Drinking egg whites is considered a surefire way of gaining muscles and developing protein levels in the body for centuries. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike use this magical ingredient to build their bodies.
There must be something magical in this food that makes it so commonplace among fitness regimes, right?
But why are you still hearing the talks from doctors and Personal fitness trainers who advise against consuming this ingredient? Is egg white your friend or foe?
Know everything you need to know about this weight-guaranteeing ingredient from this post.
Egg Whites – Nutrition Facts
Egg whites make almost 56% of the whole egg. When you consume one egg white, you get 4 grams of protein, 17 calories, and 55 milligrams of sodium.
Other micronutrients in a single egg white amount to 53.8 mg of potassium, 2.3 mg of calcium, 4.9 mg of phosphorus, and 3.6 mg of magnesium. You will also get tiny portions of folate and selenium from this source.
Although it makes a tiny portion of recommended daily protein intake for any adult, it’s preferred over other sources because it doesn’t have other nutrients.
When you consume an egg white, you don’t worry about consuming more calories than you should. You see, it contains only 17 calories.
Is It Okay Drink Egg Whites
Because of their small size, ease of consumption, and affordability; egg whites are preferred by bodybuilders and strength trainers as a protein source.
But are they safe? They should be free of germs and sickness-inducing bacteria since they come packed in eggshells, right?
In an ideal world, they are free from every kind of germ. And because they have praiseworthy antimicrobial properties, you can believe that the chances of this ingredient belonging to an ideal world are high.
But this belief is far from the truth. Although this part of an egg is a means to protect the chicken embryo from germs and accidents to the shell, it has its limitations.
After the shell, it prevents most germs from the external world from entering the egg. And if these foreign bodies enter the egg, egg white’s antimicrobial immunity fights with it and prevents it from harming the embryo.
Some germs still survive this strong immunity system of the egg. Salmonella bacteria are one of these germs that can survive the immunity system inside egg whites. These bacteria are related primarily to chicken eggs.
The only health hazard of eating raw eggs relates to the consumption of this germ. It can make you sick. The symptoms of Salmonella-induced sickness include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain.
These symptoms arise after six hours or six days of consumption of salmonella-infected eggs. Children, seniors, and other people with immunity issues are more vulnerable to this sickness. In serious conditions, the patient needs hospitalization.
How to Avoid the Risk
We can see that the consumption of raw egg whites can cause a health hazard. This risk can get so severe that it can need hospitalization of the patient.
You can avoid this hazard by avoiding raw eggs. Does this mean you should forget to gain muscle with the cheapest protein source?
Of course not! You can still use eggs to supplement your protein intake. You only have to be cautious not to use them in raw form. Instead, go for pasteurized egg whites.
Pasteurization is a method of killing germs with the help of heat. In this process, the eggs are heated at a temperature between 115 and 135 °F. This level of heat kills Salmonella preventing the sickness caused by this germ.
Often termed liquid egg whites, pasteurized egg whites are far healthier and safer. Now, the question arises if you should consume pasteurized egg whites as is recommended by some fitness gurus. Will this consumption help you or harm you?
Health Hazards of Pasteurized Egg Whites
For starters, know that pasteurized eggs are rich in protein. They have plenty of different healthy proteins. One of the proteins in egg whites is Avidin. The protein isn’t entirely harmful and is known for its antimicrobial and insecticidal properties.
But it also binds biotin which can lead to biotin deficiency after long exposures to this protein. Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin included in B-complex.
Its deficiency can cause skin and hair issues and hearing and vision problems in adults. In growing children it can cause developmental delays.
You may not see the symptoms of biotin deficiency after short-term use of egg whites. But prolonged use of this – otherwise magical – ingredient can create a serious deficiency of an essential vitamin in the body.
Way to Avoid These Health Hazards
It’s apparent from the argument given above that egg whites can rob the body of one of its essential vitamins that is necessary for the growth of a child and the sensory health of a person.
Luckily, we can circumvent this potential deficiency by taking remedial actions proactively. If you are planning to consume egg whites for more than a couple of weeks and your daily consumption equates to two or more egg whites, you should take a biotin supplement alongside it.
As the egg white protein is known to bind the vitamin, you shouldn’t take the two supplements simultaneously. Instead, give up to twelve hours of gap between consuming the two ingredients. In other words, if you consume egg whites in the morning, take the biotin supplement at night.
Why do People Drink Egg Whites
Most people who consume egg whites take it as part of a slim workout plan . Their primary goal from this ingredient is to build up protein levels in the body. Indirectly, they hope it helps with muscle building.
