Throughout history, eggs have always been a staple on people's tables, almost indispensable in daily life. However, despite having been eaten for many years, many people don't know enough about eggs, and misconceptions about them continue to be widely circulated.
Misconception 1: Red-shelled eggs are more nutritious than white-shelled eggs. In the past, people believed that red-shelled eggs were more nutritious, and they were also more expensive in the market. Tests have shown that the color of an eggshell is related to the breed of the chicken and has nothing to do with its nutritional value.
Misconception 2: Farm-fresh eggs are more nutritious. True farm-fresh (free-range) eggs might taste a bit better. However, tests have shown that the nutritional content of farm-fresh eggs is not higher than that of regular eggs. Additionally, it is difficult to control the hygiene of the laying environment for free-range chickens, and there is a higher possibility of eggs being contaminated with feces.
Misconception 3: "First-laid eggs" and "functional eggs" are more nutritious. Generally, eggs laid by chickens within 130 to 160 days of their laying cycle are called first-laid eggs. There is no test evidence to show that first-laid eggs contain more nutrients than regular eggs. In fact, first-laid eggs are smaller, about 40 grams each, and because they don't meet the weight standard, they are not allowed to be sold in foreign countries. Functional eggs are eggs that are made rich in nutrients like zinc, iodine, selenium, and calcium through feed technology. This sounds good, but in reality, because there are no standards and they are difficult to test, many products are suspected of overstatement.
Misconception 4: The more yellow the yolk, the more nutritious it is. The color of the yolk is related to the various pigments it contains, some of which, such as carotene, do have nutritional value. However, current technology can easily deepen the color of the yolk, which has nothing to do with nutrition and can also bring safety hazards.
Misconception 5: Balut (developing eggs) are a nourishing food. Balut, or "dead-fetal eggs," are embryos from eggs that have been incubated partway and are often eaten as a nourishing food in many regions. In fact, balut is not highly nutritious and often contains many pathogenic bacteria.
Misconception 6: The longer you boil an egg, the better it is. The best way to eat an egg is when the white is fully set and the yolk is semi-set or runny. This way, both the rate of digestion and absorption can be ensured, and the loss of nutrients can be avoided.
Misconception 7: Eating raw eggs is more nutritious. Eating raw eggs can interfere with the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). Although occasionally eating raw eggs will not lead to a biotin deficiency, it is easy to get bacterial infections from them.
Misconception 8: Postpartum women should eat a lot of eggs. It is a custom in China for postpartum women to eat a large number of eggs during their "confinement month," but this is no longer applicable today when food is abundant. Postpartum women should ensure a diverse diet, eating meat, dairy, beans, grains, fruits, and vegetables in addition to one or two eggs a day to achieve a balanced diet.
Misconception 9: Eggs should not be eaten with soy milk. People who advocate this claim believe that soybeans contain trypsin inhibitors, which will affect the digestion and absorption of protein in the body. However, when soybeans are made into soy milk, the trypsin inhibitors are destroyed during the heating process, so there is no problem eating them with eggs.
Misconception 10: You cannot eat eggs when you have a cold. When you have a cold and fever, your body's energy consumption is high, your resistance drops, and you may not be able to eat much, leading to malnutrition. Appropriately supplementing with high-protein foods like eggs is beneficial for recovery. However, steamed egg custard and egg drop soup are the preferred choices, while fried or scrambled eggs are not easy to digest.