Eggs are the eggs of the chicken, a bird of the Phasianidae family, also known as chicken eggs or chicken ovum. They are sweet in taste and neutral in nature, and have the functions of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, nourishing the heart and calming the spirit, nourishing blood and securing the fetus, and prolonging life. Eggs are a popular food among the public. Fresh eggs are rich in comprehensive nutrition, and nutritionists call them a "complete protein model," earning them the reputation of an "ideal nutrition bank." Which foods should not be eaten with eggs
Eggs and Milk Milk contains lactose, a disaccharide of galactose and glucose, where galactose is the source of its nutrition. Eggs contain a lot of protein, which breaks down into amino acids. The absorption of amino acids requires energy (active transport on the intestinal wall). At this time, there is less glucose available in the blood, and galactose will be oxidized to provide energy. A certain protein in eggs reacts with a certain nutrient in milk, reducing its nutritional value, so they should not be eaten together.
Eggs and Soy Milk
Raw soy milk contains trypsin inhibitors, which inhibit the activity of human proteases, affecting the digestion and absorption of protein in the human body. The white of an egg contains viscous protein, which can bind with trypsin in soy milk, hindering the breakdown of protein and thus reducing the human body's absorption rate of protein. Eggs and Sugar
In many places, it is customary to eat poached eggs in sugar water. In fact, cooking eggs and sugar together causes the amino acids in egg protein to form a compound with fructoselysine. This substance is not easily absorbed by the human body and has adverse effects on health. Its main nutritional components are:
1. Protein: Eggs are rich in high-quality protein. Every 100 grams of eggs contain 12.7 grams of protein, and the protein in two eggs is roughly equivalent to the protein in 150 grams of fish or lean meat. The digestibility of egg protein is also the highest among milk, pork, beef, and rice.
The protein in fresh eggs is mainly ovalbumin (in the egg white) and vitellin (mainly in the yolk). The amino acid composition of its protein is closest to that of human tissue protein, so its absorption rate is quite high, reaching 99.7%.
2. Fat: Every 100 grams of eggs contain 11.6 grams of fat, mostly concentrated in the yolk, mostly in the form of unsaturated fatty acids. The fat is in an emulsified state and is easily absorbed by the human body.
3. Amino acids: Eggs are particularly rich in methionine, while grains and legumes lack this essential amino acid. Therefore, eating eggs with grains or legumes can improve the biological utilization of the latter two.
4. Other micronutrients: Eggs also contain other important micronutrients, such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, and phosphorus. The iron content in the yolk is 7 mg/100g; phosphorus in eggs is abundant, but calcium is relatively insufficient. Therefore, eating dairy products and eggs together can provide complementary nutrition. Eggs are also rich in vitamins A and B. In recent years, nutritionists and medical experts at home and abroad have had six new understandings of the nutritional value and health functions of eggs: Brain-boosting and intelligence-enhancing
The lecithin, triglycerides, cholesterol, and vitellin in the egg yolk have a significant effect on the nervous system and physical development. After being digested by the human body, lecithin can release choline, which can improve memory in all age groups. Protecting the liver
The protein in eggs has a repairing effect on liver tissue damage. The lecithin in the yolk can promote the regeneration of liver cells. It can also increase the plasma protein level in the human body, enhancing the body's metabolic and immune functions.
Preventing and treating arteriosclerosis
American nutritionists and medical workers used eggs to prevent and treat atherosclerosis and achieved surprisingly good results. They extracted lecithin from eggs, walnuts, and pork liver and gave it to patients with cardiovascular diseases at 4-6 tablespoons daily. After 3 months, the patients' serum cholesterol decreased significantly, and satisfactory results were achieved. Preventing cancer
Eggs contain relatively more vitamin B2, which can decompose and oxidize carcinogens in the human body. Trace elements in eggs, such as selenium and zinc, also have anti-cancer effects.
