Quick Answer:Are Eggs Acidic Or Not

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Eggs are mildly acidic, although the exact pH will vary according to the egg. It also depends on how you cook and serve the eggs, and whether you are using the entire egg or separating the yolks from the whites. Although eggs are naturally of medium acidity and won’t drastically increase or decrease the pH in your stomach, you should think carefully about how you prepare your eggs and how many you consume if you suffer from symptoms of acid reflux, heartburn or GERD.

If you’re wondering whether eggs are a good idea when you have acid reflux, the answer is kind of complicated.

Although egg whites can actually be helpful in stabilizing your stomach pH, and make up a good element of a healthy and nutritious diet, egg yolks are high in fat and can cause heartburn and acid reflux.

When I was growing up, I was often told that eggs should be regulated and you shouldn’t eat too many of them because the yolks contain a lot of cholesterol and unhealthy fats.

This is only half true.

Most of the best nutrients in an egg are found in the yolk, and the cholesterol in eggs does less to increase the cholesterol in your body than saturated fat does.

Egg yolks are very healthy – but they can aggravate the symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux.

There are plenty of myths and rumors floating around when it comes to eggs, acidity, and acid reflux.

How many eggs are a good idea? Should you separate the yolks from the whites?

How should you prepare eggs in order to get the best health benefits while also reducing the effects of acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD?

Are Eggs Acidic? The Jury’s Out

Eggs are mildly acidic, ranging from 5.6 – 6, when you include both the yolk and the white. The yolk is more acidic (closer to 5.6) while the whites are more alkaline (7-9).

Water represents the neutral “middle” of this scale, at 7, and eggs are generally close enough to 7 to be considered a neutral food that is very slightly acidic.

Egg yolk has a pH of 7, which is exactly neutral, the same PH rating as water.

Hard Boiled Eggs are a little bit more acidic. They have a pH of about 6 to 6.5.

The white part of an egg is slightly alkaline, being more alkaline water with a pH of 7 to 9.

If you were to scramble an egg, for example, you would mix together the yolk and the white and your scrambled eggs would have a pH of approximately 6-7.

For comparison, an acid that could burn your skin, like lemon juice, might be a 2 on the pH scale.

However, the pH rating for the individual parts of eggs doesn’t give you the full picture.

Although many people point to alkaline foods as balancing stomach acid and reducing the symptoms of acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD, things are a lot more complicated than “alkaline foods make the stomach pH more alkaline.”

In some cases, very acidic foods can have an alkalizing effect on your body. And in other cases, very alkaline foods can become acidic once they reach the environment in your stomach.

This is because the actual pH value of foods is not as important as how they affect your kidneys, which actually control how much acid is in your stomach.

This is why, for example, citrus juices are extremely acidic, but they can have an alkalizing effect when in your stomach.

A bit of lemon water is extremely acidic, but is often recommended and works to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux. This is not because lemon juice is alkaline.

On the contrary, it’s about as acidic as you can get, when it comes to substances you willingly put in your body.

Lemon juice in water is a cure for acid reflux because the effect that lemon water has on your stomach is alkalizing.

Even though lemon juice is very acidic, very little of this is transferred to the kidneys, which control the level of acidity in your stomach.

Eggs are much milder than lemon juice, with a pH that is closer to water than anything else, so they are not likely to have a dramatic effect on your stomach acid.

However, they do have a milk alkalizing effect rather than an acidifying effect, so regardless of their pH, you can be comfortable eating them.

Eggs can be a healthy and helpful part of a diet for those who have acid reflux, heartburn and GERD.

RELATED: Are Pears Acidic? And Bad For Acid Reflux?

Are Eggs Healthy?

Eggs are a highly recommended part of any diet, especially for those that are trying to increase protein and essential nutrients.

They are a kind of “superfood”, often used by athletes trying to increase their fitness level and add healthy muscle.

If you think about it, an egg is intended to support an intense period of development for a baby chicken, which is why the yolk and white are both so full of protein, healthy fat, and essential nutrients.

An average egg has five to six grams of protein, which is much higher than many other foods.

There’s a reason that Rocky drinks raw eggs straight from a glass when he is training in the Rocky movies. You need all of that protein to build healthy muscle!

Eggs are also an important source of minerals and vitamins – they are a rich source of iron, as well as disease-fighting nutrients like zeaxanthin and lutein.

