# Eggs

Category: Foods & Substances

Also known as: egg, egg yolk

Eggs are a near-perfect food whose value is profoundly shaped by the chicken's diet, with the cholesterol content and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) profile shifting dramatically under industrial agriculture. Peat observed that since the 1930s, the cholesterol in eggs has…

10 passages · 2 authors · 2011–2023 · Most-cited: [Ray Peat](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/voices/ray-peat/index.md)

Canonical page: https://bioenergeticoracle.com/concepts/eggs

## Synthesis

**Eggs** are a near-perfect food whose value is profoundly shaped by the chicken's diet, with the **cholesterol** content and *polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)* profile shifting dramatically under industrial agriculture. [Source 3, 6, 8] Peat observed that since the 1930s, the cholesterol in eggs has steadily decreased while the PUFA content has increased due to feeds designed to fatten animals quickly, a practice that spread from the pork industry to poultry. [Source 6, 8] When chickens are fed a more traditional, saturated diet—such as orchard waste, whey, tortillas, and bugs—the resulting egg fat is much safer and the egg itself can be considered a perfect food. [Source 7, 8] Peat argued that the cholesterol in eggs is one of their key nutritional merits, noting that dietary cholesterol increases the *oxidative stability* of lipid particles in the bloodstream, making them less atherogenic. [Source 3]

The protein in eggs is of exceptionally high biological quality, acting as a powerful insulin secretagogue. [Source 5, 9] Peat explained that the high-quality amino acids in eggs strongly stimulate the pancreas, causing insulin to clear free amino acids from the blood for energy production, fat storage, or muscle building, which can transiently lower blood glucose. [Source 5] He noted that egg protein is technically surpassed in biological sufficiency only by potato protein. [Source 5, 9] Beyond their specific nutrients, Peat believed eggs contain unidentified **biological factors** that contribute to their health effects. [Source 4] He also highlighted that egg whites contain **ovalbumin**, which binds iron effectively, and that the lecithin from egg yolk uniquely exerts a *bactericidal and virucidal effect*, unlike other forms of lecithin that can stimulate microbial growth. [Source 1]

Peat consistently recommended minimal cooking to preserve the egg's protective and nutritional properties. [Source 2, 5, 6] He stated that raw egg yolk is **germicidal** and helps disinfect the intestine, with this antiviral and antibacterial action being somewhat decreased by cooking. [Source 6, 7] A slightly undercooked egg with a runny yolk is preferable because the polyunsaturated fats are easily oxidized by heat, and over-oxidization degrades both the taste and the food's quality. [Source 5, 6] Peat cited cases where individuals with diagnoses of leukemia and lymphoma recovered using a raw eggnog formula of egg, milk, sugar, and orange juice. [Source 6, 7, 8] He considered soft boiling the best cooking method, and while scrambling causes some heat damage, the difference in vitamin content is too small to matter. [Source 2]

Peat addressed the cholesterol myth directly, explaining that the body's hepatic cholesterol synthesis is inhibited by dietary intake. [Source 8] In experiments, it took feeding medical students 22 eggs per day to show an increase in serum cholesterol, while 15 eggs per day produced no increase because the liver simply reduced its own production. [Source 8] He attributed the fear of egg cholesterol to a campaign by the seed oil industry, particularly cottonseed oil producers, who marketed their products on the basis of lowering cholesterol. [Source 8] Georgi Dinkov has extended this perspective by noting that an oxidized cholesterol metabolite, **7-ketocholesterol**, is directly atherogenic, and that supplementing chicken feed with vitamin K can improve eggshell robustness as a biomarker of the bird's health. [Source 10]

## People also ask

### How does a chicken's diet change the fat quality of its eggs?

Peat observed that industrial feeds designed for rapid fattening increase the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of eggs while lowering their cholesterol, whereas a traditional diet of orchard waste, whey, and bugs produces a safer, more saturated egg fat.

### Why did Peat recommend eating eggs with a runny yolk?

Peat argued that raw or runny egg yolk is germicidal and helps disinfect the intestine, and that minimal cooking prevents the heat-driven oxidation of the egg's polyunsaturated fats, which degrades both taste and nutritional quality.

