AFT: Am I Allergic To Eggs?

Question from John in Walla Walla, WA

I count on eggs for my protein because, outside of eggs, I’m a vegetarian. But if I eat more than 3 eggs a week, I break out. Am I allergic to eggs?

First of all, I applaud your attempt to include some type of animal protein in your diet, even though you are a vegetarian. In the same way that there are nutrients in vegetables that can’t be obtained from other sources, there are amino acids and other nutrients and co-factors that can only be found in animal proteins. A B12 shot is not enough to replace these needed nutrients. Eggs are the perfect food so it would be great to be able to figure out why you’re breaking out so you can continue eating them. Most people should be able to eat more than three eggs a week without any problems. Even those with high cholesterol. Don’t get me started on cholesterol or I will have to cuss a lot in this post. Just know that the whole egg is good, especially the yolk.

As far as your breakouts go, yes, it is possible that you could have developed an allergy. The more likely answer, however, is that you are having a hard time properly processing the fats in those eggs. Digestion is such a huge deal that I include a full chapter on digestion in all of my books. Most people that have digestive issues don’t have a clue that they’re even having a problem.

Digestion has a number of aspects to its functionality, but bile flow is what allows us to emulsify and break down fats. Without proper bile flow, fats can’t be properly processed and used by the body. If fats are not digested properly, they become a problem the body has to deal with. If the body is already overwhelmed with other problems (like maybe you think it’s a good idea to have a triple caramel latte macchiato every morning), it can either store those unprocessed fats in fat cells or it can try to push them out through the skin. If too many undigested fats are pushed out through our pores, those pores can get clogged and the result is a breakout or skin irritation.

To correct this problem, an individual can take steps to improve their bile flow. Beet greens have the ability to thin bile so it will flow better. However, you would likely need to eat a bucket of beet greens per day to get the result you’re looking for. You can also use a beet green supplement to improve bile flow, therefore improving your ability to process fats.

When most people handle this issue, they can let the egg scramble breakfasts rock the house on a daily basis without having to worry about looking like a zit-faced tenth-grader.

Yours In Health,

F#ckin’ Tony