Over the past several decades, eggs have been shunned due to the incorrect belief that they cause coronary heart disease. Thankfully, that lie is crumbling and the truth regarding their nutrient-dense benefits is prevailing. In fact, this superfood has many incredible benefits, including:
- Eggs are rich in just about every nutrient we have yet discovered, especially fat-soluble vitamins A and D.
- They provide sulphur-containing proteins, necessary for the integrity of cell membranes.
- Eggs are an excellent source of special long-chain fatty acids called EPA and DHA. These play a vital role in the development of the nervous systems in infants and maintenance of mental acuity in adults.
- The egg yolk is the most concentrated source known of choline. This a B vitamin found in lecithin that is necessary for keeping cholesterol moving in the blood stream.
Preparation
So, what is your favorite way to cook your eggs…boiled, fried, scrambled, poached, over-easy, soft-boiled, runny? The options are endless. However, in order to optimize all of nutrient benefits that an egg offers, the “best way to consume eggs, provided they come from a high-quality source, is to not cook them at all.” This is especially true of yolks.
When an egg is exposed to heat, the perishable nutrients the egg provides are damaged. In fact, “two raw egg yolks have antioxidant properties equivalent to half a serving of cranberries (25 grams) and almost twice as many as an apple. But the antioxidant properties are reduced by about 50 percent when the eggs are fried or boiled, and reduced even more if they’re microwaved.” In addition, when the yolk is exposed to high heat, such as when being scrambled (at high heat), it begins to oxidize. And this oxidation is a large contributor to chronic inflammation in the body.
Cautions
We often hear two common questions in response to our encouraging clients to eat their eggs raw. So, let’s directly address them now…
1. “Can we eat the egg white too?”
Our recommendation is no…or only on occasion. First, the yolk is the healthiest part of the egg. It provides valuable A, D, E, and K vitamins, omega-3 fats and antioxidants. Whereas, the egg white has very little to no nutritional value. Secondly, the raw egg white contains anti-nutrients called “avidin and trypsin inhibitors.” The “avidin blocks the digestion of biotin, one of the B vitamins,” and the “trypsin inhibitors make digestion of the protein in the egg white more difficult.”
2. “Do we need to worry about salmonella infections?”
The cause of any salmonella infections lies in the hands of over-crowded production methods and the use and abuse of antibiotics in feed. “Eggs from pasture-fed hens pose no damage provided they have been properly refrigerated.”
In fact, according Sally Fallon Morell, the truth of the matter is that:
- Salmonella organisms have always been in eggs. To reduce their numbers, egg producers now refrigerate their product as soon after collection as possible.
- Not everyone who eats uncooked eggs gets a Salmonella infection, even when the eggs contain Salmonella.
- The body has a series of natural mechanisms that readily resist Salmonella and other intestinal pathogens when properly supported, but which are suppressed by antibiotics.
- The facts that have been reported in recent years concerning how to kill Salmonella and other pathogens without antibiotics are credible. Doctors tell us…they have yet to encounter an organism that requires a prescription antibiotic to knock it out. In fact, prescription antibiotics tend to hinder the effectiveness of the natural mechanisms. Thus, unless the infection is potentially lethal, antibiotics are more of a hindrance than a help when the doctor is trying to manage the organism using natural means (such as adjusting the body pH upward, eliminating sweets and re-establishing the growth of friendly bacteria in the small intestine). (quote from Sam, Queen, MA Health Realities)
So, the next time you have the opportunity to add a raw egg yolk into your morning smoothie or evening ice cream treat, don’t hesitate! Go ahead and enjoy its nutrient-dense goodness!
Sources
Fallon, Sally. 2001. Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and Diet Dictocrats. Washington, DC: NewTrends Publishing, Inc.
Masterjohn, Chris. The Incredible, Edible Egg Yolk. https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2005/07/01/the-incredible-edible-egg-yolk/
Pope, Sarah. Are Raw Egg Whites Healthy and Safe to Eat?. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/are-raw-egg-whites-healthy/
Mercola, Joseph. Are Egg Yolks Good or Bad?. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/02/29/egg-yolk-benefits.aspx
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