Top 4 myths about chicken eggs. Their benefits and harms

Author: Mikhail Ziborov - author of the site makefitness.pro.
2021-12-28

Chicken egg protein is considered the gold standard for other proteins. Moreover, chicken eggs are more easily digestible compared to meat and even fish products. There is even a protein derived from egg whites (albumin). In short, chicken eggs are an excellent source of protein and numerous nutrients.

By the way, we have long shown why you absolutely must eat eggs daily. I'm sure you'll find even more information there that will be a revelation for you.

So, myths.

Myth #1. Raw chicken eggs are healthy (or at least as safe as cooked ones). In fact, no. Salmonellosis is a digestive disorder caused by bacteria—salmonella. These bacteria are common in many animals (including chickens).

Many of us consume store-bought eggs rather than home-produced ones. On farms, hens are fed feeds that are sourced from Africa: it’s cheaper. And Africa is home to many animals (lizards, monitor lizards, etc.) for which salmonella is a common intestinal bacterium, just like bifidobacteria or lactobacilli for us. The feeds are grown in Africa in fields where these animals leave their droppings containing salmonella.

The grain is purchased, transported to us, fed to the hens on the farm, and salmonella remains on the eggshell. And how do we typically consume a raw egg? We break the top, make a hole, sprinkle some salt, and go for it—direct contact with the shell.

Even if you break the egg into a glass and then drink it: salmonella is present inside the eggs as well. Of course, you may not get salmonellosis, but the likelihood significantly increases. However, cooking (boiling, frying) kills salmonella. But let's move away from bacteria.

Eggs contain many vitamins. For example, B7—biotin. But in raw eggs, there is also an antivitamin (avidin) that prevents B7 from being absorbed. However, when you cook the egg, the antivitamin is destroyed while biotin remains. And this is just one example concerning micronutrients!

Myth #2. Chicken eggs are the healthiest among others. In reality, chicken eggs are no better than any others (I’m not sure about snake eggs). In all—duck, goose, ostrich eggs, etc.—the protein is the same. It’s clear that there are some differences, but in terms of nutrition, they don't play any significant role: you get approximately the same set of nutrients.

The only thing that differs is the volume: you need several quail eggs to get the same amount of protein that one chicken egg contains. Or several chicken eggs to be equivalent to one goose egg.

In some countries, they actually eat crocodile or turtle eggs!

Myth #3. Eggs contain a lot of cholesterol, so they are harmful. Chicken eggs do contain cholesterol (especially in the yolks). But! Eggs themselves are not harmful due to cholesterol. Only excess is harmful. In my article “Top 7 Myths About Cholesterol,” I already wrote that dietary cholesterol is just a scare tactic. In reality, it is extremely important for us and performs a multitude of functions in the body: building hormones, cellular membranes, supporting brain and nervous system function, vitamin D, etc.

And, as I mentioned, excess of anything can be harmful. Here’s a live example. There’s a girl who starts having acne problems if she consumes 2-3 eggs a day. 1 egg – nothing. 2-3 – already a cosmetic issue. By the way, we found a solution: consume just 1 yolk a day, and as many egg whites as you want. With this strategy, acne does not occur. The appearance of acne is most likely linked to increased hormone production, which is built from cholesterol.

But personally, I can eat a dozen eggs a day—no issues at all. So for her, 2-3 eggs is too much (excess), while for me, 10 is normal.

Myth #4. Yolks are high in fat, so they are harmful on a diet. Yes, there are fats in them. But how much is considered a lot? If you compare it to lard, eggs are not fatty at all (9.5 g of fat per 100 g of product). By the way, there’s more protein in eggs—12.5 g. So if you’re overdoing it on fats throughout the day, a couple of chicken eggs with yolks won’t ruin your overall picture.

So, information for those on a diet: it’s important to control all fats in your diet, and not be afraid of fats solely from yolks. On the contrary: yolks are full of valuable nutrients (vitamin D, lutein, B4, etc.) that will be very handy on a diet when you might be lacking micronutrients.

What foods can be eaten without restrictions, can sweets be consumed on a diet, how much fat is needed per day, and can one eat at night—answers to these and other questions can be found on our site MakrFitness.Pro.