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Does cooking egg yolks oxidize the cholesterol and make it damaging to the body, as is commonly believed?
Eggs seem to be one of those foods that many people seem perpetually confused about, for a variety of reasons.
On the one hand, you have the egg white omelet-eating folks who believe that egg yolks should be avoided as they are loaded with cholesterol and fat.
This nutritional myth persists despite multiple studies showing that the beneficial cholesterol in eggs does not contribute to cardiovascular disease, even in those with Type 2 diabetes who eat 12 or more 12 eggs per week. (1)
Eat those whole chicken, goose, or duck eggs and enjoy my friends…and don’t be throwing those precious yolks away!
Egg substitutes like Egg Beaters are the truly dangerous foods to avoid!
Does Cooking Egg Yolks Damage Them?
What about the notion that breaking the integrity of the egg yolk, as would happen during cooking, baking, or scrambling, oxidizes the cholesterol, turning it “bad”?
This is also a myth.
Sadly, this incorrect perception causes more than a few folks to avoid eggs in dishes that would be perfectly healthy to include them in.
Having a fear of scrambling or whipping eggs into baked goods is a shame.
Eating lots of eggs in as many ways as possible is a good dietary practice, given that eggs are one of the highest sources of immunity-boosting sulfur that many today are deficient in.
The True Source of Oxidized Cholesterol
What actually does cause cholesterol in foods like egg yolks to oxidize?
It’s not simple cooking, baking, or scrambling like what happens in our humble kitchens!
The real egg processing villain is commercial processing when eggs are forced through tiny holes at obscenely high temperatures and pressures in factories to powderize them for use in a variety of processed foods! (2)
This process is called extrusion, and it is completely denaturing to the cholesterol in all foods, not just eggs.
Incidentally, extrusion also negatively affects proteins, which is why factory processing is so damaging to cereal grains and the top reason to avoid any brand of boxed cereals, even if organic!
How to Best Eat Your Eggs
The bottom line is this: just eat your eggs!
Eat them however you enjoy them best, be it sunny side up, over easy, or scrambled.
You can even eat eggs that have a blood or “meat” spot!
Yolks do not need to be consumed raw and intact to be healthy, although eating them this way is fine if the eggs are high quality.
Most notably, raw egg yolks contain the Wulzen “anti-stiffness” Factor.
One caveat on consuming raw eggs…
According to Dr. Chris Masterjohn, an expert on the subject, raw egg whites have the following problems:
They contain inhibitors of the digestive enzyme trypsin, which are destroyed by heat. Consuming 100 grams of raw egg white with one egg yolk compared to consuming the same food cooked was shown in one study to reduce protein digestion from 90 percent down to 50 percent.
Raw egg whites also contain an anti-nutrient called avidin. Avidin is a glycoprotein that binds to the B vitamin biotin, preventing its absorption. Biotin is necessary for fatty acid synthesis and the maintenance of blood sugar, and is especially important during pregnancy when biotin status declines. (3, 4)
The next time a modern notion claims that a traditional practice, such as eating a simple bowl of scrambled eggs, is dangerous, think about what your Great Grandparents ate.
If they scrambled their eggs, chances are good that you can safely do the same!
(1) Effect of a high-egg diet on cardiometabolic risk factors
(2) FAQ-Miscellaneous Food Questions
(3) Digestibility of Cooked and Raw Egg Protein in Humans as Assessed by Stable Isotope Techniques
(4) The Incredible, Edible Egg Yolk
More Information
Cardiologist Speaks Out Against Low Cholesterol
The High Risks of Low Cholesterol
Cholesterol Myths to Wise Up About
My family of three devours 4-5 dozen eggs a week. I believe an egg to be a perfect little package of nutrients and a perfect start to our day. We even sneak them in for dinner sometimes 🙂
Thank you Sarah for another very helpful post.
7 Reasons You Should Eat Eggs for ( see it for yourself it’s amazing)
1- Egg keep you feeling full much longer than cereal or toast.
2-Eggs assist weight loss
3-Eggs are a great source of protein.
4-Eggs tend to be relatively inexpensive.
5-Eggs aren’t going to make your cholesterol worse.
6-Eggs help with brain development and memory.
7-Eggs protect your eyesight.
Sarah,
Would you mind to briefly list all of the wonderful nutrients found in fresh, organic pastured eggs? I’m trying to convince my friend to jump on the egg wagon with me, but all I can think of off the top of my head are the omega 3’s. I see you mentioned sulphur, that’s a perfect example of something that I had no idea was beneficial in these type of eggs.
Btw, I ate about 4 of these eggs every day of my pregnancy-baby Jesse is healthy, beautiful and smart!
Lori
you can try searching Chris Masterjohn who wrote an article on the incredible egg yolk.
one thing is choline (I think!)
regards,
I have an egg white with an extra egg yoke in most of my homemade dressings and my homemade mayo, because it helps with emulsifying the dressing/mayo. That is the only way I eat raw egg whites. Do you think that there is a problem with eating raw egg whites on occasion?
I like eggs any which way, but my favorite these days is soft boiled. I add them to lightly salted boiling water (the salt apparently helps with peeling) and boil for 3-4 minutes. This way, the white is cooked and the yolk stays runny, or at least soft, depending on how long you cook it. I then pour in cold water to stop the cooking. I crack the shell on the counter all around, rub it between my palms to loosen and crack evenly, and peel. The age of the egg effects how easy it is to peel if the eggs are farm fresh. Even so, I love this method! Great with avocado, Red Boat Fermented Fish Sauce and cilantro!
Read this and thought about all the dried egg in so many products, even food storage itmes. Eek
What do you think about cooked eggs that are subsequently refrigerated/frozen for later consumption, along the lines of these Egg Cupcakes?
LOL, thanks!
In the last month or two I’ve started added an extra egg to whatever I’m making…cakes, muffins, pancakes… So far great results. When I make lunch for my husband and kids, I often pack hard boiled eggs. Husband likes the whites (yuck) and my 14mo old loves the yolks. I’m still trying to get my 7yo to like eggs more…touch and go for him.