### Does eating eggs actually raise blood cholesterol?

Peat explained that dietary cholesterol inhibits the liver's own cholesterol synthesis, and he cited experiments showing that consuming up to 15 eggs per day produced no increase in serum cholesterol because the body simply reduced its internal production.

## Related concepts

- [Arthritis](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/arthritis/index.md)
- [Learned Helplessness](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/learned-helplessness/index.md)
- [Acetylcholine](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/acetylcholine/index.md)
- [Calcium-to-Phosphorus Ratio](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/calcium-to-phosphorus-ratio/index.md)
- [Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/dehydroepiandrosterone-dhea/index.md)
- [Epilepsy](https://bioenergeticoracle.com/md/concepts/epilepsy/index.md)

## Cited passages

Passage numbers match the `[Source N]` markers in the synthesis above.

### Source 1 — Mitochondria, Immunity, and Natural Resistance - Ask Your Herb Doctor - May 2021

Ray Peat · Interview · May 20, 2021

> ## Natural Resistance and Iron Regulation
>
> **Ray Peat:** Yes. Because sometimes you'll see clients with 50% saturation in their blood and they usually are not doing well when they have that high a level of iron. Partly that's because it means the cell isn't oxidizing strongly enough to keep the iron strongly bound up inside cells.
>
> **Sarah Murray:** So it's floating in the bloodstream and basically rusting things.
>
> **Ray Peat:** Becomes food for invaders.
>
> **Andrew Murray:** Okay, so I know you're very supportive of milk in the diet and eggs, but it was interesting that I saw an article talking about lactotransferrins from milk and ovalbumin from egg white as being very good at binding iron and lowering iron in the serum.
>
> **Ray Peat:** Yeah. Eggs have been found to be both antibacterial and antiviral, especially in a raw form like an eggnog. They have found that where other forms of lecithin stimulate bacterial or viral growth, the lecithin from egg yolk has a bactericidal and virucidal effect.
>
> **Andrew Murray:** So this would support the kind of athletes' recommendation of drinking a couple of eggs whisked up with a glass of milk, right?

### Source 2 — Email Exchanges — Eggs

Ray Peat · Email · 2015

> # Eggs
>
> I think soft boiling eggs is probably best. Scrambling them probably does cause some heat damage, but the difference in vitamin content is too small to matter.
>
> [RAW EGG YOLKS OK?] Yes, eggnogs for example.
>
> There can be a great difference between eggs from chickens that really have adequate pasture, and the standard ones, but the labels aren't likely to contain enough information. 'Organic-free range' chickens in the US are usually fed soy and corn in a crowded outdoor pen. In the US I seldom eat more than one large egg per day, in Mexico where I know where the chickens live and what they eat, I eat more of them.

### Source 3 — Cholesterol and Saturated Fats East West Healing

Ray Peat · Interview · 2011

> **Jodelle Fitzwater:** Dairy being pro-thyroid, it helps with the conversion of cholesterol. Is that because of the progesterone in it?
>
> **Ray Peat:** That's just one minor factor. Human milk, at least contains enough progesterone and thyroid to meet the baby's needs. So that babies that are born without a thyroid gland, if they are being breast-fed, will not have any hypothyroid symptoms until they are weaned. Human milk has a full supportive endocrine system in it for the baby. Cow's milk isn't as appropriate for human use, but it still has some of the metabolism-supporting hormones, as well as the nutrients.
>
> **Jodelle Fitzwater:** Can you elaborate on why eggs are an important staple in people’s diet ? Dr Brewer talked about that as well.
>
> **Ray Peat:** With the industrialization of the egg industry, 40 years ago or so, the cholesterol content of eggs went down quite a bit and the polyunsaturated content went up. So, if you can get non-industrial eggs from chickens that have pastures and can eat varied food, the eggs are going to be a lot better. But the cholesterol in the egg seems to be one of its important nutritional values. Something like 600mg of cholesterol in your diet from some of the experiments, it increases the oxidative stability of your lipid particles in your blood stream, makes them less atherogenic.

