On this day, Aunt Xia went downstairs for a walk after breakfast, and found that the pharmacy at the door delivered eggs, she hurriedly pulled her wife to join in the fun, and the two of them spent more than a dozen yuan to get a card, and they got a bag of eggs for free.
Aunt Xia came home beautifully, but found that the refrigerator was full, and the bag of eggs in her hand suddenly became a "hot potato", and it was not a place to put it. In the end, it took the aunt an hour to tidy up the refrigerator before putting the hard-earned eggs in.
When my wife saw it, she thought it was strange, he thought that eggs had shells and were not easy to break, so why should they be put in the refrigerator. But Aunt Xia said that if you put it in the refrigerator, it will not breed bacteria, so it is healthier to eat.
Where exactly should eggs be kept? Is it better to put them in the refrigerator? Let's find out today.
1. How high is the nutritional value of eggs? Many people don't know the whole thing
We all know that eggs are good, but what is so good about them? Now let's talk about the nutritional value of eggs before discussing how to store eggs.
First of all, eggs are a rare high-protein food.
The protein content in eggs is more than 12%, and it is a complete protein, which is the closest protein to the amino acid pattern of the human body, so after we eat eggs, we can better and more directly use the protein in it to provide energy for cells.
Secondly, egg yolk is rich in fatty acids, which is an excellent nutrition.
The lipid content in egg yolk is more than 99%, mainly composed of triacylglycerol, phospholipids, free cholesterol, etc., although from the perspective of composition, they are all lipids, but in fact, most of them are high-quality fats.
For example, the omega-3 series of α-linolenic acid is a "good cholesterol", which not only does not increase the fat content in the body, but also reduces the density of cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the blood, which is helpful for reducing blood lipids and preventing blood vessel blockage.
Eggs are also a great source of multivitamins.
Eggs are rich in vitamins A, C, D, E, niacin, folic acid and pantothenic acid, among which vitamin A can promote immunoglobulin synthesis and promote the construction of the immune system, while vitamin E has an antioxidant effect, by fighting free radicals, stabilizing the function of healthy cells, and reducing the chance of cell mutation.
Finally, eggs also contain a lot of minerals.
These include phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, calcium, etc., minerals are essential nutrients for the human body, which can help the body form various enzymes, and also promote the role of vitamins. For example, iodine can effectively maintain thyroid function and ensure the balance of hormones in the body, while phosphorus is a direct participant in bone composition, promoting bone mineralization and ensuring bone strength.
While maintaining high nutrition, the price of eggs is not expensive, and it has a higher cost performance than other foods, so it has become a frequent guest on the dinner table of Chinese.
Second, can eggs be put directly in the refrigerator? Many people don't know how to pretend to understand, don't put them indiscriminately after reading
There are rumors on the Internet that eggs carry a large number of germs and may contaminate other ingredients if they are kept in the refrigerator, so it is recommended to store them in a cool, dry place, and it is best not to put them in the refrigerator. But is that really the case? Let's look at the following two experiments.
In the 2023 journal "Chinese Poultry", there is an experiment on the change of egg quality under different storage environments. In the experiment, the eggs of the same kind were divided into 6 groups and stored at different temperatures and humidity, and the egg quality was evaluated after 3 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours of storage, and the results showed that:
• Eggs are best stored at temperatures below 4°C and humidity below 30. Egg storage is worst when the temperature is above 30°C and the humidity is above 80%.
Coincidentally, a study in the 2021 "China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine" also found that:
• When stored at 4°C, the fungus inside and outside the egg will multiply most slowly, which is easier to preserve.
These two studies directly show that there is indeed a certain number of fungi inside and outside the egg, and over time, the number of fungi will increase exponentially, and in the low temperature environment of the refrigerator, the activity of the fungus is reduced, the reproduction rate is slowed down, and it is more conducive to storage, so the egg can be directly placed in the refrigerator.
In addition to this, it is best to do the following when storing eggs.