So, muscle growth is the most commonly quoted benefit of egg whites. But that’s not the only reason you should be taking this food. Here are all the health benefits you should expect from egg white consumption.
A Source of High-Quality Protein
Don’t be fooled by the presence of Avidin. Avidin is the only protein in the myriads of amino acids in egg white that is connected to health risks.
Even Avidin is not all bad. You can count on its antimicrobial properties to strengthen your immunity system. All other amino acids in this food are healthy.
What’s even better is the fact that most of the proteins that are offered by egg whites are more easily absorbed by the body than proteins from other sources. Its absorbability is significantly enhanced when compared to the absorbability of protein from plant-based sources.
We should also note that the bioavailability of pasteurized eggs is claimed to be 100%. In other words, every ounce of protein available in these egg white servings is utilized by the body to nourish muscles.
A Viable Alternative Source of Protein
Are you allergic to milk, soy, or nuts? If yes, you may fear losing out on protein available in these sources. Especially, if you are allergic to milk, you wouldn’t get many animal-based alternatives of proteins.
In such cases, egg whites become one of the primary sources of additional proteins you can use to nourish your body.
Ensures Bone Health
Egg whites are also known for enhancing bone health. Protein, again, is the vital reason for this relationship. You get 11 grams of proteins in only a half-cup serving of liquid egg whites. At the same time, it doesn’t pack other nutrients along with the protein.
Research has found that consumption of the right amount of proteins is necessary for you to maintain bone health.
If this level is attained, you can experience less bone loss even in older age or with bone diseases. So, you can maintain your bone vitality with the right amount of proteins. The basic daily recommended amount of protein for a healthy person is 0.8 grams for every kilogram of body weight.
This amount increases when you face health conditions that deteriorate bone health. In other words, if you suffer from bone diseases or you are a senior experiencing bone loss because of your age, you should increase the amount of protein you consume daily. This will help you maintain – and grow – your bone health.
Builds Muscles
This is the primary purpose that motivated you to consume egg whites, right? But you could also go for other sources of proteins like meat and nuts. So, why should you prefer egg whites over all other sources?
The reason behind the popularity of the proteins present in egg whites is that this part of an egg contains the highest percentage of proteins among other nutrients.
If you want to increase your protein content without packing on the fat content present in most of its animal-based sources, you should go for egg white as your preferred source.
This lack of fats in egg whites helps you stay away from higher cholesterol levels that may arise if you use other sources of protein as part of a muscle building diet.
At the same time, we ditch plant-based protein in favor of this source of protein because the former source isn’t as readily absorbable by the body as the latter.
May Help With Blood Sugar Control
Egg whites contain an ample amount of Vitamin B2. This vitamin has been found to maintain healthy blood sugar levels in mice. Also, it is linked to lower oxidative stress and inflammation in rodents.
Although this study is not conducted for humans, we can assume that the vitamin can lead to healthier blood sugar levels.
Antioxidant Proteins
Some of the proteins found in egg whites are ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, and ovomucoid. These proteins are known for their antioxidant properties.
Oxidative stress results from different natural processes within the body. These antioxidant proteins keep this stress level under check. Plus, these proteins are also a source of many amino acids needed by the body.
Best Way to Drink White Eggs
If you are complementing this food with enough biotin supplements, you should feel safe about using it. In the long run, drinking egg whites will help you build muscles, prevent higher cholesterol levels, and maintain brain health.
You may start with drinking half a cup of egg whites directly from the carton. But you can choose to make it more delicious and presentable.
Here is a smoothie recipe from Dad with a Pan that includes liquid eggs in the mix.
- Egg whites – 1 cup
- Peanut butter – 1 tablespoon
- Avocado – 1 tablespoon
- Apple – 1
- Baby spinach – 2 cups
- Ice – 2 cups
Throw all the ingredients in the blender and blend for a couple of minutes. You will need to check the consistency to suit your taste.
Feel free to adopt other smoothie recipes to change the taste.
Take Away
Drinking egg whites is a centuries-old trick that has helped thousands of people in building muscles.
This tip is still alive in the modern world. Despite all the protein supplements we can get on the market, health and fitness gurus prefer to use egg whites for efficient results.
That’s because this ingredient is far more affordable than most protein shakes available on the market.
But is it that affordable? What about the health risks associated with this supplement? If we use pasteurized egg whites instead of raw egg whites, we are safe against the germ that can infect egg whites.
Also, we need to take biotin supplements alongside egg whites because the Avidin protein present in these whites can cause biotin deficiency.
