One of the most controversial products in modern cooking and dietetics is chicken eggs, the benefits and harms of which are constantly questioned. Finding a grain of truth is not easy. After all, eggs are different. First, we need to clearly distinguish: homemade and factory-made eggs differ greatly not only in organoleptics, but also in composition. The differences between boiled and raw, even if they are of the same origin, are also impressive.
How many eggs a day can you eat?
Questions about how many eggs can be eaten on an empty stomach, boiled, raw, fried, and, in general, whether the human body needs them, are associated with conflicting information about their benefits.
Despite this, eggs have been and remain one of the most versatile foods. If there is no allergic reaction, they are eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are prepared for snacks and even used for medicinal and preventive purposes.
In some countries, the traditional start of the day is unthinkable without soft-boiled eggs. Others, on the contrary, consider the omelet a national tradition. Not to mention exotic Asian dishes with less traditional methods of cooking. The huge number of recipes once again proves the versatility of this product.
Without considering in detail the beneficial properties of chicken eggs, there are medical standards for their consumption for all people, substantiated by serious research by physiologists and nutritionists.
For the countries of the former Soviet Union, they are about 260 pieces per year. According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, you need to eat at least 291 pieces. At the same time, the actual indicators, depending on the region, differ significantly from the normative ones. Often on the higher side.
It is important to understand that eating only egg dishes can provoke an increase in the amount of “bad” cholesterol in the human body.
Followers of different nutrition systems interpret consumption standards in their way. Some exclude them from their diets altogether, while others, on the contrary, get their protein exclusively from egg products, neglecting meat, fish, or milk.
There is no point in forcing yourself into strict limits, but imbalances are fraught with irreversible consequences for the human body.
Historically, eggs are one of the most accessible sources of animal protein for humans. Fish and meat are much more expensive, and not everyone eats dairy products. The habit of starting every day with egg dishes, whether poached or fried, is unlikely to surprise anyone.
The other side of the coin is which ones to choose. Oddly enough, origin plays a huge role. It is unlikely that the beneficial properties of chicken eggs from domestic hens can be compared with similar products produced in poultry farms. Conveyor production and cost minimization are the engines of the modern food industry, which does not bring anything good to the human body.
Chickens are often kept in unnatural conditions, egg production is stimulated with hormones, and the immune system is stimulated with antibiotics. Cheaper feed leads to the accumulation of nitrates in poultry products, which cannot but affect their harm to the human body.
If we evaluate such categories as the benefits and harms of chicken eggs obtained from domestic hens, then the obvious advantage for a person far exceeds the possible problems. After all, laying hens are kept in natural conditions, they have a strong immune system, are not subject to physical inactivity, eat a variety of foods, and have the opportunity to bask in the sun, with fresh air. At the same time, their eggs do not contain traces of hormones and antibiotics, and nitrates are at the maximum permissible minimum.
What are the benefits of eggs?
Regardless of the form in which you use eggs: boiled or raw, their benefits lie primarily in their unique nutritional properties.
The protein that forms the basis of egg products becomes a source of energy and is easily digestible. Due to this, it is necessary to eat it:
- children. A growing organism needs building materials;
- nursing and pregnant women. For the former, they promote milk production and good lactation. For the latter, they provide an energy reserve;
- for the elderly and people undergoing rehabilitation after serious illnesses, injuries, and surgeries. Restores strength and quickly saturates;
- athletes during competitions, heavy physical exertion, and in preparation for them as an irreplaceable source of energy.
Regular use in food:
- promotes acceleration of metabolic processes and detoxification;
- strengthens the immune system;
- stimulate the work of endocrine glands;
- regulates metabolism and oxidation processes.
The smooth functioning of all organs, systems, and the human body as a whole directly depends on the quantity, variety, and degree of digestibility of the food consumed.
The benefit of eggs is that, in addition to being an irreplaceable source of energy, they are a storehouse of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, with a minimal amount of fat and carbohydrates.
The benefit of eggs is that they have a beneficial effect on all systems of the human body: from the nervous to the cardiovascular.
When considering the health benefits of chicken eggs, you need to start with a complete, natural product, which is currently only available at home or on farms specializing in the production of organic food.
Benefits and harms of raw eggs
There are many prejudices associated with the use of eggs and how to eat them raw or after heat treatment. There is no clear answer here.
When asking whether it is possible to drink raw eggs, you need to determine their quality, freshness, and origin. Otherwise, instead of the expected benefit, you can get a whole set of accompanying problems: from salmonellosis and indigestion to the death of natural microflora in the intestines. To avoid harm to the body, it is better to experiment with raw eggs after carefully familiarizing yourself with the conditions of their production.
It is believed that raw protein is absorbed when the human body needs food. If you are not hungry, the nutrients simply will not break down in the digestive system. Therefore, they are drunk on an empty stomach or in the morning. Then the benefit of such use is obvious because amino acids and vitamins are preserved in their natural form, which ensures maximum absorption and availability for the body. Otherwise, the intake of such a quantity of protein into the digestive system will cause indigestion.
The benefits of raw chicken eggs are actively used not only in dietetics and cooking. Many cosmetic products for skin and hair have this irreplaceable ingredient in their recipes. Masks based on them help restore tone and natural nutrition. In addition, raw eggs are actively used in folk medicine.
For example, eggnog whipped into foam is not only a delicacy, but also an excellent remedy for soothing the throat, pain, and cough.
They are often used to restore men’s health. No targeted studies have been conducted and it is unlikely that one can reliably say how useful eggs are for potency, but in folk medicine, they are recommended to be drunk raw specifically for sexual dysfunction.
One can argue for a long time about the consequences of using raw eggs, but the benefits and harms for men are more likely at the level of the entire body, and not the reproductive system in particular.
Therefore, if you are sure of the origin of egg products, try drinking them raw. The active components in the composition, are not destroyed by heat treatment, and the general strengthening effect from them will not harm the body.
Eggs for men can be used both in pure form and in a mixture of yeast, milk, and honey. Such a drink is easier to drink, especially for a modern person. The exact proportions: for 1 egg and a glass of milk, a tablespoon of yeast and honey.
The benefits and harms of boiled eggs
After heat treatment, the possible harm from using eggs is reduced to zero. Hard-boiled eggs do not pose a threat in the form of salmonellosis and other infections. Hormones, nitrates and antibiotics are partially destroyed. Of course, they do not disappear completely, but there is no question of finding home-made products – you can buy factory-made ones.
True, after boiling, the beneficial properties decrease, but the degree of availability for the human body increases: the digestibility of chicken eggs increases to almost 100%, unlike raw eggs.
The benefits of chicken eggs affect the activity of:
- Cardiovascular system. If you do not exceed the consumption rate, then the harm from cholesterol is leveled by amino acids and vitamins entering the human body.
- Organs of vision and oral cavity. The combination of vitamins and microelements in an easily digestible form promotes tissue restoration and stimulates their renewal.
- The human body as a whole: antioxidant properties prevent premature aging and the development of pathological processes, stimulate metabolism and the immune system.
The chicken egg, the benefits and harms of which cause heated debate, was present in the human diet long before comprehensive medical and chemical studies. Since then, little has changed and it appears on our table with unchanging regularity.
The only thing that can be said for sure is that chicken eggs are one of the pillars of a balanced diet for people. If dairy or meat products can be replaced with plant-based analogs without harming health, then even some vegetarian movements do not refuse eggs.
