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Michael Turner's avatar

Hey Maria, I was interested in your mention of tryptophan and serotonin. I just read an article by a doctor saying that he eats 6 egg yolks a day from chickens that he breeds himself (to keep the linoleic acid low compared to normal bought eggs) but only eats 1 of the egg whites because of the high level of tryptophan which converts to serotonin. I consume a lot of eggs but I've never heard of either of these things being a potential problem before, have you? Also, does the linoleic acid in eggs differ from that in vegetable oils?

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Maria Cross's avatar

I'm all for eating six or any number of eggs a day, but I don't understand why you'd separate the yolk from the white. Eat the whole food, I say. Linoleic acid is fine, indeed essential, as long as it is consumed in more or less equal amounts with omega-3 fats. And in eggs it is unrefined, unlike vegetable oils that undergo processing that renders it harmful and nutrient depleted: ultra high heat treatment, bleaching, deoderising, degumming.... so stick with your whole eggs! The white does contain a lot of tryptophan, but that's a good thing.

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Michael Turner's avatar

Exactly what I thought. Thank you.

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