US may lower cholesterol's level of threat to health, report says

WASHINGTON – The advisory panel on the U.S. government's dietary guidelines has decided to drop its caution against eating cholesterol-laden food, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

At a December meeting, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee discussed its decision to no longer deem cholesterol a "nutrient of concern," according to the Washington Post.

The committee will soon release a report for the federal government to use as the basis of its dietary guidelines, and is withholding comment until the publication, the news outlet reported.

The committee did not reverse warnings on high levels of what is commonly considered "bad cholesterol," which has been linked to heart disease and possibly other health problems.

For decades, the government has warned against diets high in cholesterol. But now many nutritionists now believe that cholesterol intake may not significantly impact cholesterol blood levels or increase the risk of heart disease in healthy adults, according to the Washington Post.