In this video, Nick Norwitz presents a self‑conducted, physician‑overseen n=1 metabolic experiment designed to test his Lipid Energy Model and the lean‑mass hyper‑responder (LMHR) phenotype. The LMHR phenotype describes individuals on low‑carbohydrate ketogenic diets who develop extremely high LDL cholesterol (often >300 mg/dL) while maintaining very high HDL (>80 mg/dL) and low triglycerides (<70 mg/dL). The Lipid Energy Model posits that severe carbohydrate depletion forces the body to increase VLDL export, raising LDL levels. To test whether re‑introducing carbohydrates would rapidly lower LDL, Norwitz added 12 Oreo cookies (~100 g carbs) daily to his ketogenic diet for 16 days, then after a washout period, underwent a 6‑week course of high‑intensity statin therapy (20 mg rosuvastatin). The Oreo phase reduced LDL from 384 mg/dL to 111 mg/dL (‑273 mg/dL, ‑71%) within 16 days, while the statin phase lowered LDL from 421 mg/dL to 284 mg/dL (‑137 mg/dL, ‑32.5%) over 6 weeks. Norwitz concludes that, in his case, Oreo cookies were roughly twice as potent as the statin for lowering LDL, consistent with his model, and calls for larger, rigorous studies on the Lipid Energy Model and LMHRs. He ends with a request to share the video and the linked paper to support further research.
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Sometimes the best way to advance science is through a dramatic demonstration. 5 months ago, I started an experiment to see which would lower my cholesterol more: standard of care statin therapy or Oreo cookies. Now, why would I do such an odd experiment? And which of these, in the end, did have the bigger impact on my cholesterol? Before getting into the story and the results, Let me first emphasize that this experiment was a metabolic demonstration, a bold test of a new scientific model. This is certainly a do-not-do-this-at-home sort of experiment, and I definitely do not recommend cookies for health. Over the past several years, colleagues and I have been studying a phenomenon in which cholesterol, in particular LDL cholesterol, can rise dramatically in some individuals adopting a low-carb ketogenic diet. And when I say rise dramatically, when I say high, I mean into space high levels. Not 150 or 160, but as high as 300, 400, 500, 600, or more. And that's just the LDL. Interestingly, those who appear most susceptible to this phenotype, to this rise in LDL on low-carb diets, are otherwise very healthy and lean with high HDL cholesterol, over 80 milligrams per deciliter, and low triglycerides, below 70 milligrams per deciliter. This is the definition of the lean mass hyper-responder phenotype, a metabolic triad of high LDL, high HDL, and low triglycerides on a low-carb diet. And in our prior publications, we've actually documented an inverse relationship between BMI and cholesterol on low-carb diets. In other words, the leaner you are, the higher your cholesterol tends to rise when you're low-carb. So, why does this occur? The model we've been developing over several years is called the Lipid Energy Model, and it states that the main driver is a drop in the body's carbohydrate stores, in particular the liver stores, which shifts energy demand from carb burning to fat burning. Now, for a dash more detail, getting into the weeds a bit, In these lean metabolically healthy people, these lean mass hyperresponders, carbohydrate restriction increases trafficking of fat fuel to meet systemic or whole body energy demands. This trafficking system depends on the export of VLDL particles, which are precursor to LDL particles, and this turnover process also increases HDL cholesterol and lowers triglycerides, resulting in the lean mass hyperresponder triad of high LDL, high HDL and low triglycerides. Now, based on the lipid energy model, adding back carbs, repleting the store of carbohydrates, glycogen, in the liver should bring LDL back down. And based on the model, any carb should work— a banana, a potato, or a sleeve of Oreo cookies. I chose Oreo cookies honestly because it is provocative. To me, a nerd and a PhD scientist, the intricacies of the lipid energy model and the lean mass hyper-responder phenotype are themselves awe-inspiring. They make my jaw drop and think, "Wow." Now, I want to share this nerd-thusiasm with as many people as possible and bait you into following our research journey. But to do this, I knew I needed something that would turn heads. Oreo cookies seemed to do the trick. Most people know what they are, and most people don't think of them as a health food. I know I certainly don't. So after obtaining appropriate ethics and the support of my primary care physician and a consultant cardiologist, I began the first phase, adding 12 Oreo cookies per day, about 100 grams of extra carbs, to my otherwise standard low-carb ketogenic diet. This first phase lasted 16 days. And then I had a washout period during which I returned to a similar body composition and cholesterol levels before starting a second phase: 6 weeks of high-intensity statin therapy with 20mg of rosuvastatin. The results were stunning. In 16 days, 12 Oreo cookies per day lowered my LDL cholesterol from 384mg/dL to 111 milligrams per deciliter, a drop of 273 milligrams per deciliter, or 71%. In fact, the reason the oreo phase was prolonged from just 2 weeks or 14 days to 16 days is because the drop at the second interventional blood draw, which was on day 14, was so shockingly large to my supervising physician and I that we decided we needed to repeat it, at least in triplicate, with follow-up tests on days 15 and 16. And the results showed a continued downward trend at day 16, with Oreo cookies dropping my LDL closer and closer to 100 mg/dL. Now, these results on their own were well worth publishing, but we still had the statin arm to come. So following a washout period, I began the statin phase with my starting LDL at 421 mg/dL and similar body composition. After 3 weeks on 20 mg rosuvastatin, my LDL cholesterol started to plateau in the 280s and 290s with a low of 284 mg/dL during the 6-week phase. Notice how this compares to the Oreo arm. 12 Oreos per day lowered my LDL by 273 mg/dL, or 71%, while high-intensity statin therapy only lowered my LDL by 137 mg/dL, or 32.5%. In other words, Oreo cookies were 2 times as potent as the statin. For lowering my LDL cholesterol. To summarize, the Oreo arm resulted in a lowering of my LDL from 384 to 111 mg/dL in 16 days, for a drop of 273 mg/dL, or 71%. The statin arm, by contrast, lowered my LDL from 421 to 284 mg/dL over a course of 6 weeks, with a drop of 173 mg/dL, or 32.5%. At its nadir. So Oreo cookies, in this context, in me, were 2 times as potent for cholesterol lowering as high-intensity statin therapy. I hope you agree the results of this experiment are mind-boggling. True, it's an n=1 experiment, but the results were predicted by the lipid energy model, which were the impetus for this experiment. The results are consistent with other data on this population known as lean mass hyperresponders. And all this aside, even if this were an outlier response, shouldn't we be curious as to why? In the coming years, we are pursuing many larger-scale rigorous projects with scientific luminaries from around the world who are becoming interested in the lipid energy model and lean mass hyperresponders. So for now, you can consider this Oreo versus statin experiment an published paper a hook, an invitation for you to join us on what I know will be a fascinating scientific journey that I am so excited for. So join us.
Thanks for watching, everyone. Please consider two things to help us advance our research. Please share this video and please share the paper. It's in the link in the description down below. It takes just a few seconds and I promise it'll help make a big difference. Thanks again.
