Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse, offering an easy way to boost your protein intake. Packed with various beneficial nutrients, they’re especially rich in choline, which is fantastic for brain health. These little oval wonders also boast impressive amounts of vitamin B12, D, and selenium. But here’s the kicker: how you cook your eggs can significantly impact their health.
Last month, Health Digest dropped a bombshell: cooking eggs the wrong way could be upping your risk of heart disease and cancer. Canadian nutritionist Angel Luk spilled the tea, explaining that when eggs get too hot under the collar, their cholesterol transforms into a nasty little substance called oxycholesterol.
This oxycholesterol teams up with LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) to throw a party in your arteries, inviting inflammation and plaque as their plus-ones. While it’s not directly responsible for atherosclerosis, it can worsen existing issues. And if that wasn’t enough to make you rethink your breakfast, the journal Cancer Prevention Research recently reported that high levels of oxycholesterol could bump up your colon cancer risk by 22%.
In 2017, researchers raised red flags about oxycholesterol in a paper called Lipids in Health and Disease. While they’re still piecing together the exact relationship between oxycholesterol and cancer, they’ve linked it to inflammation. These protein-packed orbs are still nutrition superstars, loaded with unsaturated fats, essential vitamins, and minerals. The secret is all in how you cook them.
Here’s the scoop: Oxycholesterol starts crashing the party when you cook cholesterol at temperatures above 177C (350°F) for too long. So, if you fry your eggs until they’re crispy or leave them on high heat for a long time, you might have trouble with your breakfast.
Here’s some excellent advice: opt for lower-temperature cooking methods like scrambling or making omelets. Use just a smidge of oil to make the omelet heat-stable. Why not throw in some veggies for a nutrient-packed omelet? It’s a win-win: Your body will thank you for the easy-to-digest protein, extra fiber, and antioxidants from the veggies.
And here’s a pro tip: use oils rich in monounsaturated fats, like avocado oil. They’re like superheroes for your heart, helping to keep cholesterol in check and reducing your risk of heart disease.
The bottom line? With a little egg-stra care in the kitchen, you can whip up delicious, healthy meals that are good for your taste buds and your body.
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