Not logged in
Eggscellant advice on breakfast
By Dr. Jonathan Wright on 06/26/2011
Question: I heard scrambled eggs are bad for me. Why?
Dr. Wright: When you cook scrambled eggs, you break the yolks. Since the yolks contain most of the eggs' cholesterol, breaking and scrambling them allows that cholesterol to be exposed to much more air and heat than other cooking techniques that leave the yolk intact.
That air and heat can cause the cholesterol in the scrambled egg yolks to oxidize before you even have a chance to eat them, potentially contributing to atherosclerosis.
This information isn't meant to terrorize you into fearing the very sight of scrambled eggs. If you're otherwise eating quite well and taking your daily supplements (including anti-oxidants), the occasional scrambled egg while you're traveling or visiting friends or relatives certainly won't kill you, and likely will be offset by the rest of what you're doing.
But if you're a scrambled egg lover and eat your eggs cooked this way frequently, you might want to consider giving poached or sunny-side-up a try.
Printer-friendly versionAbout the author
Jonathan V. Wright, M.D. has degrees from both Harvard University (cum laude) and the University of Michigan. More than any other doctor, he practically invented the modern science of applied nutritional biochemistry and he has advanced nutritional medicine for nearly three decades.
As of today, Dr. Wright has received over 35,000 patient visits at his now-famous Tahoma Clinic in Washington State.
To learn more about Dr. Wright, and to sign up for his free Health e-Tips eLetter, please visit www.wrightnewsletter.com.
Email this Article
Comments
Lori
I'm having a deja vu here. Wasn't this discussed recently? Oh, well...I'll make the same comment I did before. Egg yolks are loaded with antioxidants which help prevent oxidation. I don't think we should be fearful of scrambling eggs.
Kovarik
I "hard boil" my eggs10 at a time, to the point of a moist but not liquid yolk. Delicious!! I like to get my breakfast ready at night (an egg, about a third of a stalk of celery, perhaps berries and or a slice of bacon already cooked). Should I forgo the slicing of the egg the night before?
Thank you
Kovarik
I "hard boil" my eggs10 at a time, to the point of a moist but not liquid yolk. Delicious!! I like to get my breakfast ready at night (an egg, about a third of a stalk of celery, perhaps berries and or a slice of bacon already cooked). Should I forgo the slicing of the egg the night before?
Thank you
Johnbenson
I do mix my eggs with my protein shake. The idea came from Dr. Mercola, a renowned health educator and author.
I don't think there is anything wrong in eating eggs raw. I feel great any day I mixed raw eggs to my protein shake. As a doctor and researcher, any health implication in taking eggs raw?
Seg
Lori , i have to AGREE with Dr Wight on this, even Dr Mercola and other health professionals have said this many times, so again i have to agree with it..The sad thing is my kids and even myself on occasions prefer scrambled eggs.. SIGH !!!!
Anonymous
to johnbenson...I think the 2 main reasons some forego the raw egg thing is because: 1:.It could possibly cause a biotin deficiency and 2: there's the threat of Salmonella in raw eggs.
Lori
Hey Seg - I wonder if there's any actual "hard" evidence or research on this? I haven't found any. But, honestly, I would think that if this is the case, as long as we eat plenty of whole antioxidant rich foods, the occasional scrambled egg isn't going to cause any significant health problems.
johnbenson - I know Dr. Mercola is a fan of raw eggs, but according to Richard Wranger, author of Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, studies have shown that we actually absorb more nutrients from cooked eggs than we do from raw eggs. Raw food, even veggies, is not necessarily superior to cooked.
Post new comment