How Would You Like Your Eggs; Raw or Cooked?

Eggs are a staple of a Low Carbohydrate diet.

...in general are a nutritional (and wholly Primal!) powerhouse with impressive supplies of selenium, iodine, phosphorus, molybdenum, choline, lutein, vitamins A, B2, B5, B12, E, D and K. Add to this a healthy 5.5 grams of protein, 20% of your RDA for tryptophan and essential fatty acids.

The question in my mind about all sources of protein is Bioavailability-the amount of or rate at which a substance or drug is accessible to the body!Many advocate a raw diet(including my cousin Raw Chef,Angela Bosco)where the nutrients of the food are spared from the de-naturing effects of heat. I agree with this premise in most cases although I have not warmed up to eating raw.
Eggs may be one protein rich food that is more bioavaible when cooked.

Digestibility of Cooked and Raw Egg Protein in Humans as Assessed by Stable Isotope Techniques

Egg white protein is generally considered to be less digestible than heat-pretreated egg white protein. However, no data are available concerning the magnitude of this impairment in vivo. In this study, it was shown that after ingestion of 25 g of raw egg protein, almost 50% is malabsorbed over 24 h. The higher digestibility of cooked egg protein presumably results from structural changes in the protein molecule induced by heating, thereby enabling the digestive enzymes to gain broader access to the peptide bonds.

Some of the negatives associated with eating/drinking raw eggs are Salmonella and eventual risk of a biotin deficiency

Although egg yolk is actually a rich source of biotin, the white contains avidin, a glycoprotein that bonds with biotin, preventing the nutrient’s absorption. Avidin is generally inactivated when cooked, which makes the biotin in the yolk fully available for absorption by the body. You don’t have to rule out raw eggs by any means. I wouldn’t advise eating them daily for long stretches of time without a biotin supplement (supported within a B-complex intake, since these vitamins work synergistically). If you’re eating them just a few times a week, the risk for deficiency isn’t as great, but I would still do a supplement or at least make sure I was getting a hefty amount of biotin rich food (swiss chard, tomatoes, carrots, liver and others) the days I eat raw eggs. As a compromise, some folks will just eat the raw yolks alone and cook up the whites later

Work Smarter Not Harder!
Dr David Marcon
Cincinnati Ohio
drdavidmarcon.com