LDL-C

FAQ
Human Effect Matrix
Citations

Will eating eggs increase my cholesterol?

The Human Effect Matrix looks at human studies (excluding animal/petri-dish studies) to tell you what what supplements affect LDL-C

Grade	Level of Evidence
A	Robust research conducted with repeated double blind clinical trials
B	Multiple studies where at least two are double-blind and placebo controlled
C	Single double blind study or multiple cohort studies
D	Uncontrolled or observational studies only

Level of Evidence	Supplement	Magnitude of Effect Size	Scientific Consensus	Comments
A	Policosanol	Minor	46% See all 13 studies	It is possible that policosanol is either effective or totally ineffective due to older Cuban studies being remarkably different than more recent replications; high probability... show of publicity bias
A	Fish Oil	Minor	-- See all 32 studies	A decrease has been noted in persons without high cholesterol in the first place, and the decreasing effect of statins appears to be augmented with fish oil. However, in... show persons at higher risk for cardiovascular disease due to high triglycerides and cholesterol (who more frequently use fish oil as therapy) it is possible LDL-C may actually be increased. The magnitude tends to be in the 5-10% range.
B	Conjugated Linoleic Acid		87% See all 11 studies	Insufficient evidence to support decreases of LDL-C and evidence to support no influence whatsoever.
B	Spirulina	Minor	100% See all 5 studies	Degree of efficacy seems variable and correlated with disease state (more drastic improvements when LDL-C is much higher) but currently does not appear to be overly remarkable... show unless fatty liver exists.
B	Berberine	Minor	100% See study	The reduction of LDL-C when berberine was paired with lifestyle changes was −0.58mmol/L (95% CI −0.78 to −0.39) in diabetics, suggesting a significant benefit but... show not remarkably potent.
B	Psyllium	Minor	100% See all 4 studies	Not overly potent reductions of LDL-C, although they seem to reliably occur in persons with high cholesterol
B	Olive leaf extract	Minor	60% See all 5 studies	A decrease in LDL-C seems to be somewhat consistent, but the magnitude of decrease is not overly impressive relative to other agents
B	Dehydroepiandrosterone		66% See all 4 studies	Although there is some counter evidence, usually DHEA supplementation does not alter LDL-C concentrations
B	Green Tea Catechins	Minor	100% See all 4 studies	There appears to be somewhat of a reduction in LDL-C associated with consumption of green tea polyphenolics (5% or so with 500mg catechin intake)
C	Pyruvate	Minor	50% See 2 studies	A reducing effect on LDL-C has been noted once during caloric surplus; practical relevance of this information unknown
C	Ginger	Minor	100% See study	May decrease LDL-C
C	Curcumin		50% See 2 studies	Possible reducing effects that need to be further demonstrated
C	Black Cohosh		100% See study	No significant effects on LDL-C
C	Punicic Acid		100% See 2 studies	No significant influences on LDL-C levels
C	Whey Protein	Minor	100% See study	Possible LDL-C lowering effect, but has not yet been shown to be better than other protein sources.
C	Grapefruit	Minor	100% See study	A decrease in LDL cholesterol has been noted, but may be due to weight loss
C	Vanadium		100% See all 3 studies	Mixed effects on LDL-C, likely no direct influence on LDL but may reduce overall LDL levels secondary to improving the diabetic state (which normally increases LDL)
C	Artichoke Extract	Minor	50% See all 4 studies	Nothing remarkable about the reductions in LDL-C, seem to occur somewhat reliably and are minor in magnitude
C	Licorice		100% See study	No significant influence on LDL cholesterol seems apparent
C	Gynostemma Pentaphyllum		100% See study	LDL cholesterol appears unaffected
C	Green Coffee Extract		100% See study	LDL cholesterol appears unaffected
C	Pueraria Mirifica	Minor	100% See study	Somewhat effective in menopausal women.
C	Hemp Protein		100% See 2 studies	No significant modifications in LDL-C levels
C	Nattokinase		100% See study	No significant influence on LDL cholesterol
C	Eleutherococcus senticosus	Minor	100% See study	A decrease in LDL-C has once been noted
C	Benfotiamine		100% See study	Although not a primary research end-point, no significant influence on LDL-C is seen.
C	Caffeine		100% See study	No significant influences on LDL cholesterol noted
C	Shilajit	Minor	100% See study	Minor decrease in LDL has been noted with shilajit
C	Theaflavins		100% See study	No detectable influence on LDL-C levels following theaflavin consumption