### Source 4 — Ray Peat Email Advice Depository — Post 337

Ray Peat · Email · Jan 21, 2017

> ## Thread 2
>
> **Question:** Is there anything in eggs besides the nutrients that justifies their PUFA? There's a lot of hubub on the Ray Peat forum over why you eat an egg/day.
>
> **Ray Peat:** I think eggs contain “biological” factors of various kinds besides the specific essential nutrients.

### Source 5 — One Radio Network — Peat (August 2022)

Ray Peat · Interview · Aug 15, 2022

> **Ray Peat:** Yeah, it's considered the highest quality protein of all. In fact, potato protein slightly exceeds egg protein for quality.
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** I'm sorry, what protein does?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Potato protein.
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** Potato protein does, yeah. We have people that say that. Potato protein is actually even better than egg protein?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Technically, in that sense of biological sufficiency.
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** Wow, wow, wow. Do you think that if you hard cook them, or what we call hard boiled or hard cooked, or cook them too much, that it is detrimental to the nutrients in the egg?
>
> **Ray Peat:** But not a lot. Too much oxidation makes it taste worse and worse. The more over-oxidized it is.
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** Yeah. I saw a video, Dr. Peat, of a fellow that said this is the way to do omelets, right? So rather than mix them up like I was taught to do, you know, like chefs do, and then do them in a pan, he said, just put them in the pan, two or three, and slowly kind of turn them around so you're not really, you know, you're not really kind of, you're breaking them up a lot. And boy, those scrambled eggs taste good. Do you know what I mean?

### Source 6 — One Radio Network: Natural Healing

Ray Peat · Interview · Apr 29, 2019

> ## Eggs and Cholesterol
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** Aajonus Vonderplanitz used to promote a raw egg diet. He claimed a dozen raw eggs a day could straighten out stomach problems.
>
> **Ray Peat:** I've seen several people recover using that. One was a year-and-a-half-old kid, another a man about 70. Both had a diagnosis of leukemia. I suggested an eggnog or "Orange Julius" formula: egg, milk, sugar, orange juice, or vanilla. Both had a recovery. I've suggested that several times for lymphoma and leukemia.
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** Is there a big difference between raw or cooking the eggs?
>
> **Ray Peat:** There have been experiments showing that something in the raw egg yolk is germicidal and helps disinfect the intestine. That is somewhat decreased by cooking, but you still get almost all the benefit from a cooked egg. It's better to cook it as little as possible so the yolk is still runny because the polyunsaturated fat is easily oxidized by heat.

### Source 7 — Learned Helplessness KMUD 2013

Ray Peat · Interview · 2013 · http://www.l-i-g-h-t.com/files/herb-doctors-learned-helplessness-nervous-system-and-thyroid-questionaire.mp4

> **Caller:** *interrupts Peat* rambles on about brainwashing, health and 'all these things'
>
> **Ray Peat:** In one of the studies in which rats had been taught learned helplessness, so they would drown in five or six minutes, just being able to see another rat escape would let the informed rat go for days without drowning. Just the recognition that someone else did it can make all the difference.
>
> **Caller:** bla, bla, bla ... Is raw egg better than slightly cooked or hard boiled egg?
>
> **Ray Peat:** In moderate amounts even raw eggs are fine, very digestible, and they’re antiseptic in the raw state. They have seen that the raw egg yolk killed viruses that other related chemicals weren't able to destroy.
>
> **Caller:** *interrupts Peat* ... bla, bla, bla... Have you heard about not washing the eggs because they will spoil faster?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Oh, yah!
>
> **Caller:** *interrupts Peat* ... bla, bla, bla...which is better: raw or boiled eggs ? What about their PUFA?
>
> **Ray Peat:** If the chickens were fed a more saturated diet, like they used to with orchard waste, apples that were spoiling, and whey from the cheese industry, then the animals eating those foods are... In Mexico, old tortillas are fed to the chickens regularly with chopped fruits and vegetables.

