In China, eggs are regarded as a nourishing food. Regular consumption can enhance memory, protect the heart and arteries, prevent cancer, and delay aging. However, if not handled and eaten properly, this nourishment can become "waste" or even "poison." Therefore, it's essential to understand the proper way to eat eggs to prevent problems before they arise...
Avoid eating raw eggs
The egg white contains avidin, which affects the absorption of biotin in food, leading to symptoms such as loss of appetite, general weakness, muscle pain, skin inflammation, and eyebrow loss. Eggs also contain antitrypsin, which interferes with the human body's digestion and absorption of egg protein. In raw eggs, these two substances are not broken down, thus affecting the digestion and absorption of protein.
During formation, eggs can carry bacteria. Raw eggs cannot kill these bacteria and can easily cause diarrhea. Therefore, eggs should be cooked at high temperatures before eating; do not eat raw eggs. The protein structure of a raw egg is dense, and a large part of it 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 like saliva, gastric juice, and intestinal juice, leading to loss of appetite and indigestion.
Avoid overcooked eggs
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 will become hard and tough with overcooking, affecting appetite and making it less absorbable.
Eggs should not be boiled with sugar
Boiling eggs with sugar at high temperatures produces a substance called glycosyllysine, which destroys the beneficial amino acids in eggs. This substance also has a blood-clotting effect and can be harmful to the body after entering it. If you need to add sugar to boiled eggs, you should wait for them to cool slightly before stirring it in; the taste will not be diminished.
No need to add MSG when frying eggs
Eggs contain sodium chloride and a large amount of glutamic acid. After heating, these two ingredients form sodium glutamate, which has a pure umami flavor. The main component of MSG is also sodium glutamate. Adding MSG when frying eggs interferes with the egg's own synthesis of sodium glutamate, destroying the egg's natural umami flavor.
Avoid storing hard-boiled eggs after soaking in cold water
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 white. However, this practice is unhygienic. Fresh eggs have a protective film on their surface that prevents moisture from evaporating and microbes from entering. After the egg is cooked, this film is destroyed, and some gas from the air chamber inside escapes. Placing the egg in cold water causes a sudden drop in temperature in the air chamber, creating a negative pressure. Cold water and microbes can then enter the egg through the pores in the shell and the double membrane inside, making it prone to spoilage during storage.
Eggs: What's the best way to eat them?
The most nutritious cooking methods: Eggs can be prepared in many ways. In terms of nutritional absorption and digestibility, soft-boiled eggs are at 100%, scrambled eggs at 97%, lightly fried eggs at 98%, well-fried eggs at 81.1%, eggs poached or mixed in hot water or milk at 92.5%, and raw eggs at 30%-50%. Therefore, boiled eggs are the best way to eat them, but you should chew slowly to avoid affecting absorption and digestion. However, for children, steamed egg custard and egg drop soup are the most suitable, as these methods break down the protein, making it very easy for children to digest and absorb.
Note: Tea eggs should be eaten in moderation because tea contains acidic substances that combine with the iron in eggs, irritating the stomach and affecting digestive function.
How many eggs to eat per day: Eggs are a high-protein food. Eating too many can increase metabolic waste and add a burden on the kidneys. Generally, it is appropriate for children and the elderly to eat one egg per day, and for teenagers and adults to eat two per day. White or yolk: The correct way is to eat the whole egg. The white contains more protein, while the yolk contains more of other nutrients.
Six types of eggs that should never be eaten
Cracked eggs: During transportation, storage, and packaging, eggs can be cracked or fissured due to vibration and squeezing. Bacteria can easily enter these eggs, and they should not be eaten if they have been stored for a long time.
Stuck-to-shell eggs: In these eggs, the storage time is too long, and the yolk membrane has become weak. The yolk sticks to the shell. If only a part is red, it can still be eaten. However, if the yolk membrane is tightly stuck to the shell, the outside is dark black, and there is an odor, it should not be eaten.
Rotten eggs: Bacteria invade the egg and multiply, causing it to spoil. The eggshell becomes a dull gray, and the shell may even rupture due to expansion from internal hydrogen sulfide gas. The contents inside will be gray-green or dark yellow with a foul smell. Such eggs are inedible and can cause bacterial food poisoning.
Broken-yolk eggs: The yolk membrane can rupture due to violent shaking during transportation, causing mechanical breakage. Alternatively, if stored for too long, bacteria or molds can enter the egg through the shell pores, destroying the protein structure and causing the yolk to break. The egg liquid will be thin and cloudy. If the breakage is not severe and there is no odor, it can still be eaten after high-temperature cooking like frying or boiling. However, if bacteria have multiplied inside the egg, the protein has denatured, and there is a foul smell, it should not be eaten.
Dead embryo eggs: These are eggs where the embryo has stopped developing during incubation due to bacterial or parasitic contamination, combined with poor temperature and humidity conditions. The nutritional content of such eggs has changed. If the death occurred a long time ago, the protein will have decomposed into various toxic substances, so it should not be eaten.
Moldy eggs: If eggs are rained on or become damp, the protective film on the shell is washed away, allowing bacteria to enter and the egg to become moldy. This will result in black spots and mold on the shell, and such eggs should not be purchased or eaten. In addition, eggs with yellow runny yolks or blood streaks should generally not be purchased or eaten.