Can You Eat Raw Eggs? Tips & Benefits Behind Eating Raw Eggs
Here Are 4 Reasons Why Eating Egg Whites Might Be Harmful For You
Egg lovers! Take note! Having a scrambled egg in breakfast just feels heavenly! Isn't it? But it is really healthy? Often perceived as a healthier way to consume eggs, just having egg whites also has its drawbacks. Eggs whites are high in protein but low in nutritional value if compared to the whole egg. There are also side effects associated with egg whites, like allergies, infections and deficiencies. However, not everyone may experience these ill-effects but it is better to be informed. Read the side effects of eating white daily.
Egg White Nutrition
The white part of an egg is called Egg white. It is between the egg yolk and shell. To fascinate you with the benefits, eggs are full of:
protein
sodium
selenium
folate
calcium
Do you know that an egg white has around sixteen calories? Yes, it has.
Now that you know, egg's white carries neither any saturated fats or cholesterol, but still, eating it has various side-effects. Below are the 4 most common side-effects:
Egg Whites Side Effects
A lot of people consume egg whites on a regular basis but there are some side effects of eating egg white daily that you must know. Here are four side-ffects of egg whites.
Also Read: Egg White or Whole Egg, Which Is Better And Why?
#1 Allergic Reactions
Some people are allergic to egg whites as well as albumin proteins. Eating egg whites may trigger allergic reactions causing symptoms such as rashes, swelling, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, wheezing, coughing, and sneezing. In some rare cases, eating egg whites can also trigger severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure, inflammation in the throat or mouth, and loss of consciousness. People who are allergic to eggs are likely to be allergic to egg whites.
#2 Food Poisoning
Raw egg whites can be contaminated by Salmonella, a bacteria found in the intestines of chickens. It can also be present on the inner and outer surfaces of egg shells. To avoid the risk of salmonella, it is recommended to avoid eating egg whites everyday but cook the eggs for a long period of time and at a high temperature. It is best to eat properly boiled or fried egg whites.
#3 Depletion of Water-Soluble Vitamin B or Biotin
Deficiency of Biotin, also known as Vitamin H or Vitamin B7, may lead to skin conditions such as cradle cap, seborrheic dermatitis, lack of muscle tone or coordination, muscle pain and cramps, seizures and hair loss. However, Journals published in NBCI and Science Direct show that this is only if you eat RAW Egg Whites that too for prolonged time periods, biotin deficiency may occur. This is because Avidin, a protein present in egg whites rubs off biotin from the body, increasing the risk of biotin deficiency, thereby increasing the risk of possible side-effects.
Also Read: 8 Simple Ways To Incorporate Eggs In Your Diet
#4 Excess Protein in the Body
Egg whites are rich in proteins, and according to doctors, eating a high amount of protein can be dangerous if you suffer from kidney problems. Vegan egg from plant is also becoming popular. People with low Glomerular filtration rate could be afflicted by acute kidney injury because of the high biological value of egg protein. 0.6 to 0.8 grams of protein is the recommended daily intake for people who suffer from an impaired renal function. However, doctors still recommend that around 60% of the proteins come from eggs. So, it is recommended to eat no more than a couple of eggs daily. People who have acute liver problems should consult their doctor before starting a diet that includes egg whites.
Conclusion
Egg whites may be one of the healthiest foods in your diet plan, but you don’t eat more than two eggs daily. Also, there are some precautions that can prevent you from the side effects of eating boiled egg white daily. Eggs must be properly boiled before consumption. If you are eating scrambled eggs, ensure that they are neither undercooked nor overcooked. These small tips can prevent you from adverse effects.
Read more articles on Healthy Diet
Here’s The Truth About Egg White Masks
Here’s The Truth About Egg White Masks 10.19.21 |
Eggs are a staple ingredient in numerous recipes, from omelets to cakes to stir fry dishes. But did you know that egg whites may also offer several skin benefits?
