Eggs are a food relatively high in protein and can effectively supplement the body's needs. However, eating eggs incorrectly can lead to many diseases.
I. Eating undercooked eggs can easily cause diarrhea
The egg white contains avidin, which affects the absorption of biotin in food, causing symptoms such as loss of appetite, general weakness, muscle pain, skin inflammation, and eyebrow loss. Eggs contain trypsin inhibitor, which affects the human body's digestion and absorption of egg protein. In undercooked eggs, these two substances are not broken down, thus affecting the digestion and absorption of protein.
Eggs can carry bacteria during their formation. Undercooked eggs cannot kill these bacteria and can easily cause diarrhea. Therefore, eggs should be cooked at high temperatures before consumption, and undercooked eggs should not be eaten.
The protein structure of raw eggs is dense, and a large portion cannot be absorbed by the human body. Only when cooked does the protein become soft, allowing the human gastrointestinal tract to digest and absorb it. Raw eggs have a special fishy smell that can suppress the central nervous system, reducing the secretion of digestive fluids such as saliva, gastric juice, and intestinal juice, leading to loss of appetite and indigestion.
II. Overcooked eggs are not easily absorbed
If eggs are boiled for too long, a gray-green layer of iron sulfide will form on the surface of the yolk, which is difficult for the body to absorb. The protein becomes hard and tough when overcooked, affecting appetite and making it difficult to absorb.
III. Eating eggs with soybean milk reduces their nutritional value
Many people have the habit of eating an egg with soybean milk for breakfast, or beating an egg into the soybean milk to boil it. Soybean milk is mild and sweet in nature and contains many nutrients such as plant protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Drinking it alone has a great nourishing effect. However, it contains a special substance called trypsin, which combines with the ovalbumin in the egg white, causing a loss of nutrients and reducing the nutritional value of both.
IV. Boiling eggs with sugar causes blood to clot
Boiling eggs with sugar generates a substance called glycosyllysine due to high temperatures, which destroys the beneficial amino acid components in eggs for the human body. Moreover, this substance has a blood-clotting effect and can cause harm after entering the body. If sugar needs to be added to boiled eggs, it should be added and stirred after the eggs have cooled slightly, without affecting the taste.
V. Adding monosodium glutamate (MSG) when scrambling eggs destroys their umami flavor
Eggs contain sodium chloride and a large amount of glutamic acid. These two ingredients generate monosodium glutamate after heating, which has a pure umami flavor. The main component of MSG is also monosodium glutamate. If MSG is added when scrambling eggs, it will interfere with the egg's own synthesis of monosodium glutamate, destroying the egg's natural umami flavor.
VI. Storing hard-boiled eggs after soaking them in cold water can easily lead to spoilage
Some people often soak hard-boiled eggs in cold water to make the shells easier to peel, taking advantage of the different thermal expansion coefficients of the shell and the egg white. However, this practice is unhygienic. Because fresh eggs have a protective layer on their surface that prevents moisture from evaporating and stops microorganisms from entering. After the eggs are boiled, this membrane on the shell is destroyed, and some gas from the air chamber inside the egg escapes. When the egg is placed in cold water, the temperature in the air chamber drops rapidly and becomes negative pressure. Cold water and microorganisms can enter the egg through the pores in the shell and the double membrane inside, making it easy to spoil during storage.