Is a boiled egg healthy?

Eggs have been eaten for centuries. The boiled egg that is widely eaten in the Netherlands is not only popular in the Netherlands. Eggs are eaten boiled in many countries. But just how healthy is a boiled egg? What's more, is there a health difference between a fried, poached or boiled egg?

What is a boiled egg?

We all know what an egg is, a chicken egg in this case. Although people also eat other eggs, of course, this is about the chicken egg. Eggs are prepared in several ways. You will find them in a huge number of dishes, but they are also eaten in pure form. A boiled egg is an egg that is cooked in or over boiling water without breaking the shell. A boiled egg is often eaten for breakfast. You can cook an egg in three ways: hard, medium or soft. When you boil an egg hard, both the white and the yolk have congealed. When boiling an egg gently, the yolk and sometimes the white are still liquid.

Eggs are very nutritious. When you think of superfoods you usually think of berries and other products from distant lands. But eggs also fit in the list of superfoods. Eggs, for example, contain protein and unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fat is healthy for the human body. The protein in eggs ensures that you have less appetite for treats since you are still well filled. This means you consume fewer calories.

Eggs, especially the yolk, contain a lot of vitamins and minerals. Eggs contain, among other things, vitamin A, which is good for the skin, eyes, growth and resistance. Vitamin B2 can also be found in eggs. This is necessary to get energy from nutrients. The vitamin B12 in eggs is necessary for the production of red blood cells and for the proper functioning of the nervous system. Vitamin D is important for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth. Folic acid or vitamin B11 is essential in the production of red and white blood cells. Another substance that you will find in eggs is choline. Choline is necessary for the production of red blood cells and for the proper functioning of the nervous system. Eggs also contain the minerals phosphorus, selenium, iron and zinc. Eggs also contain important antioxidants. These are zeaxanthin and lutein. These substances prevent your vision from deteriorating with age.

You have cholesterol that comes into the body through food and you have cholesterol that is made by the liver itself. A 2012 study concluded that dietary cholesterol will not increase the risk of heart disease. However, in 25% of the population, which is sensitive to cholesterol from food, the LDL (bad cholesterol) can rise. HDL (good cholesterol) automatically rises in these people, so there is no change in the ratio of LDL and HDL. This means there is no increased risk of heart disease.

Some eggs are contaminated with salmonella, the bacteria known from chicken meat. This bacteria can cause stomach and intestinal complaints. Because of this you have to make sure that you cook your eggs long enough to kill any bacteria. There is also a small risk of salmonella with a soft-boiled egg. But even if you add raw eggs to a dish, the risk of salmonella is extremely small.

We now know that eggs are healthy, but which type of egg is the healthiest? A fried egg is in any case less healthy because you add a baking agent to it, which adds extra fat. Certain vitamins are also lost during baking. A poached egg is just as healthy as a boiled egg, but just like the soft-boiled egg, there is a small risk of salmonella. Although there is little difference between a soft-boiled and a hard-boiled egg, you may want to eat a hard-boiled egg as this eliminates the risk of salmonella. [! 181607 => 1130 = 84!] How many eggs per day?

The last question is how many eggs can you eat per week? There is often a lack of clarity about this. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Center it is advisable to eat about three eggs a week. A 2013 study by the British Medical Journal indicates that you can safely eat one egg a day. For people with diabetes, there were signs that one egg a day would increase the risk of coronary heart disease. The researchers did indicate that more research needed to be done on this.

It can be concluded that a boiled egg is healthy, but that you should not eat it too often. An egg for breakfast gives you a lot of energy for the rest of the day and is therefore a good basis for a healthy breakfast.