Category: food science

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This is Why You Pay More for Brown Eggs Than White Eggs

Eggs are the king of the kitchen in my house. No matter the time of the day or the flavor I’m feeling, eggs are at the center of my plate.

Scrambled, sunny side up, poached or hardboiled, those delectable, nutrient-dense delights come in a variety of sizes and colors…and prices.

Consumers are often all too familiar with the subtle price differences between brown and white eggs. But most people don’t have an explanation for the discrepancy.

The secret really isn’t so much of a secret. It’s all comes down to science.

Sharman Hicknman, the director of community outreach and education for Hickman’s Family Farms, explained that eggshell color (and therefore price) is based on genetics. And yet, for the consumer, there is no noticeable difference in consuming brown eggs or white.

According to Jesse LaFlamme, CEO of Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs, the breed of chicken and its associated genetics determine whether a hen possesses pigment genes. When these genes are are active, the chicken creates a natural chemical that coats the egg and gives it its distinctive tone.

LaFlamme offered a helpful hint to figure out what color egg a particular breed will lay: Look at the ear feathers. For example, an Ameraucana produces blue eggs, whereas an Orpington lays brown ones.

Photo Credit: Pexels

For farmers, the color of the eggs probably isn’t as important as how fast their chickens can lay them. And when it comes to efficiency, the Leghorn breed—which lays white eggs—is at the top of the class.

According to Hickman, the Leghorn is a popular choice for farmers because hens who produce colored eggshells must be fed more and are more expensive to maintain.

Malina Linkas Malkani, a media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said, “Choosing between brown and white eggs is a matter of personal preference. But it’s important for people to know that the color of the eggshell is related to the breed of the hen, not the egg’s nutrient content, flavor profile, quality, or shell thickness.”

When it comes to eggs, I tend to go with whatever’s cheapest.

They all taste good to me.

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This Is Why Drinking Alcohol Makes You so Hungry

Have you drank a few cold beers only to be left salivating for some salty french fries or a hot slice of pepperoni pizza? Whatever your adult beverage of choice is, you can blame science for your grumbling stomach the next time you’re out drinking.

According to a 2017 study by the Francis Crick Institute, consuming alcohol does have a direct effect on your hunger levels. Over the course of two years, scientists studied the effect of ethanol alcohol on the body, brain and actions of mice, with the results lending a useful insight into why we get the munchies.

Photo Credit: Unsplash

The experiment consisted of giving mice between 1.5 to two bottles of wine over a three-day period. Interestingly, the alcohol caused AgRP neurons located in the hypothalamus to become increasingly active. Though the mice experienced an increased appetite, their metabolism and energy levels dropped.

“Our study clearly shows that the main area of the brain responsible for eating (the hypothalamus and its AgRP neurons) is directly affected and excited by ethanol, and that mice respond very strongly to its exposure by overeating for several hours afterward,” the co-authors of the study explained.

After repeating the study but blocking the AgRP neuron signals, the scientists found that the mice ate less. Ultimately, those AgRP neurons may be the culprit behind binge eating after binge drinking.

These results suggests that the more you drink, the more you will crave food (not exactly news to someone like me). What is important is to avoid binge drinking, which the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines as a pattern of behavior that boosts blood alcohol concentration above .08 grams per deciliter.

The authors caution against binge drinking in order to avoid one of the dangerous effects of binge eating: obesity.

“Binge drinking and obesity are typically thought of as two separate societal problems, but why does this happen all over the world and what is making us do this? It is too easy to believe that one cannot lead to the other, and that this correlation does not involve the brain somehow,” the authors wrote.

Plus, alcohol has a pretty high caloric content, too.

So the next time you’re out at the bar or club, make sure to keep track of how many drinks you have. Those two-for-one specials can lead to some serious consequences for your waistline if you’re not careful.

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This Is Why You Shouldn’t Drink Coffee Before Breakfast

This is not good news…for me at least…

People love to drink coffee for breakfast, if internet memes and novelty mugs are any indications. But while you may feel like a zombie until you’ve had your morning coffee, you may want to eat a bagel or something first. It’s really not the best idea to drink it on an empty stomach, Reader’s Digest reports.

Coffee has a number of benefits, but it can have negative effects as well, particularly if you drink it before breakfast. First, it can increase your level of stress.

“Drinking coffee on an empty stomach, or early in the morning before you’ve had breakfast, can increase the level of cortisol in your body,” Dr. Nikola Djordjevic told the outlet.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Cortisol is the hormone responsible for regulating your stress response, immune response, and metabolism. Your body begins producing cortisol when you wake up in the morning, and if you drink coffee while your cortisol levels are peaking, you may subject your body to even more stress.

Second, coffee can irritate your stomach and make your gut more acidic overall, and when you have no food in your stomach, there’s nothing to help absorb the coffee. The overproduction of gastric acid leads to other side effects, like heartburn. It can even affect your mental health by causing mood swings, jitters, shaking, and other withdrawal symptoms (if you cut your caffeine). Some studies have even linked gastric acid to anxiety and depression.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

You don’t have to give up your precious morning coffee, though. All of these effects can be curbed by simply eating breakfast before you take your first sip.

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