Eat one egg per hour. This is the challenge that American YouTuber Nick Norwitz took on… The repercussions on his body are surprising.
The egg has long suffered from a bad reputation: it has been accused of being too fatty by some, of promoting cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease by others. Since then, its image has been largely improved. Considered the favorite food of athletes, it is often complimented for its high protein content and its very low cost for the wallet.
In France, overall consumption amounts to 229 eggs per inhabitant for the year 2023. A rather encouraging statistic if we are to believe the nutritionist doctor Arnaud Cocaul, interviewed by Ouest-France: “It is a perfect food, one of the most fabulous foods. The proof is that eggs are part of the Mediterranean diet. They are rich in amino acids, vitamins, proteins: all of this is good for your health. Although they do not influence cholesterol levels, it is best not to overdo them. In fact, doctors recommend consuming it 2 to 3 times a day at most.
But what happens if we eat a lot more? This is the question that YouTuber Nick Norwitz decided to answer. This researcher is interested in how metabolism works, how it brings together the body’s different processes to convert food into fuel. He therefore decided to undertake yet another experiment: consume 720 eggs in one month!
To do this, he started with a very simple postulate: “I hypothesized that eating 720 eggs in a month, which is equivalent to 133,200 mg of cholesterol, would not increase my cholesterol level.” And he wasn’t wrong: his cholesterol level even decreased. The first two weeks, his LDL level (bad cholesterol) decreased by 2%. After two weeks, he got an 18% reduction.
But then, how is this possible? Nick Norwitz explains that he compensated for this unusual intake with a diet rich in carbohydrates (starchy vegetables, legumes, etc.). To do this, he set himself an average of 60 grams of fruit per day. This additional dose took precedence over the immense amount of cholesterol ingested and allowed the LDL level to fall.
The experiment is therefore interesting, but in no way scientific: above all, it demonstrates that ingesting many eggs does not pose a major problem if the diet is well thought out and well balanced over time.