What to Eat for Optimal Brain Health - with Max Lugavere | The Empowering Neurologist EP. 147

0:20:51 David Perlmutter (host)contradictedmoderate

Bacteriophages in the human gut outnumber gut bacteria by a factor of 10 to 1.

"The bacteriophages in the gut outnumber the hundred trillion bacteria by a factor of 10 to 1" (said at 0:20:51)

The claim that bacteriophages outnumber gut bacteria by a 10:1 ratio reflects an outdated estimate commonly extrapolated from marine ecosystems rather than direct measurements in the human gut. Quantitative analyses of the human gut virome demonstrate that free bacteriophage particles are actually outnumbered by bacterial cells, with a virus-to-microbe particle ratio of approximately 1:100 (~0.01:1). Even when counting latent and integrated temperate phage genomes alongside free virions, the ratio of phage genomes to bacterial genomes is approximately 4:1, not 10:1.

contradicts: Abundance measurements reveal the balance between lysis and lysogeny in the human gut micr… (Current biology : CB 2025) · cited 21x in the literature
"Unifying results from previous studies, we show that an average human gut contains a low ratio of phage particles to bacterial cells (∼1:100) but a much larger ratio of phage genomes to bacterial genomes (∼4:1), implying that most gut phage are effectively temperate (e.g., integrated prophage and phage-plasmids)." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmed full study (doi)

0:39:34 Max Lugaverecontradictedhigh

Dietary cholesterol has no long-term impact on serum cholesterol levels.

"We know that dietary cholesterol has no long-term impact on serum cholesterol, and so I implore people to make regular use of eggs." (said at 0:39:34)

The claim that dietary cholesterol has no impact on serum cholesterol levels is contradicted by systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized intervention trials. A meta-analysis of intervention trials found that increasing dietary cholesterol statistically significantly raised both total cholesterol (net change: 11.2 mg/dL) and LDL cholesterol (net change: 6.7 mg/dL), as well as HDL cholesterol. While the impact of dietary cholesterol on blood lipids is smaller and more variable between individuals than that of saturated fat, clinical trial evidence consistently demonstrates a modest, statistically significant elevation in circulating cholesterol concentrations in response to dietary cholesterol intake.

contradicts: Dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (The American journal of clinical nutrition 2015) · cited 363x in the literature
"Dietary cholesterol statistically significantly increased both serum total cholesterol (17 trials; net change: 11.2 mg/dL; 95% CI: 6.4, 15.9) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (14 trials; net change: 6.7 mg/dL; 95% CI: 1.7, 11.7 mg/dL)." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmed full study (doi)
contradicts: Dietary Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Risk: A Science Advisory From the American Heart As… (Circulation 2020) · cited 330x in the literature
"Although meta-analyses of intervention studies differ in their findings, most associate intakes of cholesterol that exceed current average levels with elevated total or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmed full study (doi)

What to Eat for Optimal Brain Health - with Max Lugavere | The Empowering Neurologist EP. 147

Contradicted by research

Bacteriophages in the human gut outnumber gut bacteria by a factor of 10 to 1.

Dietary cholesterol has no long-term impact on serum cholesterol levels.