:10 Insulin regulates the enzyme that synthesizes endogenous cholesterol.

1:50 Dietary cholesterol does not have a significant impact on serum cholesterol.

2:45 Carbohydrates increase LDL and total cholesterol and insulin.

3:30 Cholesterol has powerful benefits.

5:00 Low cholesterol diets can increase endogenous production of cholesterol and the expression of LDL receptors.

5:40 High cholesterol diet expresses fewer LDL receptors.

8:00 Eggs and meat consumption has a minimal impact on serum cholesterol.

8:53 Increased LDL cholesterol may be from of increased fat metabolism.

10:30 Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance modifies LDL particles to be smaller and denser and more likely to become atherogenic.

13:50 Diabetes can be a side effect of Statin drugs.

14:20 Cholesterol is used to make bile.

16:20 A diet rich in seed oils may foster the modification of LDL cholesterol that can make the atherogenic.

17:45 LDL cholesterol has antiviral properties.

19:30 Insulin resistance and physical inactivity increase triglyceride production, leading to the formation of fats in the liver and elevated triglycerides and elevated vLDL cholesterol.