Introduction: Eggs are a high-protein food. If consumed in excess, they can lead to an increase in metabolic byproducts and also place a burden on the kidneys. Generally, it is more appropriate for children and the elderly to eat one egg per day, while teenagers and adults can eat two eggs per day.
I. Eating Eggs and Soy Milk Together Reduces Nutritional Value
People often eat soy milk with eggs, believing that since both are rich in protein, they are beneficial to the body. From a scientific dietary perspective, soy milk is sweet and neutral in nature and contains many nutrients such as plant protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Drinking it alone has a great nourishing effect.
However, the two should not be eaten together. This is because raw soy milk contains trypsin inhibitors, which can inhibit the activity of human proteases, affecting the digestion and absorption of protein in the human body. The egg white contains viscous protein, which can combine with the trypsin in soy milk, hindering the decomposition of protein and thus reducing the human body's absorption rate of protein.
II. Eating Undercooked Eggs Can Easily Cause Diarrhea
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 contain anti-trypsin, which affects the human body's digestion and absorption of egg protein. These two substances are not broken down in undercooked eggs, thus affecting the digestion and absorption of protein. During the formation of eggs, bacteria can be present. Bacteria can pass through the small pores in the eggshell and enter the egg. Undercooked eggs cannot kill these bacteria, which can at least cause diarrhea. Therefore, eggs should be cooked at high temperatures before eating; do not eat undercooked eggs.
The protein structure of raw eggs 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 inhibit 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.
III. Adding Monosodium Glutamate When Scrambling Eggs Destroys the Umami Flavor
Eggs contain sodium chloride and a large amount of glutamic acid. When heated, these two ingredients naturally form sodium glutamate, which has a pure umami flavor. The main component of monosodium glutamate (MSG) is also sodium glutamate. If MSG is added when scrambling eggs, it will interfere with the egg's own synthesis of sodium glutamate, not only destroying the egg's umami flavor but also failing to enhance the flavor of the dish.
IV. Overcooked Eggs Affect Absorption
Overcooking an egg is not necessarily better, as a research paper indicates that overcooked eggs increase the loss of nutrients and fat oxidation. The study found that compared to scrambled eggs, overcooked eggs have a 16% greater loss of vitamin E and a 30.4% higher degree of fat oxidation. Researchers also found that for eggs rich in omega-3 fatty acids, cooking can increase their fat oxidation by 3 to 9 times. When an egg is boiled for too long, a gray-green layer of iron(II) sulfide forms on the surface of the yolk, which is difficult for the human body to absorb. The protein becomes hard and tough as it ages, making the egg very hard, which is not only unpleasant to eat but also affects digestion and absorption.
Tip for boiling eggs: Place the eggs in cold water. After bringing the water to a boil over high heat, immediately turn it down to the lowest setting. After four to five minutes, turn off the heat and let the eggs cook through with the residual heat. The eggs boiled this way will have a tender egg white and a moist yolk, making them much more delicious to eat.
V. Boiling Eggs with Sugar Causes Blood to Coagulate
Because under long-term heating conditions, a chemical reaction occurs between the amino acids in eggs and sugar, resulting in a compound called glycosyl lysine, which destroys the beneficial amino acid components in eggs for the human body. The resulting compound is not only difficult for the human body to absorb but is also toxic. Furthermore, this substance has a blood-coagulating 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 compromising the taste.
VI. Storing Hard-Boiled Eggs After Soaking in Cold Water Can Easily Lead to Spoilage
Some people often soak cooked eggs in cold water, using the different thermal expansion coefficients of the eggshell and egg white to make the shell easier to peel. However, this practice is unhygienic.
In fact, fresh eggs have a protective layer on their surface that prevents moisture from evaporating and also blocks microorganisms. When an egg is cooked, the film on the shell is destroyed, allowing some gas from the air chamber inside the egg to escape. When the egg is then placed in cold water, the temperature in the air chamber drops rapidly, creating a negative pressure. Cold water and microorganisms can enter the egg through the pores in the shell and the double membrane inside, making it more prone to spoilage during storage.
What is the most nutritious way to eat eggs?
Answer: In terms of nutrient absorption and digestibility, soft-boiled eggs are at 99%, scrambled eggs at 97%, tender fried eggs at 98%, hard fried eggs at 81.1%, eggs poached in boiling water or milk at 92.5%, and raw eggs at 30%-50%. Thus, boiling is the best method, but it is important to chew slowly, otherwise it will affect absorption and digestion.
What should be noted when boiling eggs?
Answer: The correct way to boil an egg is to place it in cold water, heat it slowly, and then simmer it over low heat for 2 minutes after the water comes to a boil. After turning off the heat, let it soak for another 5 minutes. This way, the egg white will be tender, and the yolk will be set but not overcooked.
Different boiling times for eggs result in different digestion times in the human body: a "3-minute egg" is a slightly soft-boiled egg, which is the easiest to digest, taking about 1 hour and 30 minutes; a "5-minute egg" is a soft-boiled egg, taking about 2 hours to digest; an egg boiled for too long takes 3 hours and 15 minutes to digest. A "5-minute egg" is not only soft and has a rich egg aroma, but it is also beneficial for the human body to absorb nutrients. The American medical community once published a research report stating that 24 adults who ate two soft-boiled eggs daily for 6 weeks did not see a rise in blood lipids; instead, their beneficial cholesterol (HDL) increased by 10%.
Answer: Eggs are a high-protein food. If consumed in excess, they can lead to an increase in metabolic byproducts and also place a burden on the kidneys. Generally, it is more appropriate for children and the elderly to eat one egg per day, while teenagers and adults can eat two eggs per day.