Grandpa Zhang is 68 years old this year, and for many years, he has been accustomed to eating a bowl of hot millet porridge in the morning, accompanied by a fragrant boiled egg, a habit that Grandpa Zhang has insisted on for decades.
But when Grandpa Zhang mentioned to his daughter that he wanted to eat eggs for breakfast, he was opposed by his daughter. Daughter Xiaoling is a careful person, in recent years she has paid more attention to her father's diet health, she believes that her father is old, his blood vessels and digestive system are not as strong as when he was young, and eating eggs may increase cholesterol intake, which is not good for health.
Grandpa Zhang listened to his daughter's words, although he was a little puzzled, but he didn't insist, he knew that his daughter was for his own good, so he decided to listen to the opinions of professionals. Seeing this, Xiaoling decided to take her father to the hospital to consult a doctor to see if the elderly could eat eggs for breakfast.
In this way, Grandpa Zhang and Xiaoling came to the hospital together, and after the doctor inquired about Grandpa Zhang's physical condition and eating habits in detail, he conducted a blood lipid test, and the results showed that total cholesterol was 5.0mmol/L, triglycerides were 1.0mmol/L, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 1.2mmol/L, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 2.9mmol/L, all of which were within the normal range.
Based on these results, the doctor gave professional advice, he pointed out that although eggs contain a certain amount of cholesterol, moderate consumption will not have much impact on the elderly, and for the elderly with normal blood lipids like Grandpa Zhang, the benefits of eating eggs far outweigh the potential risks, the key is to control intake, and combine proper exercise and a balanced diet to stay healthy.
After listening to the doctor's words, Grandpa Zhang and Xiaoling were relieved. Xiaoling also understands that it is important to care about her father's diet and health, but it cannot be generalized, and it needs to be arranged scientifically and reasonably.
This simple consultation is worth pondering: how should the elderly eat breakfast? Can eggs, a daily food, become a frequent guest of the elderly's breakfast?
1. Can the elderly eat eggs for breakfast?
Because eggs are affordable and easy to cook, many people are accustomed to enjoying an egg in the morning, especially the elderly with limited mobility, who prefer this varied and nutritious food. With the progress of the times, people's health awareness has gradually awakened, and people who have entered the elderly have begun to pay more attention to the impact of daily diet on the body. For a time, there were endless discussions and opinions on whether eggs are suitable for breakfast.
Some voices believe that the elderly should not eat eggs for breakfast. They hold this view mainly on the following reasons: eggs contain higher cholesterol, and the probability of high blood lipids in the elderly is relatively high, and the consumption of eggs may have a negative impact on the development of this disease; in addition, the blood vessel function of the elderly is gradually weakened, and the intake of high-cholesterol foods may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease; there is also a view that the digestive function of the elderly is gradually declining, and eating eggs in the morning may lead to indigestion and even induce obesity problems.
So, do these arguments really hold water? Let's take a look!
Although an egg contains about 200mg of cholesterol, blood cholesterol levels are affected by a variety of factors, such as fat intake, physical activity level, etc., and are not solely determined by the amount of cholesterol consumed per day. Therefore, it cannot simply be assumed that eating eggs will cause a significant increase in blood cholesterol levels.
Regarding the impact of eggs on the gastrointestinal tract, a boiled egg contains about 0.6g of protein, if too much intake at one time may indeed cause indigestion, and protein will produce gas during the degradation process, excessive intake may lead to flatulence;
So, how do eggs have a beneficial effect on the body? The protein content in eggs is as high as 12%, and the type and proportion of amino acids are appropriate, which is very close to the needs of the human body, and is a high-quality protein source.
We all know that eggs are divided into yolks and egg whites, and the yolk protein content in eggs is higher than egg whites. The fat content is about 10%~15%, they are mainly distributed in the egg yolk, as a high-quality source of phospholipids, lecithin and cerebral phospholipids are particularly helpful for brain health.
In addition, there are many special components in egg yolk, such as cholesterol, riboflavin, niacin, etc.
Eggs are rich in various vitamins, especially egg yolk, which is very rich in vitamins. Although its vitamin C content is relatively low, minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and selenium are very abundant, and are mainly distributed in the yolk part.
In summary, eggs are a nutritious food, and moderate intake of eggs has significant benefits for the breakfast of the elderly. In the way eggs are cooked, different cooking methods have different effects on the absorption and digestibility of their nutrients.
Among them, boiled eggs are generally recommended for their best protein denaturation and easy digestion. When making steamed eggs, you should avoid adding oil or salt at the beginning of stirring to prevent damage to the gum of the eggs, resulting in a coarse and hard texture of the steamed egg custard, which may cause stomach upset. As for spread eggs and scrambled eggs, they are not recommended because they cause a lot of nutrient loss and are high in calories.
