Top 21 Frequently Asked Questions About Eggs
So many questions concerning eggs abound. Eggs are ‘superfoods’. They are versatile and packed with nutrients and vitamins that are necessary for growth and development of the body, and repair of damaged tissues.
1. Does eating egg regularly increase blood cholesterol?
A lot of studies have found that eating eggs does not cause a remarkable increase in blood cholesterol levels despite its high cholesterol content. Rather, it may improve health as they contain nutrients difficult to find in other foods such as vitamin D, choline, lutein, zeaxanthins tryptophan, tyrosine among others. Effects of cholesterol from food on heart health significantly depend on preparation method. However different people respond differently to eating eggs, and this may be related to genes or state of health
2. Is the colour of egg shells an indicator of quality?
No, the colour of the egg shell is determined by the bird’s breed. Most white feathered birds lay white eggs, and reddish brown feathered birds lay brown eggs.
3. What determines the quality of an egg?
The birds feed, and growth condition does.
4. How should eggs be preserved?
Eggs kept in the fridge will remain fresh for about a month. When refrigerating eggs, do not wash them as this can remove their protective coating. Store them with their pointed end downward; this will prevent the air chamber, and the yolk, from being displaced. Note: Eggs age more in one day at room temperature than in one week in the refrigerator.
5. Where does the protective coating come?
There are natural layers on eggshells that help prevent bacteria from getting inside the shell. This layer also reduces moisture loss, therefore, wiping or washing eggs removes the protective coating and causes them to get bad faster than normal.
6. How can I identify good/fresh eggs?
Never buy broken or cracked eggs, to check if eggs are fresh, put them in a bowl of water, fresh eggs sink while old ones float.
7. How are eggs best prepared?
Boiled and poached eggs are much healthier than fried or scrambled eggs because excessive heat leads to the formation of heart toxic cholesterol products.
8. How long can your store hard-boiled eggs?
Preserve hard-boiled egg in the fridge, for not more than 2-3 days, best stored in a bowl of water.
9. What causes the blood speckles in egg whites? Does it mean the egg is bad?
These are caused by the rupture of a blood vessel on the yolk surface during egg formation. The spot can be taken off with the tip of a knife. The tiny red spots do not indicate a fertilized egg
10. Why are some egg whites cloudy?
It is the age of the egg; older eggs have clear whites while fresh eggs can have a milky, opaque look
11. What causes the greenish grey ring on the yolk of hard boiled eggs?
The greenish-grey ring is as a result o chemical reaction between the sulfur from the egg white and iron from the egg yolk. It is harmless, usually caused by overcooking, but can also be due to a high amount of iron from the cooking pot.
12. What are the string-like white pieces in egg whites?
The stringy white pieces in egg whites are called chalaza, these are edible rope-like strands of egg white, and keep the yolk centered in the thick white. The more prominent the chalazae, the fresher the egg.
13. Why are some hard boiled eggs difficult to peel?
Extremely fresh eggs are difficult to peel when hard-boiled, this is because the egg white tends to stick to the inner shell membrane.
14. Can egg whites be used to treat burns?
Not advisable due to salmonella infection
15. How do eggs aid weight loss?
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day; eating an egg containing breakfast result in blunted after-meal glucose and insulin responses, greater satiety and lower food cravings and intake at the next meal.
16. How do I clean up broken egg mess?
If an egg drops and messes the floor, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy clean up.
17. Does eating eggs cause children to steal?
No, it doesn’t! In ancient Nigeria, eggs and meat were not as readily available/affordable as they are now; so giving children eggs or meat to eat was considered taboo. Because meat and eggs are delicious, and we are all genetically wired to seek sweet and delicious food, parents believed children would develop a habit of wanting more and when it was unavailable to them; it would cause them to steal. So rather than tempt them, it was better they didn’t know or acquire a taste for such sinful food.
For the few people that could afford it, eggs were probably eaten only on Sundays, used to reward good behaviour or withdrawn for bad behaviour.
18. What is egg allergy?
Not so common in Nigeria, though worthy of mention. Seen more with eating raw eggs. The egg allergy is a hypersensitivity reaction to some substances from eggs, causing an overreaction of the immune system which may lead to skin reactions, such as a rash, respiratory problems or stomach pain. Seen more in children, they outgrow it.
19. Can eggs cause food poisoning?
There is the risk of salmonella food poisoning is more with soft boiled, runny “sunny side up” eggs than eggs that have been hard-boiled, scrambled, or poached. To prevent infections, do not use cracked plates or cereal bowls to prepare raw eggs. Wash all kitchen worktop or surfaces that might have potentially come into contact with raw egg should. Keep raw eggs away from butter, cheese or anything that will be eaten uncooked.
Symptoms include Fever, chills, sweating, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, headache and muscle aches.
20. Are egg shells edible?
I found out people soften eggshells in vinegar, grind it into a fine powder, make a solution of it and drink as a rich source of calcium. People interested in natural healing all tout eggshells as a source of calcium in the diet. Eating eggshells is a topic for another day.
21. Do quail eggs contain cholesterol?
Yes, they do. Due to their small size, people eat six or more at the same time; this makes you consume a higher amount of cholesterol than when you eat chicken eggs. Quail eggs have a higher yolk-to-white ratio, and they might pose a health risk to some individuals.
Are there questions we didn’t answer? Feel free to contribute and make your comments. Thank you.
Wishing you good health and happiness,
Dr Nse
Author: Nse Karen
I offer virtual lifestyle coaching services as well as natural skincare products and services for busy African professionals who want to prevent or reverse chronic conditions holistically, look good and feel good from inside -out and outside-in
