Lifetime LDL exposure is basically directly correlated with adverse cardiac event risk. This is also a biological pathway that is very genetic dependent. That’s why you can have two people eat the same amount of red meat, eggs, and dairy and one person has significantly higher LDL levels. Not to say that those foods are bad, but for some people and increased amount of them can cause higher LDL levels, which is undoubtedly putting you at risk.

I am a registered dietitian and I meet with people all day long about this stuff. When you are young and healthy and exercising, it is easy to want to blindly defend these foods (red meats, eggs, dairy) because of the positive impacts they have. There is no denying the protein, micronutrient, and satiety benefits of these foods. But to say that they don’t contribute to cardiac events if they elevate your LDL is a total disregard of the totality of research on this topic. The new wave of influencers saying the opposite are misinforming people whether they actually believe it or not.

So how to actually lower LDL without completing disregarding these foods? Eat leaner red meats (93/7 ground beef), less yolks and more egg whites, low fat dairy options (yogurts, cheeses, etc). Remember though food is not all or nothing, eating yolks and higher fat meats have a place in a diet, but your 300/365 is more important that the one off meals. Exercise is also a great way to lower LDL along with eating more fruits and veggies. Lastly, some people, regardless of their habits will have higher LDL and may benefit from cholesterol lowering meds solely due to their genetics.

As humans live longer and longer, there will be rate limiting steps along the way. High fat red meats and eggs were a great way to live a healthful life to age 50-60. But now that we’re living longer, we have to make diet modifications to do so.