In addition to eggs, in order to maintain a healthy body, the elderly should also pay attention to the following "three don'ts" when eating breakfast.
2. The doctor's advice of "three don'ts to breakfast"
- 1) Don't be overly oily
In the Chinese breakfast culture, fried foods such as fried dough sticks and fried buns are quite popular, but these delicacies are often accompanied by a lot of fat and salt. In the morning, the gastrointestinal tract of the human body has not fully awakened, and the intake of these greasy foods at this time can easily lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, indigestion and other symptoms. What's more, long-term consumption of these foods can significantly increase the amount of fat and cholesterol in the body, posing a potential health threat.
In addition, some people prefer sweets such as cakes and desserts that are high in sugar and fat, but excessive intake of these foods can easily cause blood sugar balance imbalance and bring adverse effects to the body. Therefore, when choosing breakfast, the elderly should avoid excessive oiliness and try to choose light and easy-to-digest foods to maintain healthy eating habits.
- 2) Don't be too one-dimensional
Like the aforementioned Grandpa Zhang, it is not uncommon for people to have a constant breakfast every day.
Due to busy work and poor living habits, many people often eat the same food repeatedly every day for breakfast, or even limit themselves to a certain type of food, such as eating only bread, completely ignoring the intake of other nutrients such as vegetables and milk.
This monolithic eating pattern can easily lead to an imbalance in the body's nutrition, and the energy is not adequately replenished after being consumed overnight. As a result, such people often show signs of poor performance during their work and study in the morning. In order to maintain good health and good working condition, we should focus on the variety of breakfasts, ensure adequate nutrient intake, and avoid eating single foods for a long time.
- 3) Don't overeat
When eating breakfast, it is better to have less than more. Excessive intake exceeds the digestive capacity of the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to the accumulation of undigested food in the intestines, resulting in a decline in digestive function, and gastrointestinal disorders are often the root cause of gastrointestinal diseases.
Especially in winter and spring, when the weather is cold and the temperature varies greatly, the gastrointestinal function is relatively weak at this time.
If you eat too much at breakfast, it is easy to make your stomach feel upset, and it may even cause indigestion symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Therefore, in the cold season, we should pay more attention to the intake of breakfast, so as not to bring unnecessary burden to the stomach and intestines.
To sum up, when choosing breakfast, the elderly should abandon the three bad habits of excessive greasy, too single and excessive eating, and their breakfast should pursue a balanced combination, focusing on the easy digestion and nutritional richness of food. So, what are the breakfast options suitable for the elderly? In this regard, doctors give the following professional advice.
3. What should the elderly eat for breakfast?
Eat more: Protein-rich foods
Breakfast is a prime time for protein supplementation, as the body needs a variety of amino acids in the morning to support activity and thinking.
With the nourishment of protein, the elderly can stay energetic all morning and feel less hungry. Therefore, breakfast should contain protein-rich foods such as soy milk, eggs, milk, etc., which can not only provide high-quality protein for the elderly, but also help prevent senile sarcopenia and protect the gastric mucosa in the early morning.
Second, eat more: vegetables
Vitamin- and mineral-rich vegetables are also a good choice for breakfast, such as cucumbers, sautéed tomatoes, etc.
The variety and color of vegetables should be as rich as possible, and green, yellow, white, purple and other vegetables should be included in the selection range. Vegetables are rich in dietary fiber, which not only helps to replenish the vitamins and minerals needed by the body of the elderly, but also promotes gastrointestinal peristalsis in the morning and maintains the health of the digestive system.
Three more to eat: cereals
For breakfast, eat less delicate staples and choose whole grains such as oats and corn instead.
Whole grains are rich in dietary fiber, trace elements, and vitamins, and regular consumption can help reduce the risk of stomach cancer.
In contrast, refined grains such as white rice and white flour have a delicate taste, but are higher in sugar and lower in dietary fiber, which may adversely affect intestinal health when consumed for a long time. Therefore, the elderly should pay attention to the combination of thick and thin at breakfast and choose healthier cereal foods.
Breakfast choices for seniors are essential for health. Eggs are a nutritious food, and moderate consumption of eggs does not pose significant health risks to the elderly with normal blood lipids. Its high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals are of great benefit to seniors like Grandpa Zhang.
Consume one to two eggs a day, combined with exercise and a balanced diet, to help the elderly absorb nutrients and stay healthy. Avoid greasy, high-sugar and high-fat foods, and choose light and easy-to-digest foods such as soy milk and oats to maintain gastrointestinal health and blood sugar stability. At the same time, the intake of a variety of vegetables and staple foods with a combination of thick and thin can reduce the risk of stomach cancer.
bibliography
[1] Does eating eggs really raise blood cholesterol levels?People's Daily Health Account, 2023.08.22
[2] Sweets, beware of myopia at breakfast, Health Times, 2020.04.28
Jiangsu Health Care,2017,(08):47.