A DIY egg white face mask is touted to tighten and tone your skin, reduce excess oil, and even provide anti-aging benefits. To determine if these claims are true, we’re going over exactly what’s in an egg white and how this DIY mask may benefit your skin.
What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2022?
Do You Know What Egg Whites Actually Are?
As you probably already know, there are two parts of an egg: the egg white and the yolk. The egg white, also called albumen or glair/glaire, is the clear liquid inside the egg. In chickens, the egg white is formed around both fertilized and unfertilized egg yolks and has an important job of protecting the yolk. Furthermore, the egg white provides proper nutrition for the growth of the embryo once fertilized.
The egg white mostly consists of water (about 90%) into which about 10% proteins are dissolved. The types of proteins found in egg white include albumins, mucoproteins, and globulins. The main protein in egg white is called ovalbumin, which makes up approximately 55% of the total protein. Unlike the yolk, which is high in lipids (fats), egg white contains almost no fat, and less than 1% carbohydrate content.
Egg white face mask benefits
A DIY egg white face mask is claimed to help with multiple skin conditions, such as acne, scarring, dark spots, dry skin, oily skin, and signs of aging (fine lines, wrinkles, etc.). It is also said that you can use an egg white face mask for glowing skin. That’s a pretty impressive list of benefits! But are these claims true? To determine the validity of these claims, we must evaluate how each of the components in an egg white affects the skin.
Boost skin hydration
One of the benefits of an egg white face mask is its ability to increase skin hydration. The proteins in an egg white face mask may function as humectants. A humectant is a hygroscopic substance that has a molecular structure with several hydrophilic (water-loving) groups, such as hydroxyl groups (OH) and/or amine groups (NH2). Ovalbumin contains both OH and NH2 groups in its chemical structure, as do many of the other proteins found in the egg white. The OH and NH groups hydrogen bond with water, essentially “grabbing” it and holding it on the skin. Humectants slow water from evaporating and therefore keep the skin hydrated.
Temporarily plump skin
Since the proteins in an egg white face mask can help to bind moisture to the skin, they may also lead to temporary anti-aging benefits. This is because the extra hydration is extra volume, which effectively plumps out the skin and makes lines and wrinkles less noticeable. However, this effect is transient – as soon as the moisture content in skin decreases, lines and wrinkles will return to normal size. Due to this, an egg white face mask can be used to provide a temporary skin-tightening effect.
Destroy acne-causing bacteria
Another egg white face mask benefit is its antibacterial activity due to the protein lysozyme. Lysozyme has the ability to lyse (break down) the wall of certain Gram-positive bacteria. Propionibacterium acnes is the Gram-positive bacteria that causes acne. Specifically, blemishes form when pores become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. Then, P. acnes accumulates and the pore becomes inflamed, thus leading to pimple formation. Since the lysozyme protein in egg white can destroy P. acnes, an egg white face mask could help to prevent the formation of blemishes. An egg white face mask can also help to absorb excess oil from the skin, which further helps to reduce the chances of pores becoming clogged.
False Claims About DIY Egg White Face Masks
Since this post is giving you the truth about egg white face masks, we also want to share with you some claims about egg whites that are simply not true. For instance, numerous beauty blogs claim that egg whites are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals that can benefit the skin’s overall appearance. However, egg whites are primarily composed of water and contain few nutrients other than protein.
Another purported benefit of an egg white face mask is that the egg white will help “shrink” or “tighten” pores. However, this is not possible because pores do not have muscles around their opening to allow them to open and close. Like we said above, an egg white face mask can help to temporarily tighten and plump the skin, however, it won’t do much for your pores.
What You MUST Know Before Trying An Egg White Face Mask
Since eggs are a very common food item, you might assume that using an egg white face mask is pretty safe. However, there are several things you must know before trying an egg white face mask. Before you crack that egg, read these tips to ensure your safety.
