You Ask, I Answer: Egg Yolks (Part 2)

How unhealthy are egg yolks?

Is it true that some people have more of a chance (due to genes) of producing more LDL cholesterol and [that] only these individuals should eat egg yolks in moderation?

-- Lori (last name unknown)
Via the blog

Egg yolks are branded with an undeserving "unhealthy" label that has proven hard to shake off.

It was formerly believed that high intakes of dietary cholesterol resulted in high blood cholesterol levels. We now know, however, that blood cholesterol levels are linked to intakes of of trans fats and most saturated fats.

It is true that some individuals have a genetic predisposition for high cholesterol. Consequently, they are recommended to limit their intake of whole eggs to three per week.

If, however, you do not fall into that category, you can safely eat one egg a day.

As far as I'm concerned, the average healthy individual should concern themselves much more with saturated fat than cholesterol.

After all, very low intakes of cholesterol simply mean your liver makes up for it by creating more.

As I pointed out during Season 4 of Bravo's reality competition show Top Chef, people often make significant nutrition mistakes when avoiding meats high in cholesterol. These meats are usually much LOWER in saturated fat and, therefore, a healthier option than varieties low in cholesterol but high in saturated fat!

Your average large egg provides 77 calories and only 1.5 grams of saturated fat. It also doesn't hurt that it's a good way to add riboflavin, B12, selenium, and biotin to your diet!

You Ask, I Answer: Vegemite

[What can you tell me about] the nutritional content of vegemite?

Is it safe to eat some every day on top of toast, or should I be worried about preservatives/salt/etc?

-- Jade Miller
(location withheld)

Vegemite is a concentrated brewer's yeast extract mixed with spices and malt extract that is quite popular in Australia and New Zealand.

The Brits have their own version known as marmite, which replaces the sweeteners with salt and also adds vegetable extract.

Among connoiseurs, the general consensus is that marmite has a strong flavor.

Anyhow, vegemite offers a mere 9 calories per teaspoon (unless you are very fond of the substance, one teaspoon is all you need to spread on your toast) along with 1 gram of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrates.

It is a very good source of niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and folate.

There is no need to be concerned with sodium, since that one-teaspoon serving only adds 152 milligrams to your day.

As far as I'm concerned, feel free to spread the vegemite love on your toast each morning!

You Ask, I Answer: Mushrooms

From a nutrition standpoint, are all varieties of mushrooms pretty much the same?

Sometimes I see portobello mushroom steak as a vegetarian option at restaurants.

Is it higher in protein than other types?

-- Linda Ahern
Santa Ana, CA

All mushrooms are good low-calorie sources of potassium, phosphorus, and two B vitamins (riboflavin and niacin.)

A cup of chopped mushrooms also offers approximately ten percent of the selenium daily value (although oyster mushrooms come up short in this mineral.)

Portobello mushrooms are not higher in protein than other varieties.

A five-ounce serving only delivers 5 grams of protein (that same amount of tofu offers 15 grams; five ounces of seitan contribute 30 grams; half a cup of black beans adds up to 10 grams.)

Portobello mushroom "steak" as a vegetarian option on a restaurant menu strikes me as rather uninspired, particularly when it is the only meat-free choice.

I can't tell you how many times I have been at events where that is the sole vegetarian dish, and it is literally nothing but a huge, grilled portobello mushroom inside a hamburger bun. Snore!

Many chefs love it, though, because it's very easy to prepare.

You Ask, I Answer: Pasteurization

Is it true that orange juice loses some of its micronutrient value through pasteurization?

If so, do these nutrients get added back into the juice following pasteurization?

And lastly, if pasteurization does effect the nutrient content, what does that mean for milk?

Please help me clear up this confusion.

-- Anonymous
Via the blog

Since pasteurization involves heat, some of the Vitamin C (a nutrient sensitive to heat) in orange juice is lost in the process – approximately fifteen to twenty percent.

It’s actually not a big deal, since 8 ounces of pasteurized orange juice still deliver more than a day’s worth of Vitamin C.

Unlike the Enrichment Act of 1942 (which mandates that nutrients originally found in grain products but lost in the milling process be added back in), there is no such law for fruit juices.

