The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, appointed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has lifted the restriction on dietary cholesterol from the upcoming 2015 edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Recommendations to cut back on dietary cholesterol have been a mainstay of U.S. guidelines for years. This change, which has been long coming, reflects a major shift in the scientific view of cholesterol. Although serum cholesterol is still considered an important risk factor, consuming cholesterol does not increase the blood cholesterol levels. The committee’s new report states, “Cholesterol is not considered a nutrient of concern for over consumption.”