People eating only meat had very high 'bad' cholesterol but also high 'good' cholesterol and very low triglycerides — a pattern that usually means their bodies handle sugar well.

People on a meat-only diet for up to a few years tend to see their 'bad' and total cholesterol go up a lot, which might raise their risk of heart problems.

Eating more cholesterol raises both 'bad' and 'good' cholesterol a little bit, but doesn't change their ratio much, which is important for heart health.

People who eat a lot of fat and very few carbs tend to have higher cholesterol numbers than those who eat plant-based or mixed diets, and more than 7 in 10 of them have cholesterol levels that doctors consider too high—especially if they’re eating super low-carb.

Eating more cholesterol from foods like eggs or liver is linked to higher bad cholesterol levels in people eating strictly controlled diets.

Eating cholesterol doesn’t reliably raise bad cholesterol, and when it does, it also raises good cholesterol just as much, so your overall heart risk doesn’t change.