Egg yolks are high in cholesterol, so is it healthier to eat eggs without eating the yolks? Is this statement true or false?

Some people do not eat eggs or think that eating eggs is not good, mainly because the cholesterol in the egg yolk is high. Especially for some elderly people and those with chronic diseases, who need to control their protein intake, they think that eating eggs is not good.

Therefore, many of these friends do not eat what they should eat and eat what they should not eat because of unscientific diet, which makes them malnourished and pale, and harms their health. Today, Time and Space News will explain this issue in detail and talk about what kind of eggs to eat and how to eat them so that everyone can eat happily, safely and healthily.

Below we will discuss this issue from four aspects, namely: the structure and nutritional value of eggs, the problem of yolk cholesterol, the difference between foreign eggs and local eggs, and how to eat eggs more deliciously and nutritiously. If you read it patiently, you will definitely gain something and eat eggs happily from now on.

1. The structure and nutritional value of eggs

To put it simply, eggs are chicken eggs. Chickens are oviparous animals, so they hatch their offspring after expelling their eggs from the body, which provides a major source of nutrition for humans. The structure of an egg is mainly divided into three parts: eggshell, egg white, and egg yolk.

The eggshell accounts for about 11% of the total volume and is divided into four layers: the upper shell membrane, shell, lower shell skin, and air chamber. The upper shell membrane is a layer of membrane wrapped around the outside of the eggshell, which plays a role in preventing the evaporation of water from the egg; the main body of the shell is mainly composed of calcium carbonate, which is a hard shell and accounts for about 93% of the total eggshell; the lower shell skin has two layers and is a thin film inside the eggshell. Air can pass through this membrane freely, and there is an air chamber between the two layers of membrane at the large end of the egg. If the egg loses water, the air chamber will continue to expand.

The egg white is a semi-fluid gelatinous substance in the membrane under the shell, accounting for about 58% of the total volume of the egg. It is divided into two layers: thick egg white and thin egg white. The layer close to the yolk is thicker, and the layer close to the skin under the shell is thinner. The yolk is wrapped in the egg white in the middle and suspended at both ends of the skin under the shell by ligaments. Its volume accounts for about 31% of the entire egg.

Among all foods, eggs have the highest content of high-quality protein. Every 100 grams of eggs contains about 14 grams of protein, which is higher than lean pork. Eggs are also rich in cholesterol, amino acids, vitamins A, B, D, E, and micronutrients such as potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, folic acid, etc., which are essential for the human body every day. The digestibility of these nutrients in eggs is the highest compared to foods such as milk, pork, beef and rice. Therefore, the nutrition in eggs is the highest quality nutrition among foods.

2. The problem of egg yolk cholesterol

Let's talk about cholesterol first. Cholesterol, also known as cholesterol, is a derivative of cyclopentane polyhydrophenanthrene. Cholesterol plays an important role in the formation of cell membranes. It is also the raw material for the synthesis of bile acid, vitamin D, and steroid hormones. Cholesterol can also be converted into bile acid, steroid hormones, 7-dehydrocholesterol, etc. after metabolism. The latter will be converted into vitamin D3 after ultraviolet irradiation, that is, more sunlight, which plays an important role in helping calcium absorption.

Therefore, cholesterol is an essential substance in the body. Without it, the body cannot survive. Many people hate cholesterol, which is a misunderstanding. The source of cholesterol in the human body is mainly synthesized by the liver, and secondly, it is supplemented in food.

An adult has about 140 grams of cholesterol in their body, and needs to renew 1 gram every day, of which 80% is produced by metabolism in the body, and only 20% is supplemented by food. Generally, 200 mg of cholesterol is enough from food every day. However, the absorption rate of cholesterol is only 30%, so a normal person needs 600-700 mg of cholesterol in his food every day to meet his body's needs.

How much cholesterol is in one egg? Eggs from ordinary farms contain about 585mg per 100g. Small eggs are about 50g, and large eggs are about 60-70g. If we calculate based on 60g, the cholesterol in one egg is about 350mg. So eating two eggs can supplement the cholesterol needs.