Regardless, I am a proponent of opting for a whole fruit over a juice. Not only do you get slightly higher vitamin and mineral values -- you also get more fiber!

As far as milk is concerned, nutrient losses as a result of pasteurization (simply heating it at 161.5 Degrees Fahrenheit for a 15 seconds) are not very significant.

Since the B vitamins present in milk (riboflavin and niacin) are heat sensitive, there are some small losses, but these vitamins are enriched in grain products and otherwise easily accessible in the diet.

It would take a VERY limited diet to be deficient in either of those two nutrients.

I do not think of pasteurization as a process that is majorly depriving us of nutrients.

Many raw milk enthusiasts will spout off statistics about pasteurized milk offering less absorbable calcium, although I have yet to see any of this information published in any respectable journals.

They will also talk about valuable enzymes "being destroyed" by pasteurization, not realizing we don't need to get digestive enzymes from food -- our bodies naturally produce them.

Back to the absorption issue.

Research has demonstrated that we absorb approximately one third of calcium in milk -- raw or pasteurized.

If high-quality, "junk-free" milk is on your mind, I would be more concerned with getting it from non-hormone-treated, grass-fed cows rather than worry about pasteurization.

I can't think of any particular health benefits associated with raw milk.

You "Ask", I Answer: Evaporated Cane Juice

Evaporated cane juice has more minerals [than sugar].

-- Anonymous
Via the blog

Wow, the evaporated cane juice lovers have been out in full force lately.

They appear to be offended by the fact that I referred to it as sugar under a fancier name.

I clarified that it undergoes less processing than sugar.

However, for all intents and purposes, from a caloric and metabolic standpoint, it is standard table sugar.

So what about the claim that evaporated cane juice has more minerals?

Let me start off by saying that one of the many reasons why high intakes of sugar are discouraged is that, in order to convert it to glucose, our bodies need B vitamins.

Since sugar is entire lacking them, our body must take B vitamins away from our cells in order to metabolize it.

Advocates of evaporated cane juice are quick to point out that their sweetener one-ups sugar since it contains vitamin B2.

Fair enough, but what they are forgetting to mention is that in order to get even a small fraction of nutrients from it, you need the equivalent of seven teaspoons -- roughly 100 calories!

Seven teaspoons provide 9% of the B2 daily requirement, 3% of our daily calcium needs, 3% of the iron recommended daily vale, and 4.5% of our manganese needs.

What's always funny to me is that all the B vitamins (apart from B12, which vegans need to specifically seek out) are very easy to get, as they are present in most foods.

Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, dairy, meats, and fortified soy products are good sources.

Remember, too, that, by law, enriched grains must contain some of the B vitamins (including riboflavin, also known as B2). So, even something as nutritionally insignificant as Wonder Bread is a source!

Therefore, the presence of vitamin B2 does not make evaporated cane juice all that special.

A cookie, brownie, or any candy made with evaporated cane juice is not nutritious; it should be considered discretionary calories.

You could munch on a handful of cereal, eat a quarter of a banana, or have a few almonds to get that much riboflavin.

This concept that evaporated cane juice is far superior to sugar because it contains trace amounts of certain vitamins and minerals (unless consumed in large quantities) seems faulty to me.

It's equivalent to someone defending their choice to eat nothing but vegetables because lettuce contains protein.

Yes, at a mere 0.6 grams per cup. You would need six cups to get a pretty irrelevant 3.6 grams.

I have no problem with people buying or using evaporated cane juice for sweetening purposes. Basing that purchase on nutrition, however, is not accurate or informed.

Got Milk? Keep It in the Dark

I recently shared that, when cooking vegetables, the preparation method determines the amount of nutrients available for absorption.

When it comes to milk, storage properties are just as important.

Next time you're at the grocery store, do not reach for glass or plastic containers of milk. This dairy product should be in containers that shield it from the harsh rays of supermarket ultraviolet light.

Not only does exposure to light affect the protein structure of milk (thus offsetting its flavor), it also drains drastically lowers its nutritional value, specifically when it comes to Vitamins A, B2 (riboflavin) and C.

The lower the fat content of the milk, the higher its nutrient losses when exposed to light. And, a little light goes a long way. Studies have found that, on average, nutrient losses for milk starts after just 4 to 6 hours of exposure to light.