What will happen to your body if you eat one salted duck egg a day? Is it "greasy" and has a very high fat content?

We have to admit that salted duck eggs are definitely the most delicious dry rice partner. 1 salted duck egg, 1 bowl of white rice, 1 plate of stir-fried vegetables, is a simple and happy meal! How many people will drool at the sight of the greasy salted duck eggs? It melts in the mouth, has a rich aroma, overflowing with fat, and is salty and delicious. It is irresistible and makes people want to eat one every day. So what is the impact on the body if you eat 1 salted duck egg every day? In this article, let's talk about salted duck eggs.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

What’s in a salted duck egg?

Salted duck eggs can be regarded as a traditional delicacy with a long history and are loved by many people. After being pickled into salted duck eggs, duck eggs can still provide us with nutrients such as protein, fat, and zinc. The protein and fat content of boiled salted duck eggs are 1.14 times and 1.3 times that of boiled eggs, respectively. The calorie content is also higher than that of boiled eggs, which is 1.2 times. The potassium content is also good, which is 226mg/100g, which is 1.7 times that of boiled eggs. The selenium content is relatively prominent, which is 32.8 micrograms/100g. [1]

Nutritional comparison between boiled salted duck eggs and boiled eggs[1]

Although boiled salted duck eggs are richer in the above nutrients than boiled eggs, they are pickled products after all. The sodium content is as high as 1131mg/100g, which is nearly 9 times that of boiled eggs. The sodium content of raw salted duck eggs is even higher, at 2706mg/100g. If you are not careful in your diet, it is easy to exceed the salt intake throughout the day, which is not good for your health.

1 salted duck egg per day

What happens to your body?

Although salted duck eggs go well with rice and are really delicious, eating one salted duck egg a day may really cause problems.

The Chinese Dietary Guidelines recommend that the daily salt intake per person should be controlled below 5 grams, which is equivalent to less than the amount of a beer bottle cap. However, one salted duck egg can make us take in 2 to 5 grams of salt, and if we also eat other dishes, the salt intake for the whole day can easily exceed the standard.

1. Not conducive to controlling blood pressure: Many studies have shown that a high-salt diet will increase the risk of high blood pressure, accelerate blood vessel aging, and increase the risk of stroke.

2. Induce gastritis: Excessive salt intake can irritate the gastric mucosa and may cause the gastric parietal cells to fall off[3]. Parietal cells are a barrier that protects the health of the stomach. Once they are destroyed, the risk of gastritis increases and may even induce gastric cancer.

3. Increased risk of osteoporosis: Excessive sodium intake in the diet can inhibit the differentiation and function of osteoblasts. Animal experiments have shown that a high-sodium diet can reduce bone density and strength in rats, and increase the risk of fractures. [4] In addition, eating too much salt will cause people to drink a lot of water, and drinking more water will increase urination. When urinating, not only sodium ions are excreted, but also some calcium ions. Therefore, the saltier the food, the more likely it is that you will be deficient in calcium, and the more likely you are to have osteoporosis.

4. Impairment of cognitive function: Studies have shown that a high-salt diet may impair certain cognitive functions, especially in the elderly. [5]

Other studies have shown that reducing my country’s high salt intake could significantly reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Eating 1 gram less salt per day can reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease by about 4% and the risk of stroke by about 6%. By 2030, reducing salt intake by just 1 gram per day could prevent nearly 9 million cases of heart disease and stroke and save 4 million lives. [6]

So, although salted duck eggs are delicious, it’s okay to eat them occasionally. But if you really like salted duck eggs, you must pay attention to controlling your salt intake throughout the day!

Salted duck eggs are "rich in oil"

Increased fat?

The most attractive thing about salted duck eggs is the sandy and oily yolk, while boiled duck eggs will not be oily. Some people may wonder: Does the fat content of duck eggs increase after they become salted duck eggs? In fact, the fat content does not change much, it's just that the state has changed.

Fat comparison between duck eggs and salted duck eggs[1]

The reason why you don’t see the oily appearance of boiled eggs is because the egg white and fat in the egg yolk form an emulsified system, which means that you can’t see the oil on the outside. The pickling process causes the hydrophobic groups to separate from the hydrophilic and lipophilic groups in the egg yolk, destroying the emulsified system.[7] The small oil droplets gather together, and the egg yolk becomes “oily” and visible to the naked eye.

How to distinguish real and fake salted egg yolks?

Many delicacies we eat in life cannot be separated from the participation of salted egg yolks, such as egg yolk pastry, egg yolk lotus seed mooncakes, salted egg yolk fried rice, salted egg yolk baked shrimp, lava buns, etc. In order to more conveniently meet the production needs of these delicacies, many people will directly buy salted egg yolks. However, the salted egg yolks on the market may not be real salted egg yolks. Most of them are artificial salted egg yolks. How to distinguish?

1. Look at the packaging and ingredient list: The packaging of artificial salted egg yolks is generally marked with "salted egg yolk products", and the ingredient list mostly contains starch, natural carotene, edible flavors, etc. Although there is also egg yolk, it is not necessarily duck egg yolk, it may also be chicken egg yolk.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

▲Picture: The ingredient list of real salted egg yolks on e-commerce platforms is very simple, consisting of only duck eggs and salt.

▲Picture: E-commerce platform

2. Look at the state: the structure of real salted egg yolk is uneven, soft on the outside and tight on the inside, and hard in texture; while the structure of artificial salted egg yolk is uniform and elastic, and there will be no stratification and hard core after biting. Since artificial salted egg yolk contains starch, it will become more viscous after boiling in water, while real salted egg yolk has good fluidity after boiling in water and is not viscous.

3. Look at the price: The price of real salted egg yolk is generally 1 to 1.5 yuan per piece, while artificial salted egg yolk is cheaper, mostly 0.3 to 0.5 yuan per piece. You can buy 100 "salted egg yolks" for 30 yuan.

Summarize

When you have no appetite, have you ever been saved by a salted duck egg? Although salted duck eggs are delicious, for the sake of health, don't be greedy!

References

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 2[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2019

[2] Wang Hua, Meng Liqiong, Huang Xinyu, Jin Qiyang, Dong Zhimei. Correlation analysis between yolk color and content of five natural pigments in Beibu Gulf sea duck eggs[J]. Modern Food, 2022, 28(4): 145-149

[3]Xu Hairong, Xu Yaochu. Recent epidemiological studies on the relationship between dietary factors and gastric cancer[J]. Chinese Oncology, 2002(02):21-23.

[4] Yang Junxian, Li Qingnan. Relationship between high sodium intake and osteoporosis[J]. Chinese Journal of Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Diseases, 2017, 10(03): 306-310.

[5]Reviewingtheeffectsofdietarysaltoncognition:mechanismsandfuturedirections.doi:10.6133/apjcn.201903_28(1).0002

[6] Tan, Monique etal. "ReducingdailysaltintakeinChinaby1gcouldpreventalmost9millioncardiovasculareventsby2030:amodellingstudy." BMJnutrition, prevention&healthvol.5,2164-170.16Aug.2022,doi:10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000408

[7] Wang Yiting, Pang Min. Research on the mechanism and method of pickling salted duck eggs[J]. Modern Food, 2020(22):52-54.DOI:10.

Author: Xue Qingxin Member of Chinese Nutrition Society Registered Nutritionist Health Manager Public Nutritionist

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center