In addition to eggs, people also eat meat, fish and other foods, so it is appropriate to eat one egg a day, and it is okay to eat 2 or 3 eggs occasionally, but just don't make a habit of eating too many eggs every day. The normal human body has a mechanism to regulate cholesterol absorption, forming a balance with self-produced cholesterol, and the excess cholesterol will be excreted from the body, so it doesn't matter if a healthy person eats a few more eggs.

More importantly, egg yolks contain not only cholesterol, but also lecithin and vitamins A and D, as well as high levels of iron, phosphorus, sulfur, calcium and other minerals needed by the human body. Lecithin, also known as egg yolk pigment, is known as the "third nutrient" alongside protein and vitamins. It has many benefits, the most important of which is that it reduces cholesterol particles in the blood, reduces cholesterol, fights fatty liver, protects the liver, and can also enhance brain function, improve memory, and strengthen immunity.

It can be seen that without lecithin, people will not be smart, and even become stupid. Therefore, some doctors recommend that babies should eat some egg yolks when they are 6 months old to supplement nutrition, mainly to help brain development. Some people, with a half-baked understanding, remove the egg yolk when eating eggs, which is really a waste of precious food.

Nutrition is the basic guarantee for the survival of everyone, including the elderly and various patients. Lack of nutrition will not only fail to cure the disease, but will also aggravate the condition and lack of immunity. The best nutritional supplement is eggs. Of course, some special patients still need to follow the doctor's advice, but the doctor's advice I am talking about is the advice of doctors in regular hospitals, not quacks, folk rumors, and self-righteous statements.

3. The difference between foreign eggs and local eggs

Many people in our society are overly concerned about the "earthiness" of food, believing that "earthiness" is the original ecology and that it is safer and more nutritious to maintain the original ecology. In fact, this understanding is wrong. Humans have gone through thousands of years of exploration, failures and lessons before creating modern civilization. Food, clothing, housing and transportation have undergone earth-shaking changes. Why do we want to go back to the past?

So what era should we return to in order to truly restore the original ecology? In the ape-man era, the ancestors of mankind relied on picking wild fruits and eating raw meat and drinking blood. Later, they began to use slash-and-burn farming, and then entered the agricultural era. In the modern mechanized and automated factory production, each stage was a revolution in the original ecology. It is the continuous transformation of the "original ecology" by humans that has brought us to today.

Let's look around us. How many people who pursue "earthy" and "wild" food every day are healthier and live longer than ordinary people who don't pursue these things? In fact, these people have one problem after another. They use cupping and plasters every day, and they keep talking about treating the symptoms, the root cause, and the symptoms. But the more they treat, the more problems they have.

Now let's get back to the point and talk about the difference between "local eggs" and ordinary eggs (the so-called "foreign eggs"). In fact, all scientific research institutions (excluding those "scientific research institutions" that promote so-called "local eggs") have repeatedly declared that there is basically no difference in the nutritional content of so-called "local eggs" and "foreign eggs", and that "local eggs" are not as good as "foreign eggs" in some important nutrients. The only thing that "local eggs" have much higher content than "foreign eggs" is cholesterol.

From the nutritional comparison table above, we can see that the cholesterol content of ordinary eggs is 585 mg per 100 grams, while that of free-range eggs is 1338 mg, which is 2.29 times that of ordinary eggs.

Why do ordinary eggs have higher nutritional value and lower cholesterol? This is because "foreign chickens" are raised on chicken farms with complete feed. What is complete feed? It is feed prepared by scientists and technicians according to the growth needs of different animals. This feed contains a full range of nutrients such as energy, protein, minerals, etc. in an appropriate proportion, which can fully meet the needs of animal growth and egg production.

Therefore, the nutrition of eggs produced by chickens that eat this kind of feed will of course be balanced and good, while free-range chickens are fed casually, their nutrition is not balanced and satisfactory, and they may even skip meals. Moreover, the chickens forage for food on their own outside, and no one knows what they eat, but one thing is that they eat a lot of "meat" (worms), so of course the nutrition in the eggs is unbalanced, and the cholesterol is also higher.

Since free range eggs have a high fat and cholesterol content, they are more fragrant when fried. If you are healthy, it is okay to eat them occasionally, but it is a misunderstanding to think that free range eggs are more nutritious. Especially for those who are not in good health, or even sick patients and the elderly, eating this kind of "free range eggs" is of no benefit.