According to an analysis of cancer mortality rates among people worldwide, it has been found that cancer mortality is inversely proportional to selenium intake. Delaying aging
Eggs contain almost all the nutrients needed by the human body. One of the longevity experiences of many elderly people is to eat an egg every day. Many health-preserving medicinal diets passed down in China's folk culture also cannot do without eggs. For example, eggs boiled with He Shou Wu, eggs boiled with pig's brain, egg porridge, etc. When eggs are processed into salted eggs, the calcium content will increase significantly, from 55 mg per 100g to 512 mg, which is about 10 times that of fresh eggs, making it especially suitable for people who want to supplement calcium. Maintaining skin health
Eggs also contain relatively rich iron. 100 grams of egg yolk contains 150 mg of iron. Iron plays a role in blood production and in transporting oxygen and nutrients in the blood. The rosy beauty of a person's face is inseparable from iron. If iron is insufficient, it can lead to iron-deficiency anemia, causing a person's complexion to become sallow and the skin to lose its beautiful luster. It can be seen that eggs are indeed one of the important foods for maintaining skin beauty. Common misconceptions about eggs Eating eggs often leads to high cholesterol
Indeed, each yolk contains more than 200 mg of cholesterol, which accounts for 2/3 of the recommended daily intake of cholesterol. Therefore, many people are scared off by this data and exclude egg yolks from their daily diet. In fact, no scientific research has proven that people who eat more eggs have a higher probability of developing heart disease than those who eat fewer eggs. So far, after examining the eating habits of about 120,000 men and women and conducting many years of follow-up, authoritative studies have shown that compared to healthy men and women who eat an average of one egg a day, those who eat only one egg a week or none have no increased risk of heart disease or stroke. These data clearly tell us that there is no direct link between the high cholesterol in eggs and high cholesterol in the human body. Because the yolk contains relatively rich lecithin, a powerful emulsifier, it can make cholesterol and fat particles extremely fine, allowing them to pass through the blood vessel wall and be fully utilized by cells, thereby reducing cholesterol in the blood. Moreover, the lecithin in the yolk is digested to release choline, which enters the blood and then synthesizes acetylcholine, the main substance of a neurotransmitter, which can improve brain function and enhance memory. Therefore, one cannot predict a negative impact on the risk of heart disease just because of their high cholesterol content.
Eating raw eggs is more nutritious
Some people like to eat raw eggs, thinking that the nutrients in eggs are destroyed after being cooked, and that eating them raw is more beneficial to the body than eating them cooked. In fact, this way of eating is not only useless but also harmful.
First, eggs are produced from the chicken's ovary and cloaca, and the bacterial contamination rate of its ovary and cloaca is very high, so the eggshell surface and even the yolk may have been contaminated with bacteria. Eating them raw can easily cause parasitic diseases, intestinal diseases, or food poisoning. Second, raw eggs have a fishy smell that can suppress the central nervous system, reduce people's appetite, and sometimes even cause vomiting. Third, raw egg white contains a substance called avidin, which prevents the human body from absorbing the biotin in the egg yolk. When eggs are cooked, bacteria inside and outside the egg can be killed, and avidin can be destroyed. Recent studies have shown that if raw eggs are eaten in large quantities for a long time, the avidin in raw egg white combines with biotin in the body to form a stable compound, preventing biotin from being absorbed by the intestinal wall, which can lead to mental fatigue, muscle aches, hair loss, skin inflammation, loss of appetite, weight loss, etc.; when raw eggs pass through the intestine, they are prone to ferment and spoil, sometimes producing nitroso compounds. These compounds are carcinogenic, so eggs should not be eaten raw. Fertilized eggs are beneficial to health
Fertilized eggs refer to eggs that have been incubated but have not developed into chicks. Folk belief holds that fertilized eggs have the effect of replenishing qi, and regular consumption can make the complexion ruddy, increase appetite, strengthen the body, and delay aging. It is said that fertilized eggs have a high protein content because during the incubation period, the nutrients in the eggs are not only not destroyed but are enhanced by incubation. In addition, it contains some components similar to "human placenta," which can improve gastrointestinal function, increase appetite, and have anti-aging effects. However, most fertilized eggs sold on the market are eggs used for hatching chicks, which are fertilized eggs that have stopped developing and died inside the shell due to improper temperature, humidity, or bacterial infection. The original nutrients in these dead embryo eggs, such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, inorganic salts, and vitamins, have all or partially changed, and most of them have been used and consumed by the embryo, leaving very little nutrients left. Tests have shown that almost 100% of dead embryo eggs contain bacteria. Eating these unfertilized, dead embryo eggs is not only low in nutritional value but also easily causes poisoning, leading to diseases such as dysentery, typhoid fever, and hepatitis. Therefore, the nutritional value of fertilized eggs is low, and they are easily contaminated by bacteria. If not heated thoroughly, they can easily cause food poisoning.