### Source 8 — One Radio Network: Natural Healing

Ray Peat · Interview · Apr 29, 2019

> ## Eggs and Cholesterol
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** Jeremy asks: "I just love eggs. I might eat three or four a day. Is it okay?"
>
> **Ray Peat:** They used to be the perfect food. I've seen the cholesterol and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content analyzed in the 30s, 50s, and 70s. There has been a constant decrease in cholesterol content and a constant increase in PUFA content because of the feed. In the pork industry in the 40s, they found that highly polyunsaturated fats made the pig gain fat faster with less food. That spread to other branches of agriculture. Chicken feed has become more and more polyunsaturated.
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** If our listeners have access to really good yard eggs, organic with no soy, is it a perfect food then?
>
> **Ray Peat:** Yes. When I'm in Mexico and know where the eggs come from—chickens getting tortillas, vegetables, and bugs—I'll eat four or five eggs a day. It's okay to eat more. The cholesterol myth was created by the seed oil industry, especially cottonseed. People wanted to sell their product on the basis that it lowered cholesterol. Things that lower cholesterol generally cause cancer and degenerative disease. In an experiment many years ago, medical students were fed eggs. It took 22 eggs a day to show an increase in serum cholesterol. At 15 eggs a day, there was no increase because their natural liver production of cholesterol was inhibited. The body recognizes it doesn't have to make cholesterol when it's getting that amount.

### Source 9 — One Radio Network — Peat (August 2022)

Ray Peat · Interview · Aug 15, 2022

> **Ray Peat:** Yeah, and they have functions that the other eggs don't. It isn't just the nutrients, but the slightly undercooked egg has antiviral and antibacterial actions.
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** That's cool. But it tastes great too. I got a whole new way of making scrambled eggs that I've been doing my whole life. It's kind of fun. Here's a good one for you. Does Dr. Peat consider clarified butter or ghee in the same category as butter as far as part of his diet? And then he has another question. So do you think it's the same?
>
> **Ray Peat:** I think it's the same nutritionally, but I never eat it myself.
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** Yeah, you just do the butter.
>
> **Ray Peat:** Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah.
>
> **Patrick Timpone:** And it tastes better than ghee, right? Mm-hmm. It's more fun. Does Dr. Peat prefer wheat bran or oat bran for his morning cereal?
>
> **Ray Peat:** That's what I've been eating in recent months. just partly because of the taste of it. But there are differences between wheat and oats and other brands. The cellulose of wheat bran is considered the safest of all brands. But just in case you happen to be allergic to wheat, oats is a good alternative.

### Source 10 — #99: Androgenic Cola? | Hyperinflation | Lipofuscin | Raising Chickens | Home Toxicity with Georgi Dinkov

Georgi Dinkov · Interview · Mar 24, 2023 · https://open.spotify.com/episode/75w6CFfMHk2F997U7tcxUn

> **Danny Roddy:** that's what I was thinking of when I was reading, I think we traded like some papers on aspirin and chickens, but like how many of those papers were also supplementing their poultry with vitamin K and zero, you know? And so I thought that would be a pretty useful thing to do, but. Yeah, chickens are so interesting, and I'm interested in talking to the Strong Sisters about this because they've been doing it for a lot longer than I have, but they seem like they can get ill so quickly, and like you said, they are real temperamental about their situation and how hot they are and their... You just have to be really in tune with what they need, you know? It's the quality of the eggs that's a
>
> **Georgi Dinkov:** really good biomarker of their health. If the eggs start getting brittle or start getting spots on the shell and things like that, or like the egg yolks start to become paler in color, all of these things basically mean the chicken is not healthy.
>
> **Danny Roddy:** About a week ago was the first time I ever got an egg. And it was a miraculous experience. And actually, it's kind of funny because one chicken laid two eggs the first time they ever laid an egg. And so that was like a magical experience. And anyways, the shell's super thick. Chicken's doing very well. And I've been leaving all their doors open because it's relatively cool. But they'll be holding their wings out and kind of panting a little bit. And so... Are there any predators?

_Generated 2026-07-20 from the Bioenergetic Oracle corpus._