Extreme diets and viral nutrition experiments are everywhere these days. From low-carb plans to elimination diets, many people radically change how they eat in hopes of losing weight, improving metabolic health, or testing long-held beliefs about food and nutrition.
Most of us have tried cutting something out of our diet at some point. Very few, however, have gone as far as Dr. Nick Norwitz.
Dr. Norwitz is a researcher and educator whose work focuses on metabolic health, cholesterol science, and nutrition research. He recently gained online attention after documenting a highly unusual self-experiment on YouTube: eating 700 eggs in 30 days to observe how it would affect his body — specifically his cholesterol levels.
What Does 700 Eggs in a Month Actually Mean?
To put it into perspective, consuming 700 eggs in one month works out to about 24 eggs per day — or roughly one egg every hour for 30 straight days.
It’s undeniably extreme, and Dr. Norwitz has emphasized that this was a personal experiment conducted under controlled conditions — not a recommendation for the general public.
His motivation? To test a hypothesis related to dietary cholesterol and its effect on LDL cholesterol, often referred to as “bad cholesterol.”
Why Cholesterol Was the Focus
Cholesterol has long been associated with heart health risks, especially when LDL levels remain elevated over time. For decades, many people were taught that eating cholesterol-rich foods — like eggs — could directly raise blood cholesterol and increase cardiovascular risk.
However, modern nutrition science has become more nuanced. Some researchers now argue that dietary cholesterol does not affect everyone the same way, and that the body’s cholesterol production is tightly regulated by the liver.
Dr. Norwitz wanted to see whether an extremely high intake of eggs would cause a dramatic rise in his LDL cholesterol — as many would expect.
The Results Were Unexpected
According to data Dr. Norwitz shared on his YouTube channel, his cholesterol levels did not spike after consuming more than 700 eggs in one month.
In fact, he reported the opposite outcome.
- During the first two weeks, his LDL cholesterol dropped by about 2%
- In the final two weeks, it fell by approximately 18%
These findings surprised many viewers and sparked widespread discussion across health and wellness communities.
The Role of Carbohydrates
Dr. Norwitz explained that cholesterol production in the body is influenced by multiple dietary factors — not just cholesterol intake alone.
During the second half of his experiment, he added more carbohydrates from fruit into his diet, including foods like bananas, blueberries, and strawberries. According to his explanation, this dietary shift appeared to influence how his liver regulated cholesterol production.
As he described it, the added carbohydrates seemed to counterbalance the unusually high cholesterol intake from eggs.
Important Context to Keep in Mind
Dr. Norwitz has been clear that this was a controlled self-experiment, not a general nutrition recommendation. Individual responses to diet vary widely based on genetics, metabolism, lifestyle, and overall health.
Eating 24 eggs a day is not something health professionals suggest for most people, and anyone considering major dietary changes should consult a qualified medical professional.
Final Thoughts
This unusual experiment highlights how complex nutrition science, cholesterol metabolism, and dietary health really are. While eggs remain a popular source of protein and nutrients, this case underscores that the relationship between food and cholesterol isn’t always as straightforward as once believed.
Have you ever tried an extreme diet, food challenge, or nutrition experiment? Share your thoughts — the conversation around health and wellness is always evolving.