Remember when you were younger and you wanted to lick the bowl after making a cake recipe, but your parents always said no? Well, this was for good reason: the raw eggs used in that recipe could have contained a type of pathogenic bacteria called Salmonella, which can cause food poisoning. The same thing goes for DIY egg white face mask recipes. If you apply the raw egg white to your face and accidentally ingest it, there’s a possibility you could contract food poisoning.
The next thing you must know before trying an egg white face mask is that not all DIY egg white face mask recipes are the same, and some could even be harmful to your skin! For example, it is commonly recommended to mix lemon juice into your egg white face mask. Lemon juice is claimed to be a natural option for brightening the skin. However, there is no research demonstrating that lemon juice has a positive effect on brightening an uneven skin tone. Plus, lemon juice is highly acidic, with a very low pH that’s quite sensitizing to skin. Lemon juice is also known to cause photosensitivity (reaction causing redness and inflammation on patches of sun-exposed skin) due to the volatile fragrance chemical limonene, which is abundant in lemon juice.
Another popular ingredient that is suggested to be used in a DIY egg white face mask recipe is baking soda. Baking soda is claimed to be a “natural deep cleanser and oil remover”. While baking soda is abrasive and will exfoliate the skin, skincare experts consider it to be too harsh. Plus, baking soda has a high pH of 9, which is typically too alkaline for skin to tolerate since the skin’s normal pH is about 4.5 to 5.
DIY Egg White Face Mask Recipes
A simple DIY egg white face mask recipe starts with separating the yolk from the egg white. Once the egg components are separated, mix the egg whites into a frothy foam. After cleansing your face, spread the egg whites over the skin of the face evenly. Leave the egg white face mask on for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse it off with cold water and apply your normal moisturizer. It is typically recommended to use an egg white face mask once per week; however, you may adjust the frequency according to how your skin reacts to the mask.
There are also DIY egg white face mask recipes that include additional ingredients. However, as we mentioned above, it’s important to avoid adding in ingredients that will do more harm than good, such as lemon juice and baking soda. You can either try just a simple egg white face mask with only frothed egg white, or you could add in ingredients like honey, plain yogurt, coconut oil, almond oil, or avocado, which are beneficial to the skin. Plus, many of these foods are probably readily available in your kitchen so that you can easily whip up a DIY egg white face mask.
Final Thoughts On DIY Egg White Face Masks
As you can see, egg white contains beneficial proteins that can increase skin hydration, destroy the bacteria that causes acne, and provide temporary anti-aging benefits, such as tightening the skin and plumping fine lines and wrinkles. While an egg white face mask may provide some benefits to your skin, it’s important to remember that you’re not going to get the same benefits of using a professionally formulated skincare product.
Our final thoughts are that while a DIY egg white face mask is an at-home and cost-effective skin treatment, you are going to see much better results by using an actual skincare product, such as a cream or serum, that is designed to specifically target your skin concerns.
References: Wikipedia “Egg white”, Medical News Today “Are egg white face masks good for your skin?” Nov 2018, “Egg White Nutrition Benefits the Skin, Heart, Muscles & More” Sep 2018
Can You Eat Raw Eggs? Tips & Benefits Behind Eating Raw Eggs
Ever since Rocky started guzzling eggs in the 1976 classic, raw eggs have been a popular food among bodybuilders and athletes. Despite this, many non-athletes are hesitant about consuming uncooked eggs because of the risk of food poisoning.
Australian Eggs is dedicated to delivering you the best information about eggs and we’ve outlined the pros and cons of eating raw eggs below to help you decide if it’s worth it.
Is It Safe to Eat Raw Eggs?
It’s safe to consume raw eggs as long as some basic precautions are followed and the risks are understood. With any egg, there is always a low level risk of Salmonella bacteria being present on the eggshell exterior. This has nothing to do with free-range versus cage, or commercial egg farm versus backyard chook, it’s a risk that exists in all poultry products.
