Facts and fables in a row
Baked, boiled and poached: an egg can be so tasty! But how (un)healthy are eggs really? Facts and fables in a row.
Eggs are healthy. Eggs don’t make you fat. An average boiled egg contains only 75 kcal. Eggs contain antioxidants, which can prevent age-related eye diseases.
Source of protein
Eggs are rich in all essential amino acids. In addition, they are a source of organic, high-quality proteins. Finally, eggs contain useful substances such as iron, choline, folic acid and vitamins B2, B12, E and D.
Freshness
To find out if an egg is still fresh enough to eat, all you have to do is place it in cold water. The more the convex side floats up, the older the egg is. This is due to the air chamber of the egg. It gets bigger as the egg gets older.
After six weeks, the air chamber is so large that the entire egg can float. Then it’s really time to throw the egg away. If you break open a fresh egg, you will see a round, firm yolk and transparent white that does not spread much. Of course, the freshness of an egg is also checked before it reaches the store.
Cholesterol Level
The idea that eating a lot of eggs is bad for your cholesterol levels is not entirely true. As long as you do not consume more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day and eat few other products with saturated fats, you are fine. In an egg the white is free of cholesterol, the egg yolk contains 200 mg. So according to the Nutrition Center you can eat three eggs a week without any problems.
If you want an egg every day, you have to make sure that you eat as few other products as possible that contain a lot of cholesterol. These include fatty meats and cheeses, butter and margarines that harden in the refrigerator, sweet snacks and snacks.
Salmonella
Salmonella is an intestinal bacterium that makes about 50,000 people sick every year through contaminated food. You run the greatest risk of getting sick if you don’t heat eggs properly or mix them raw into something. The bacterium lives in the intestines of poultry and pigs and is spread through faeces. People can also be carriers and contaminate food through poor hygiene.
Some types of salmonella can cause a food infection. You ingest bacteria when you have a food infection. These will then multiply in your intestines and you will become ill. Because it takes a while to multiply, it can take up to 3 days before you get sick. Diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, headache, low-grade fever, chills, nausea, drowsiness and vomiting are the most common complaints.
In most people, the symptoms disappear on their own. But antibiotics are necessary for severe symptoms. Rest and plenty of fluids are generally the best way to get rid of the infection. After infection, you can still be a carrier of the bacteria for months without experiencing any symptoms. Note: Salmonella bacteria can be fatal if you become dehydrated or if your kidney function fails. So don’t walk too long with a food infection!
bird flu
It is virtually impossible for you to become infected with the bird flu virus by eating eggs. You can only contract the disease after intensive contact with sick and dead birds that are infected. If an egg is nevertheless infected with bird flu, the virus will not survive heating in the saucepan or frying pan.
Easter
Do you eat more eggs than usual at Easter? That’s no problem. This has little effect on the cholesterol level in your blood. You can eat an egg that has been painted with egg paint or felt-tip pens. Boil eggs hard, at least nine minutes. This way you prevent a salmonella contamination. You can use leftover eggs keep and eat it later.
