For almost half a century, the U.S. dietary guidelines have warned against cholesterol and educated on the need to keep personal levels at or below 300 mg, or one and a half eggs, a day in an effort to prevent heart problems. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee responsible for these warning in the United States is set to reevaluate this decades long ruling and offer new, more appropriate advice in their report next month.

Dietary cholesterol is no longer considered a “nutrient of concern” to the committee as it has in prior years. This stance is the opposite sentiment to that of five years ago, the last time the committee met to discuss the nations diet, when it found cholesterol in excess among Americans a public health concern. This revolution follows the thinking of several nutritionists who theorize foods high in cholesterol , when eaten by healthy adults, may not significantly affect the level of cholesterol in the blood short term or increase the risk of heart disease long term. This message stands in opposition to the advice that the majority of Americans have been told since they were children: that heart disease and high cholesterol are directly related.

Cholesterol is a macronutrient found naturally in the cells of the human body and is crucial in the production of hormones, vitamin D, and other digestion substances. While the body naturally creates all the cholesterol we need, it is also found in the food we eat. This macronutrient is found in two types, based on the density of the outermost layer of the nutrient. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is what makes up the bad cholesterol while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) makes up the good. HDL is considered good by nutritionists because of it’s ability to remove the plaque build up left behind by LDL. This plaque is what clogs arteries and causes heart attacks as well as other health concerns.

The lifting of this warning does not apply to high levels of the so-called “bad” cholesterol in blood. Experts also warn that patients with diabetes and other particular health concerns should talk with their doctors before introducing cholesterol-rich foods back into their diets.

With the spotlight off of cholesterol, health experts agree that avoiding trans and saturated fats is now the primary consideration when making dietary decisions.

The draft report from the nutritional committee will be published in the coming weeks and will be subject to a public comment period. The report will then be an assistive tool in updating the federal nutritional guidelines.