C	Ecklonia Cava	Minor	100% See 2 studies	Possible reductions in LDL-C
C	Salvia hispanica		100% See 2 studies	LDL-C appears to be unaffected with chia ingestion when compared to similar macronutrient sources
C	Gamma Oryzanol		100% See study	Although rice bran oil may reduce LDL cholesterol, there is insufficient evidence to support the role of gamma-oryzanol in this role
C	Garcinia Cambogia		100% See study	Garcinia appears unable to influence LDL-C levels based on preliminary evidence
C	Ganoderma Lucidum		100% See study	No significant reducing effects on LDL cholesterol have been noted with ganoderma supplementation
C	Grape Seed Extract		100% See 2 studies	No significant interactions with LDL-C even in high risk persons
C	Hibiscus Sabdariffa		100% See all 3 studies	LDL cholesterol appears to be unaffected following Roselle ingestion
C	HMB		100% See 2 studies	No significant influence on LDL cholesterol levels
C	Japanese Knotweed		100% See study	LDL-C appears to be unaffected, but testing has not been conducted in metabolically unwell persons
C	Irvingia Gabonensis	Minor	100% See 2 studies	A decrease in LDL-C has been noted, confounded with both weight loss and industry influence.
C	L-Carnitine		100% See study	No detectable influence on LDL-C levels
C	Magnesium		100% See 2 studies	No significant influence on LDL cholesterol levels seen with magnesium supplementation
C	Melatonin		100% See study	No significant influence on LDL cholesterol is noted with melatonin
C	Microlactin	Minor	100% See study	A reduction in LDL-C is seen in hyperlipidemics associated with hyperimmune milk consumption
C	Vitamin C		100% See study	No significant alterations in LDL cholesterol seen with Vitamin C supplementation
C	Vitamin D	Minor	100% See study	Either no significant influence on LDL cholesterol or a slight increase (around 5%) has been noted; practical significance of this information unknown
C	Soy lecithin	Notable	100% See study	A decrease in LDL-C has been noted with soy lecithin ingestion to the degree of 42.05-56.15% in hypercholesterolemics, which is a remarkable decrease. Requires replication.
C	Royal Jelly		100% See all 3 studies	Although a reduction in LDL-C cannot be ruled out (due to the reduction in total cholesterol), the best evidence currently suggest no effect while uncontrolled studies... show confirm a reduction of minor magnitude
C	Resveratrol	Minor	100% See study	Possible decreases in LDL-C in persons at risk for heart disease, but it does not appear to be of large magnitude
C	Guggul	Minor	50% See 2 studies	Although unreliable, there is a possible increase in LDL cholesterol from Guggul supplementation
C	Panax Ginseng	Minor	50% See 2 studies	May reduce LDL-C levels to a very small degree, seems unreliable in doing so
C	Phosphatidylserine		100% See study	No significant influence on LDL-C with PS supplementation
C	Krill Oil	Notable	100% See 2 studies	A decrease in LDL-C has been noted with krill oil, which appears to be to quite a significant degree
C	Ephedrine	Minor	100% See study	A decrease in LDL-C has been noted to be associated with ephedrine, although this may be confounded with weight loss (also seen in the trials)
C	Citrulline		100% See study	No significant influence on LDL-C concentrations in serum following citrulline supplementation
D	Quercetin	Minor	100% See study	A decrease in LDL-C has been noted in persons with high blood lipids
D	Pycnogenol	Minor	100% See 2 studies	May reduce LDL cholesterol for as long as pycnogenol is taken (some evidence to suggest a normalization after supplement cessation)
D	Pueraria Lobata		100% See study	No significant influence on circulating LDL-C has been noted with supplementation
D	Coconut Oil	Minor	100% See study	Not an overly significant reduction of LDL-C, but it does appear to be present relative to longer chain fatty acids
D	Ashwagandha	Minor	100% See study	A slight decrease in LDL-C has been noted following ashwagandha supplementation.
D	Yerba Mate	Minor	100% See all 3 studies	Decreases in LDL cholesterol have been noted in metabolically unwell persons following moderate Mate consumption (as brewed tea)
D	Eclipta Alba	Notable	100% See study	Decreases in LDL-C have been noted with eclipta alba in hypertensive persons to 24%, which is quite a significant reduction.
D	Tetradecyl Thioacetic Acid	Minor	100% See study	Possible reductions in LDL cholesterol seen with TTA consumption
D	Safflower Oil		100% See study	No significant alterations in LDL-C concentrations