1. Do not wash with water before storage
The surface of the egg is indeed a little white solid, and even some of it is stained with dirt, but this is actually the natural protective film of the egg. With this membrane, the bacteria on the outside of the egg cannot directly invade the inside, and the nutrients inside are easier to seal and preserve, which is more conducive to the storage of eggs.
2. It is not recommended to seal plastic bags
Many people are worried that the fungus of eggs will contaminate vegetables, so they deliberately put a plastic bag to "isolate", but in fact, eggs also need to "breathe", and too closed environment will exacerbate the development of fungi inward, and eggs are more likely to deteriorate.
In order to better coordinate the relationship between eggs and "neighbors", you can put eggs in separate compartments, such as buying a plastic container for storing eggs, paper bags, both of which are more breathable than plastic bags, and can also play an "isolation" role, which can have the best of both worlds.
3. Buy and eat, don't hoard eggs
Eggs are a necessity for many people, so some families have the habit of hoarding eggs, but in fact, in summer, eggs are not fresh in less than a week, and they may be stored for 15 days in winter. Therefore, in order to eat fresh eggs, it is recommended that everyone buy and eat immediately, evaluate the amount of eggs eaten by the family, buy them on demand for a week, and buy new ones when they are finished.
3. The study found that eating more than 1 egg a day may increase the risk of death?
In 2022, a research team from China Agricultural University, after 14 years of follow-up investigation, found that:
• Eating more than 6 eggs per week increases the risk of death by 35%.
In the same year, the research team of Peking University also published a paper in the journal eLife, saying that eating 4-7 eggs per week can reduce the risk of heart disease, but after exceeding this amount, it may be detrimental to health. In addition, a follow-up study published in the Chinese Medical Journal in 2021 with more than 60,000 Chinese people also found that:
• Eating 3-6 eggs a week can improve blood lipid metabolism and even help to lose weight, but after more than 6, the incidence of obesity, hyperlipidemia and other diseases will increase linearly.
Why is eating more eggs potentially so harmful?
Researchers generally believe that eggs have a high content of egg yolk lipids, and if they exceed a certain intake, they will accumulate in the body, aggravate the overall cholesterol content in the blood, not only increase blood lipids, but also may increase the risk of cardiovascular obstruction and increase metabolic stress.
So if you only eat egg whites, but not egg yolks, is it okay?
In fact, this is not recommended, because the study also mentions that the lipids in egg yolk belong to "good cholesterol", and proper intake has great benefits for health, such as it can reduce the accumulation of bad cholesterol in the body, which is beneficial to cardiovascular health, and can also promote body circulation, but reduce body stress.
Therefore, as stated in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", it is recommended that one whole egg per person per day, boiled is the best, and the fried egg contains more oil or it is better not to overdo it.
Doctor's Conclusion:
Eggs are nutritious and inexpensive food in our daily life, in order to better protect the nutrition of eggs, it is recommended that you store eggs in a low temperature and dry environment, and the refrigerator is a good choice.
When storing, try to choose breathable containers, such as plastic boxes, kitchen paper bags, etc., and it is recommended to buy and eat without hoarding, and do not wash before storage. In addition, eating eggs is also particular, one boiled egg per person per day is good, and eating more or long-term fried eggs may not be conducive to health.
Citations:
[1] Duan Guochao; Gao Xuli; Tao Jiashu; Du Yuanjun; LIU Wei; LI Dapeng; HAN Haixia; Lei Qiuxia; ZHOU Yan; LIU Jie; WANG Jie; Cao Dingguo; LI Fuwei; Effects of different storage environments on the production of dark spots and egg quality in eggs[J].China Poultry,2023,45(07):68-72.DOI:10.16372/j.issn.1004-6364.2023.07.010
[2] Wang Jin; LIU Huanzhang; LIU Jianchai; ZHANG Heping; CHENG Long; ZHANG Jingjing; Study on fungal dynamics on the surface and inside of eggs at different storage temperatures[J].China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine,2021,48(02):772-780.DOI:10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2021.02.040