I went on a vegan diet and my cholesterol went up – here’s why

A Harvard medical student recently went vegan as a health experiment — and the results were surprising.

Plant-based diets are heralded for their health benefits – but Nick Norwitz, 25, found his LDL cholesterol actually rose during the week-long food swap.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), sometimes called “bad cholesterol,” is linked to negative health effects when present in high amounts, doctors say.

After a week of eating an “almost entirely carnivore” diet, Norwitz switched to a “full vegan keto diet” for the entire next week.

His plant-based diet focused on tofu with some added vegan protein powder, green vegetables like spinach and Brussels sprouts, and some dark chocolate and macadamia nut butter, he said in his video.

For his main fat sources, Norwitz incorporated macadamia oil, extra virgin olive oil and a little toasted sesame oil.

In his video, Norwitz breaks down the specific amounts of macronutrients he consumes with both carnivore and vegan diets.

“Honestly, my stomach got really upset on the vegan diet,” says Norwitz. “This is just me, my biology and my microbiome.”

“Despite eating less total fat, less saturated fat, more fiber and zero cholesterol on the vegan diet, my total LDL cholesterol actually increased.”

The reason for the increase in LDL cholesterol on the vegan keto diet compared to the “carnivore” keto diet was calories, Norwitz said.

On the carnivore-like keto diet, he consumed 3,479 calories per day – which is about maintenance for me, and my weight didn’t change.

On the keto vegan diet, he consumed significantly fewer calories – 2,054 per day.

“While I don’t subscribe to the theory that calories cause obesity, that doesn’t mean calories don’t matter,” he said, noting that the “acutely dramatic reduction in calories” caused some weight loss.

Norwitz lost 4.2 pounds on the vegan diet, which he cites as the reason for the elevated LDL.

Previously published research has shown an “inverse relationship” between LDL cholesterol and body mass index on low-carb diets, he noted.

“Analyses have shown that leaner populations with a BMI of less than 25 see increases in LDL,” he said. “The leaner the person, the higher their LDL rises, all things being equal.”

Norwitz goes into detail in his video about the scientific reasons for this link between lower BMI and higher LDL cholesterol.

He believes these results are likely to apply to other lean, active people on low-carb diets in a controlled setting.

Making a “sensible point”.

Norwitz — a self-described “academic” with a doctorate in metabolic health who is currently completing his medical studies at Harvard — said he has always had a passion for sharing his “joy and interest” in science.

“While people can do well on plant-based diets, eating plant-based is not essential for health,” Norwitz told Fox News Digital.

“My vegan-keto study, while certainly a carefully designed metabolic demonstration, provocatively challenges conventional ideas to hopefully force people to think more deeply about how each individual’s unique metabolic circumstances merit individual consideration,” he continued.

“In that way, it’s a radical demonstration trying to make a reasonable point.”

Above all, Norwitz said he hopes his experiments will inspire people to become more curious about their metabolic health.

“Psychology is more contagious than the flu,” he said. “I want people to get vaccinated out of curiosity.”

Dr. Bradley Serwer, a cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ohio company that provides cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, was not involved in the experiment but provided input on the findings.

It’s “impossible to extrapolate one person’s experience” across populations, Serwer told Fox News Digital.

Just because something is labeled vegan doesn’t make it healthy, the cardiologist warned.

“It’s important to stay away from highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates (sugar), which are common in many vegan items,” Serwer said.

Genetics also play a big role in a person’s cholesterol metabolism, he noted.

“Suddenly changing your diet can disrupt your body’s physiology and cause cholesterol levels to fluctuate,” Serwer said.

For those who choose to go vegan, the doctor said, it’s important to “increase soluble fiber, focus on whole foods that are minimally processed, and include healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.” of olives in your diet”.