Is It Okay to Eat Eggs with Autoimmune?
Scrambled, fried, hard boiled or poached. Casserole, quiche, deviled or baked. Eggs are everywhere, and can be made into just about anything.
But if you’ve been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and have been reading up on how foods play a role in your symptoms, you may have seen that eggs aren’t good for you. In fact, the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet recommends removing eggs completely as part of the elimination phase of the diet because they are touted as being inflammatory.
I know first hand how important it is to eat for your autoimmune health. I see food and the changes I made to my own diet as the biggest contributing factor to me now being flare free.
Removing inflammatory foods is a crucial part of the healing process because it gives your body a break. If you are eating foods every day that are causing your symptoms or irritating your body and further lowering your immune system, your symptoms are never going to go away. By removing problematic foods, like gluten, dairy, alcohol and artificial sweeteners, you give your body a chance to start calming down. Once your body is able to relax, it is then able to repair.
The trick is removing the right foods that are causing problems for you. Are eggs a culprit? Let’s explore.
Eggs are a Super Food!
As long as you can tolerate eggs, they are one of the best, whole food options out there. Packed with lots of nutrients and vitamins; like antioxidants, vitamins A, D, E, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, and B12, biotin, folate, choline, omega 3’s and 6’s, selenium and zinc (WOW! That’s a lot!), protein and good fat, eggs pack a big punch in a small package.
Eggs are an easy way to get in a ton of your daily nutritional needs, and 1-2 a day is enough to have a good impact on your overall health.
Eggs are also incredible versatile and can be made in a ton of different ways so even if you’re not a fan of poached eggs, you might love them scrambled or in an omelette. I have a great egg bite recipe here!
But is it okay to eat eggs if you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition?
Eggs and Autoimmune
Just because you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition does not mean you should automatically remove eggs.
Eggs can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals, but if you know you’re allergic to eggs, you probably aren’t even reading this because you know eggs aren’t for you. Egg allergies in adults are considered uncommon, and most children who have a reaction to eggs eventually grow out of it.
But while you may not be allergic to eggs, you could have an egg sensitivity.
Uncomfortable reactions after eating eggs can include:
- Stomach cramping, bloating
- Skin issues- hives, rash, bumps or irritations
- Sinus congestion or a runny nose.
If you are having these issues or noticing any other sort of discomfort after eating eggs, cutting them out of your diet for a few weeks may be something you want to consider. But for the vast majority of people with autoimmune, eggs themselves probably aren’t the problem and I don’t believe in blindly removing such a nutrient dense food “just because.”
A non-allergic reaction to eggs may be a sign that you have leaky gut, are experiencing a temporary food sensitivities due to a weakened or hyper-active immune system, or it could even be the problem is the eggs themselves. Believe it or not, the type of eggs you are eating could causing you issues. Quality matters!
Which Eggs are Best?
Use to when you went into the grocery store, there were just a few different brands of eggs. Now, not so much the case. Not only are there different brands to choose from, but there are different types of egg categories that weren’t anything to consider back in the day.
Today you have what I’ll call your “traditional” grocery store eggs, the basic eggs in the white shell that are usually the most abundant option and the least expensive. Then there’s other categories of egg growing in prominent every day: cage-free, free-range and pasture raised. Throw organic in there too and it gets to be a lot to choose from!
So here’s what you need to know:
- Traditional Eggs: Hens are typically kept in small cages in large barns, and have very limited space to move. They are fed a standard commercial feed (usually corn, wheat and soy). Least expensive and easiest type of eggs to find.
- Cage Free Eggs: Hens are not kept in cages, but are live in barns or other enclosed areas. They have more space to move compared to traditional caged hens, but they may still be in crowded conditions. They are also fed a standard commercial feed. Cage free are more expensive than traditional eggs, but cost less than free range or pasture raised eggs.
- Free Range Eggs: Hens get access to the outdoors and the indoor space of a cage-free environment. The quality and amount of outdoor space can vary though. These hens get commercial feed, but are also able to forage for insects, plants, and other natural foods when they go outside. Eggs usually cost more that cage free because of the difference in living conditions, but are less than pasture raised.
- Pasture Raised Eggs: Hens are given plenty of outdoor space to roam freely and forage. Standards for the hens to be considered pasture raised require a minimum amount of outdoor space per hen. These hens forage for a majority of their diet, eating insects, plants, and other natural foods, and may receive supplemental feed. These eggs are the most expensive due to the care and quality of the hens’ living conditions. These are considered the highest quality eggs and most natural because the hens are able to eat as they would in nature.
- Organic Eggs: Hens are fed certified organic feed grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Hens have access to the outdoors as well as indoor space. More expensive than traditional eggs, but can be associated with every other category of eggs.
As you can see the difference between the eggs can vary greatly.
- Best Option: Pasture raised eggs are your best bet for most nutrition and healthiest since they will be the closest thing to how chickens have been raised for centuries. You don’t have to worry as much about them having junk ingredients in their diet.
- Better Option: Organic, free range eggs if you are looking for good quality eggs, but don’t want to pay for pasture raised.
- Good Option: Organic, cage free eggs. These hens will still be eating traditional feed, but their food will be cleaner than that of a now “traditionally” raised hen.
Another way to get quality eggs at a better price is to try a local farm or farmer’s market. These chickens are more often going to fall into the free range or pasture raised categories and you can usually ask the owner themselves how the hens are fed. Local vendors don’t have to deal with the same overhead as the large companies you would find in the grocery store, so their prices are often much more affordable.
The bottom line is, plenty of women enjoy eggs after an autoimmune diagnosis! If you aren’t noticing any problems when you eat eggs, you probably don’t need to consider cutting them out. If you aren’t sure if they are causing a problem for you, can improve the quality of the eggs you are eating? That could be a better place to start than nixing them completely. If you are noticing discomfort consistently after eating eggs, cut them out for 2-4 weeks and slowly reintroduce them back into your diet after the break and see how you feel.
Always remember that your body is different from anybody else’s and listening to what your body is telling you, through physical symptoms (fatigue, aches and pains, discomfort, stomach or skin issues, headaches, etc.) or mental (anxiety, depression, forgetfulness, mood swings, etc.) is the most important part of figuring out your personal health path.
**All information stated within this post is meant for educational purposes, and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. Speak to your health care provider for any questions regarding your medical condition or treatment and do not disregard medical advice from your provider because of something you read on this website.**