Brown-shelled eggs are more nutritious than white-shelled eggs
Brown-shelled eggs are said to be laid by so-called free-range chickens, while white-shelled eggs are laid by laying hens, commonly called foreign chickens. The egg whites of brown-shelled eggs are thick, while those of white-shelled eggs are thin, so people think brown-shelled eggs are more nutritious. This has no scientific basis. When the two types of chickens that lay white and brown eggs are fed under the same conditions, nutritionists have determined after comparing the nutritional components of white and brown eggs that the protein content in brown-shelled eggs is 12.4%, while in white-shelled eggs it is 13%; the fat content in brown-shelled eggs is 11.2%, while in white-shelled eggs it is 9.9%; the content of other nutrients is also almost the same. But now, brown-shelled eggs are not necessarily laid by free-range chickens. Brown-shelled eggs from chicken farms have red shells because other things are added to the chicken feed, and their nutrition is the same as white-shelled eggs, but because people like brown-shelled eggs, the price can be raised. This is a means of value-added. Therefore, there is no need to insist on buying brown-shelled eggs from chicken farms now. The more eggs a postpartum woman eats, the better
Some postpartum women eat more than 10 eggs a day to strengthen their nutrition, but this is not good for their health. Medical research has found that excessive intake of protein increases the burden on the kidneys. Postpartum women have reduced digestive and absorption functions, reduced liver detoxification functions, and reduced kidney's ability to remove waste. If they eat a large number of eggs, it will加重 the burden on the liver and kidneys, causing adverse consequences. Excessive intake of protein can also break down abnormally in the intestines, producing large amounts of ammonia, hydroxyl, phenol, indole, etc. These chemicals are very toxic to the human body and can easily cause symptoms such as abdominal bloating, dizziness, limb weakness, and coma. Modern medicine calls these symptoms "protein poisoning syndrome."
The intake of protein should be calculated based on the human body's digestion and absorption of protein. Under normal circumstances, the protein supply is 1.0-1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, accounting for about 15% of the total calories, and high-quality protein should account for 40%-50% of the total protein. During the entire puerperium, a postpartum woman only needs about 100 grams of protein per day to meet her nutritional needs, so eating about 3 eggs a day is enough.
Which cooking method is more beneficial for retaining the nutritional components of eggs
There are many ways to eat eggs. In terms of nutritional absorption and digestibility, boiled eggs are 100%, scrambled eggs are 97%, lightly fried eggs are 98%, heavily fried eggs are 81.1%, eggs poached in boiling water or milk are 92.5%, and raw eggs are 30%-50%. Therefore, boiled eggs are the best way to eat them, but you should chew slowly, otherwise it will affect absorption and digestion. However, for children, steamed egg custard and egg drop soup are the most suitable, because these two methods can break down the protein, making it extremely easy for children to digest and absorb. The vitamin C content in eggs is not high, so it is best to eat a moderate amount of vegetables when eating eggs. Who should not eat eggs
Although eggs are nutritious, the following people should be cautious when eating them.
When a patient has a high fever, do not give them eggs to supplement nutrition, because high fever patients have reduced digestive juice secretion and decreased activity of various digestive enzymes. At this time, it is not advisable to eat high-protein, hard-to-digest eggs. They can only eat light diets, otherwise it will cause symptoms of indigestion such as bloating and diarrhea, which is not conducive to recovery.
Patients with nephritis should also be cautious when eating eggs if their renal function is reduced and urine output is decreased, because at this time the patient's metabolic waste cannot be fully excreted from the body. If they eat more eggs, excessive protein intake will increase urea in the body, which will aggravate the condition. When kidney patients have renal failure, they should avoid eating eggs.
The cholesterol and fat in egg yolks are metabolized in the liver, which increases the burden on the liver. Therefore, patients with liver and gallbladder diseases should control their egg intake according to their condition.
Allergic to protein Some patients with a naturally allergic constitution, due to a large intake of protein-rich foods at one time, such as eggs, are prone to protein allergic urticaria, experiencing symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and skin rashes. Therefore, such patients should avoid foods rich in protein.