Of course, there are also bad "foreign eggs", especially some informal and unscrupulous farmers who add some banned drugs and hormones to the feed. Such "foreign eggs" are of course not good to eat. However, the current breeding industry is becoming more and more intensive, the scale is getting bigger and bigger, and the state control is becoming more and more standardized and strict, so the quality of the so-called "foreign eggs" is getting better and better.

When we buy eggs, as long as we pay attention to buying eggs from authentic farms and merchants, there will generally be no problem. In fact, there is no one to control "country eggs". Thousands of households raise them themselves, and no one knows what they eat, or it is unknown whether they are more unsafe.

We really don’t need to pursue “earthy” and “wild”. As long as it is raised in a standardized manner, it will definitely be safer.

4. How to eat eggs more deliciously and nutritiously

For me, eggs are delicious no matter how they are eaten, steamed, boiled, fried, or deep-fried. If you want to make them more fragrant, fry them in oil. Heat the pan hotter and the oil to a rolling boil, and the fried eggs will be especially fragrant. Some people say that "foreign eggs" are not fragrant when fried, so why are mine so fragrant? I think the key is whether the pan and oil are heated properly.

Of course, this way of eating will damage certain nutrients, and eating too much is not good for the body. However, it is okay to eat it occasionally to satisfy your cravings.

The most nutritious and least wasteful way to eat eggs is of course to boil or steam them in the shell. There are two ways to do this. One is to boil them in water for about 5 minutes, turn off the heat for a while, take them out, and soak them in cold water for easier peeling. Some people have suggested putting them in cold water, turning off the heat after the water boils, and then letting them simmer for 8 minutes. This way, the eggs will be soft-boiled.

Another way is to use an egg cooker to steam and cook eggs. Nowadays, there are very cheap egg cookers available on e-commerce platforms. They can steam and cook 1 to 6 eggs at a time in just a few minutes. It is very convenient. Depending on the amount of water added, you can also steam and cook eggs that are cooked or soft-boiled.

What is a soft-boiled egg? It means that the egg white is cooked, and the middle of the yolk is a bit coagulated, like a bit of melted sugar. This kind of egg tastes good and is also very fragrant. However, some experts believe that it is better to eat boiled eggs, because eggs are likely to contain some bacteria, such as E. coli, salmonella, parasite eggs, etc. This is because these harmful microorganisms will enter the egg directly from the ovary, and the chicken lays eggs from the anus, and the bacteria in the contaminated feces enter the egg through the pores on the eggshell.

So, never eat raw eggs.

There are some folk sayings that raw eggs are more nutritious, which is nonsense without any scientific basis. Even if we do not consider the factor of bacterial contamination, raw eggs cannot be eaten. Eating them is harmful to the body. This is because:

1. The protein structure of raw eggs is fine and difficult to be hydrolyzed by proteolytic enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract; 2. Raw eggs contain antitrypsin, which will inhibit the hydrolysis of food protein by trypsin. Not only can the nutrients in the eggs be unable to be absorbed, but even other food proteins are difficult to absorb; 3. Raw eggs are a semi-liquid. They are retained in the intestines for a period of time. After eating, they are excreted from the body without being absorbed, causing waste; 4. A portion of the undigested protein will be corrupted by Escherichia coli in the posterior part of the large intestine, producing many toxic substances, such as amines, phenols, ammonia, indole, hydrogen sulfide, etc. Some of these toxic substances will be absorbed by the intestines and enter the liver, thereby increasing the burden on the liver and even poisoning the liver.

Therefore, eggs must be cooked before eating, which is nutritious, hygienic and safe.

Of course, there are many ways to cook eggs, such as fried eggs, steamed egg custard, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, etc., and they are delicious no matter how they are cooked. However, different methods have different nutrient absorption and digestion rates. It is generally believed that in terms of nutrient retention, steamed eggs with shells are 100%, tender fried eggs are 98%, scrambled eggs are 97%, boiled eggs are 92.5%, deep fried eggs are 81%, and raw eggs are 30%.

In short, eggs are the most nutritious and healthy food. You can eat them however you like. The only thing is that you have to eat fresh eggs and cook them thoroughly to be healthy.

That’s it, welcome to discuss, thanks for reading.

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