The most important thing to know is that raw eggs should be consumed immediately after preparing them. When an egg is cracked, there is a risk that any Salmonella bacteria on the shell can touch the egg white and end up in the bowl. This risk grows when a piece of broken egg shell falls into the raw egg or eggs are separated by passing the yolk back and forth between two shell halves.
Bacteria such as Salmonella need time to grow (replicate) so how quickly you eat the food and whether it’s refrigerated before and after really matters. Very small numbers of bacteria in raw eggs are unlikely to cause food poisoning because human stomach acid will overpower it. However, if a raw egg dish sits on the bench for several hours, the bacterial load will increase and so will the risk of serious food poisoning.
So, cracking an egg into a cup and drinking it is low risk but cracking an egg into a cup, dropping some shell in it, picking the shell out with your fingers and drinking it after two hours on the bench is high risk.
Are Raw Eggs Safe for Children, the Elderly or Pregnant Women?
Vulnerable people or those with compromised immune systems - including children, pregnant women, and elderly people - should not eat foods that contain raw eggs.
Eggs are an important addition to the diets of children, pregnant women and the elderly as they are full of vitamins, minerals and high quality protein. But they should always be cooked properly to eliminate any risk of food poisoning.
What About Raw Egg Dishes Like Mayonnaise?
It’s fine to make your own mayonnaise and aioli at home providing you take precautions. Only small amounts should be prepared at a time and enough vinegar or lemon juice must be added to acidify the sauce to a pH of 4.2 or less. It’s important to eat it within a day of making and store in the fridge when not using. Leaving homemade mayonnaise or aioli to sit on the bench at room temperature is very risky.
For desserts containing raw egg like tiramisu and chocolate mousse, it is best to separate the egg white and yolk with an egg separator rather than with the shell halves. It’s ok to use that method for baked goods but an egg separator is a safer option for uncooked desserts. Again, it is important to refrigerate immediately and consume within a day of making.
When making raw egg dishes, it is especially important to not use cracked or dirty eggs. Only use clean eggs that have been refrigerated and are within the best before date.
Is There a Salmonella Risk?
The risk is low as Australia has strict food safety laws and strong state agencies with responsibility for regulating our food system. Egg farmers also do everything they can to supply safe, clean, and fresh eggs. But despite this, it is still possible for eggs to become contaminated by Salmonella and people should take precautions.
Salmonella is a food poisoning bacteria that can be killed instantly at 74°C so eggs will always be safe when cooked properly. Dishes containing uncooked eggs are more susceptible to Salmonella bacteria and need to be prepared and stored carefully.
Salmonella risk can be minimised by throwing out cracked or dirty eggs, storing them immediately and safely in the fridge inside the carton they came in, and throwing out any eggs once they reach their best before date.
The Benefits and Disadvantages of Eating Raw Eggs
Eggs are one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat as they are packed with 13 different vitamins and nutrients and contain very high quality protein. And because of their excellent protein profile, raw egg whites have always been popular with athletes and bodybuilders.
But drinking or eating raw eggs offers no major advantages over eating poached or boiled eggs. Despite raw eggs containing slightly more nutrients, the nutrients in cooked eggs are in fact easier for your body to digest and absorb.
One study found that the body is able to absorb 90% of the protein found in cooked eggs compared to only 50% in raw eggs.
So Should You Eat Raw Eggs?
While it’s generally safe to consume raw eggs, there are very few reasons to do so. Raw eggs typically contain the same benefits as cooked eggs but they don’t aid nutrient absorption quite as well.
Eating raw eggs also comes with a small risk of Salmonella food poisoning; however, there are steps you can take to minimise this risk to a very low level.
Children, pregnant women, elderly people, and others with weak immune systems should definitely avoid raw eggs. But for anyone else, it comes down to understanding the risks and making your own decisions.
Would you like more nutritional information about eating eggs? Australian Eggs has created a hub dedicated to answering all your queries about eggs and nutrition.
Tips For Handling Raw Eggs
