Nat, doreen, I actually OWN udo's book now...lol...but still can't find this in it through the index (the answer was in PPLP, I think, but I got that at the library and can't look it up there)

What are the best and worst cooking methods for eggs. Scrambled is worst for damaging the fats, right? Raw is probably the best, but I've tried that and....ewwwwwwwwww! Boiled is next best?

How about frying and shirring/baking?

thanks And I swear, I'll learn this stuff myself soon so I can answer more questions about fats than I'm asking!

hi razzle,

What a coincidence ... I was actually reading that chapter in PPLP myself today, looking up something else.

The caution against scrambled eggs is that the cholesterol in egg yolks oxidizes rapidly in heat and air. So, the Eades recommend you eat scrambled eggs, omelets or other beaten egg-containing foods only occasionally. Their preferred cooking methods are poached, boiled in shell or fried in such a way that the yolk remains intact. I've read other sources too which suggest the yolk is best left soft or "runny".

Erasmus doesn't really address cooking methods for eggs, at least that I could find. He does discuss oxidized cholesterol though, and suggests the problem is most significant when levels of antioxidants in the body are low. Supplements of vitamins C and E, carotenes, selenium and sulfur will be helpful. Interesting to note that egg yolks contain vitamin E, selenium and sulfur.

Doreen

All ways I HATE eggs. And runny yolks, no can't do that. I think I'll stick with my scrambled eggs and custards. A person can only do so much for health.

;-Deb

I don't know anything about damaged fats and didn't realize there was a health issue about how eggs are cooked. But I was just reading this passage from Thin For Good by Fred Pescatore (he was the Associate Medical Director of the Atkins Center for years and then split off with his own LC plan). I found it interesting.

"If you purchase nothing else that's organic, please buy and eat only organic eggs. There is a significant difference in chemical composition between eggs that are conventially raised and those that are organic. This simple and not much more expensive purchase makes eggs a great source of nutrition. Organic eggs contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the beneficial ratio of 1 to 1. Commercial eggs, on the other hand, contain up to nineteen times more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids, making them much less healthy. It's not the cholesterol, but rather the poorly balanced fatty acid ratio that is the menacing culprit in eggs."

I can't believe you tried eating them raw! I'm not the only one with an eating disorder!

~Mel

ha, mel... I have bought organic, fertile eggs from free-range hens for almost two years now. For a dime extra per egg, it's also the best organic protein deal out there!

My dog eats his organic egg raw every morning and loves it! So I thought one morning, I'd give it a try....ack. As with eating insects, I know my aversion is just learned, but still. Aversion it is!

You should not eat raw eggs. The danger is salmonella poisoning.

See:
http://www.about-salmonella.com/page2.htm

They are supposedly coming out with pasteurized eggs sometime soon though which will solve this problem:
http://www.davidsonseggs.com/News/ap032000.html

That is why homemade ice cream recipes tell you to cook the eggs first.

However, you can just use egg whites raw without cooking in recipes which reduces the risk of salmonella.

Also, the reason that organic eggs are better is because they come from free-range chickens. This means that the chickens eat natural outside grasses and vegetables. Most ranch chicken eggs come from chickens that are fed grains and corns (do they have to put even the chickens on a high carb diet!?). This means the chickens get their omega-6/omega-3 ratio out of whack like we humans do and their eggs show this same ratio toward the omega-6. If the chickens can eat what they naturally would eat outdoors, their diet balances more toward the omega-3 side. Animals have a better clue than humans about what foods are good for them instinctively.

While both omega-6 and omega-3 are essential fatty acids, we get too many omega-6 in our diet already. Omega-3 helps prevent inflammation, allergies, arthritis, high cholesterol, arteriosclerosis (because it thins the blood) pain from anything, and a host of other stuff so everyone should have a better balance of omega-3s.

Doreen is right: poached, boiled or over-medium please!

But I've got to stick with Deb about the custard thing (you have to make exceptions somewhere)