Are egg yolks BAD?

 

Clearing the air of misconception in taking egg

Many people throw away the egg yolk thinking that is where “all the nasty fat and cholesterol are”. In a world full of misinformation, most people are misled for too long that the egg yolk is the worst part of the egg, when in fact, it is the healthiest.

On the contrary, egg whites contain complete protein (all 18 amino acids) but far fewer nutrients. Hence by throwing out the yolk and only eating egg whites, you are essentially throwing out the most nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich, vitamins and minerals loaded portion of the egg.

Egg white v egg yolk

+ The yolk contains 100% of the carotenoids, essential fatty acids, vitamins A, E, D and K, more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate and B12, 90% of the panthothenic acid (B5) and between 50%-80% of the copper, manganese and selenium. Useful carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin found in the yolk eggs appear to protect against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

+  Egg yolks contain omega-3 fatty acid DHA, beneficial for the brain and proper retinal function in the eye, and omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid, which is required for the healthy skin, hair, libido, reproduction, growth and response to injury. These fatty acids are primarily needed by young children, pregnant and lactating women, and people with degenerative diseases involving oxidative stress, especially those of the nervous system such as Alzheimer’s. According to NutritionData.Com, one egg yolk contains 75 mg of arachidonic acid (AA), 20 mg of DHA, but no EPA.

+ The white contains between 50%-80% of the potassium, riboflavin and protein, and over 80% of the magnesium, sodium and niacin. Note that the protein in egg whites is made more bioavailable with the yolks to balance out the amino acid profile. Morever, magnesium and protein can also be obtained from animal meats.

Cholesterol Myths

Egg yolks are a big concern for their cholesterol content when cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease. It happens when LDL (bad cholesterol), a major carrier of cholesterol in the blood, is affected by poor metabolism, high homocysteine levels, deficient diets and toxins that threaten to destroy its particle that heart disease develops.

To understand better, the liver produces 80% of total cholesterol as required for important functions in the body. The balance 20% has to be derived from foods. So when you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down-regulates its internal production of cholesterol to balance things out. On the other hand, if you do not eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more. Cholesterol is a crucial building block in the body as all of our steroid hormones are made from its fatty backbone along with maintaining the integrity of every single cell wall in your body.

The University of Connecticut has done extensive study on the effects of eggs on cholesterol levels. The result showed that when people consumed 3-4 whole eggs per day, virtually all experienced either no change or beneficial changes in their cholesterol levels. In other words, the good HDL cholesterol is raised to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol, thereby improving overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.

More comments

+ Many people believe that the health benefits of egg yolks are greater if consumed raw. Heat destroys enzymes, reduces the amounts of certain nutrients, and may make the amino acid cysteine less available, which is needed to synthesize the master antioxidant of the cell, glutathione. However, eating raw egg whites is not advisable as they interfere with the digestion enzymes and reduce protein digestion from 90% to 50% (bodybuilders please note). Also to caution that most of human salmonella outbreaks have been attributed to eggs or egg-containing foods due to Salmonella deposition inside the eggs.

+ Frying eggs in oil contributes to more calorie intake, rise in cholesterol and produces carcinogenic compounds when the surface egg is burnt or overcooked. If need to, use a nonstick pan with nothing left behind and does not burn the egg easily. Hard-boiled egg is preferred with no change in calorie content and nutrients well-preserved.

+ The normal supermarket eggs coming from mass factory farming is less nutritious than organic free range eggs where healthy chickens are allowed to roam freely and eat a more natural diet. Insects provide a higher DHA content and grass provides a higher vitamin E and carotene content, all found exclusively in the yolk.

You can see the difference by the color. The eggs from commerically bred chickens are pale yellow yolks whilst the pastured eggs are deep orange colored yolks indicating much higher nutrition levels, especially carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids (DHA).

+ A study was conducted comparing groups of people that ate egg breakfasts versus groups of people that ate cereal or bagel based breakfasts. It found the egg eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight as they ate less calories during the remainder of the day with a satisfied appetite, while the latter gained weight due to wild blood sugar swings and food cravings.

+ The newest U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines allows eating up to one egg a day (yolk included), within a healthful eating plan. The stigma of the high-cholesterol yolk has been tough to crack, as we are constantly reminded that 2 eggs a day containing 420 mg of cholesterol has exceeded the daily requirement of 300 mg.

This final note may change your thinking….

For those of you who do not have the habit of taking a multivits daily, note that 2 raw egg yolks provide:

- 9 g of fat, of which 3.2 g are saturated, 1.4 g polyunsaturated and 4 g monounsaturated.
- 108 calories, most of which come from fat and protein. Only 1.2 grams of carbohydrates and no fiber.
- 35% of the DRI for selenium, which helps to regulate the thyroid and fight oxidative stress.
- 18.8% of the DRI for phosphorus needed for blood clotting, cell growth, heart muscle function and bone formation.
- more than 40% of the DRI of choline for men and over 50% for women – it helps regulate the brain, nervous system and cardiovascular system.
- more than 5% of the DRI of iron for women and more than 10% for men.

- more than 7% of the DRI of zinc for both sexes. (mineral for sperm count)

- low in sodium, supplying less than 1% of the daily recommended maximum intake of 2,400 mg.

More good news….

+ For those who are fearful of the Sun – eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally-occurring vitamin D.

+ For worry over balding - eggs promote healthy hair and nails because of their high sulphuric content and wide array of vitamins and minerals. Many people find their hair growing faster after adding eggs to their diet, especially if they were previously deficient in foods containing sulphur or vitamin B12. How about some egg yolk applied on the hair?

+ For the ladies – eggs may prevent breast cancer. In one study, women who consumed at least 6 eggs per week lowered their risk of breast cancer by 44%!

Source: http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Egg_Yolk.html

Extra tip – How to have the perfect egg

Cooking hard boiled eggs can be a hassle because you have to watch the heat and ensure there is enough water. Someone has this trick of cooking the eggs whereby you do not have to worry whether they are over-cooked or under-cooked.

1) Place two pieces of tissue paper inside the rice cooker and sprinkle them with water.

2) Put in the eggs.

3) Close the lid and press “Cook” button.

4) Wait till the button jumps up. When it does,

TURN OFF THE ELECTRICITY POWER. Do not leave them too long inside the rice cooker after cooked …only do so if you prefer a harder egg yolk.

 

5) The eggs are ready.

The speed is faster than using ordinary boiling method. This is because the water sprinkled on the tissue will turn into steam and compressed inside the rice cooker to cook the eggs. You can peel the egg shells off very easily. The egg yolks will turn out just nice, not too dry.

The best part is – you do not have to do any washing nor cleaning at all!