References

Fernandez ML. Dietary cholesterol provided by eggs and plasma lipoproteins in healthy populations. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. (2006)
Djoussé L, et al. Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in older adults. Am J Clin Nutr. (2010)
Flynn MA, et al. Serum lipids and eggs. J Am Diet Assoc. (1986)
Bowman MP, et al. Effect of dietary fat and cholesterol on plasma lipids and lipoprotein fractions in normolipidemic men. J Nutr. (1988)
Chenoweth W, et al. Influence of dietary cholesterol and fat on serum lipids in men. J Nutr. (1981)
Effect of dietary eggs and ascorbic acid on plasma lipid and lipoprotein cholesterol levels in healthy young men
Egg intake does not change plasma lipoprotein and coagulation profiles
Johnson C, Greenland P. Effects of exercise, dietary cholesterol, and dietary fat on blood lipids. Arch Intern Med. (1990)
Sacks FM, et al. Ingestion of egg raises plasma low density lipoproteins in free-living subjects. Lancet. (1984)
Down-regulation of the low-density lipoprotein receptor by dietary cholesterol
A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of the effects of two eggs per day in moderately hypercholesterolemic and combined hyperlipidemic subjects taught the NCEP step I diet
Romano G, et al. Effects of dietary cholesterol on plasma lipoproteins and their subclasses in IDDM patients. Diabetologia. (1998)
Mayurasakorn K, et al. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol changes after continuous egg consumption in healthy adults. J Med Assoc Thai. (2008)
Vishwanathan R, et al. Consumption of 2 and 4 egg yolks/d for 5 wk increases macular pigment concentrations in older adults with low macular pigment taking cholesterol-lowering statins. Am J Clin Nutr. (2009)
Katz DL, et al. Egg consumption and endothelial function: a randomized controlled crossover trial. Int J Cardiol. (2005)
Njike V, et al. Daily egg consumption in hyperlipidemic adults--effects on endothelial function and cardiovascular risk. Nutr J. (2010)
Jones PJ. Dietary cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients: a review of the Harvard Egg Study and other data. Int J Clin Pract Suppl. (2009)
Dietary cholesterol from eggs increases the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in humans: a meta-analysis
Fernandez ML. Effects of eggs on plasma lipoproteins in healthy populations. Food Funct. (2010)
McNamara DJ. The impact of egg limitations on coronary heart disease risk: do the numbers add up. J Am Coll Nutr. (2000)
Fernandez ML, Calle M. Revisiting dietary cholesterol recommendations: does the evidence support a limit of 300 mg/d. Curr Atheroscler Rep. (2010)
Eggs, serum cholesterol, and coronary heart disease
Hu FB, et al. A prospective study of egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women. JAMA. (1999)
Spence JD, Jenkins DJ, Davignon J. Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: not for patients at risk of vascular disease. Can J Cardiol. (2010)
Herron KL, et al. High intake of cholesterol results in less atherogenic low-density lipoprotein particles in men and women independent of response classification. Metabolism. (2004)
Pearce KL, Clifton PM, Noakes M. Egg consumption as part of an energy-restricted high-protein diet improves blood lipid and blood glucose profiles in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Br J Nutr. (2011)
Goodrow EF, et al. Consumption of one egg per day increases serum lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations in older adults without altering serum lipid and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. J Nutr. (2006)
Effect of a High Saturated Fat and No-Starch Diet on Serum Lipid Subfractions in Patients With Documented Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
Mutungi G, et al. Dietary cholesterol from eggs increases plasma HDL cholesterol in overweight men consuming a carbohydrate-restricted diet. J Nutr. (2008)
Mutungi G, et al. Eggs distinctly modulate plasma carotenoid and lipoprotein subclasses in adult men following a carbohydrate-restricted diet. J Nutr Biochem. (2010)
Fernández-Robredo P, et al. Egg yolk improves lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and retinal abnormalities in a murine model of genetic hypercholesterolemia. J Nutr Biochem. (2008)
Sureda A, et al. L-citrulline-malate influence over branched chain amino acid utilization during exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. (2010)
Thibault R, et al. Oral citrulline does not affect whole body protein metabolism in healthy human volunteers: results of a prospective, randomized, double-blind, cross-over study. Clin Nutr. (2011)
Moinard C, et al. Dose-ranging effects of citrulline administration on plasma amino acids and hormonal patterns in healthy subjects: the Citrudose pharmacokinetic study. Br J Nutr. (2008)
Bendahan D, et al. Citrulline/malate promotes aerobic energy production in human exercising muscle. Br J Sports Med. (2002)
Pérez-Guisado J, Jakeman PM. Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. J Strength Cond Res. (2010)
Cormio L, et al. Oral L-citrulline supplementation improves erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction. Urology. (2011)
Orozco-Gutiérrez JJ, et al. Effect of L-arginine or L-citrulline oral supplementation on blood pressure and right ventricular function in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction. Cardiol J. (2010)
Hickner RC, et al. L-citrulline reduces time to exhaustion and insulin response to a graded exercise test. Med Sci Sports Exerc. (2006)
Sureda A, et al. Effects of L-citrulline oral supplementation on polymorphonuclear neutrophils oxidative burst and nitric oxide production after exercise. Free Radic Res. (2009)
Ochiai M, et al. Short-term effects of L-citrulline supplementation on arterial stiffness in middle-aged men. Int J Cardiol. (2012)
Figueroa A, et al. Oral L-citrulline supplementation attenuates blood pressure response to cold pressor test in young men. Am J Hypertens. (2010)

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Human Effect Matrix

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