It is true that eggs can be high in cholesterol. If you eat many, many eggs, for example, six or more a day, you might notice an increase in your blood cholesterol.

High cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease and other bad health outcomes.

If your doctor notices an increase in your cholesterol, they might ask about how many eggs you are eating and restrict that for your health.

You probably have nothing to worry about when it comes to eggs and cholesterol – so don’t worry too much, unless your doctor brings it up.

There have been years of misinformation about cholesterol and eggs – so much that many people stopped eating egg yolks entirely.

Recent studies show that cholesterol content in foods is less predictive of cholesterol content in the body than saturated fat is, and eggs are very low in saturated fat, with only approximately 1.5g per egg.

Eggs can be a part of a healthy diet, even for people who suffer from symptoms of acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD.

Is Egg Yolk Acidic Or Alkaline?

Egg yolks are the most acidic part of the egg with an average pH of 5.6 to 5.9, placing them in the mildly acidic range.

Egg yolks may be technically acidic, but they do have an alkalizing effect when they reach your stomach.

Egg yolks can actually be helpful in balancing the pH in your stomach, and won’t increase acidity.

However, if you are trying to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD, egg yolks might not be the best choice despite the fact that they are alkalizing the body.

Egg yolks are also very high fat. When the stomach is trying to digest a lot of fat it needs to use more acid, which takes longer to digest in the stomach than carbohydrates or proteins.

Therefore, very fatty foods can increase the symptoms of acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD even when they are otherwise helpful for these conditions.

Egg yolks are healthy in moderation.

You can enjoy them even if you do have acid reflux, but reduce your consumption and keep an eye on them because they are so fatty that they could cause symptoms, even if you eat them in an otherwise healthy dish.

Is Egg White Acidic Or Alkaline?

Egg whites are the most alkaline part of the egg with an average pH rating of 7 to 9.

Egg white omelets are an excellent dish for sufferers of acid reflux, heartburn, or GERD. Egg whites have all of the benefits of an egg without most of the drawbacks.

They have plenty of protein and most of the nutrition of an egg without the high fat and cholesterol that increase the stomach acid required to digest eggs.

When you eat egg whites, your stomach processes them quickly, without much stomach acid.

Egg whites are not only the most alkaline part of the egg, but they also have a maximally alkalizing effect on your stomach. If you are eating eggs to help you with the symptoms of acid reflux, go for the whites.

Are Eggs Good For Acid Reflux?

The overall question of how good eggs are for sufferers of acid reflux is a complicated one.

Eggs are a healthy food that can be an important and helpful part of a nutritious diet. Both egg whites and egg yolks are ultimately alkalizing and can help to balance the pH in your stomach.

Although egg yolks are technically mildly acidic and egg whites are technically mildly alkaline, you can think of eggs as a neutral food.

No part of an egg is extremely acidic or extremely alkalizing and what you get when you eat eggs is a mildly alkalizing effect on your stomach acid.

In general, eggs would be good for acid reflux if it wasn’t for one thing, which is the high-fat content in egg yolks.

Although egg yolks are one of the most delicious and nutritious parts of the egg, they include more fat and cholesterol. That means that they take longer to digest in the stomach and require more stomach acid to completely digest.

In general, eggs can be a good part of a diet for acid reflux, but it’s important to eat them in moderation. And whenever possible, eat egg whites rather than egg yolks.

Egg whites are both alkalizing and low in fat, and are the safest option for people who suffer from symptoms of acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD.

What Is The Safest Way To Cook Eggs For Acid Reflux?

In neutral form, eggs won’t worsen or improve your acid reflux – but how you prepare eggs has a big impact on how they affect your body.

Avoid egg yolks if possible and just use the whites. If you are using multiple eggs and you want the flavor of the yolks, you can use 1 egg yolk and 4 egg whites, for example.

Avoid using excessive oil when cooking eggs. Frying eggs or scrambling them with a lot of oil will make them more acidic and could lead to triggering acid reflux or GERD symptoms.

You’ll also want to skip any sauces or toppings, like tomatoes or Hollandaise, that trigger acid reflux.

Hard-boiled egg whites, egg-white omelets, and poached eggs are some of the safest ways to eat eggs when you have acid reflux.

3 Delicious Egg Dishes To Try

Egg dishes are the easiest and one of the most popular breakfast choices for which most people opt. However, since we hear that eggs have a vast amount of unhealthy fat, it’s not entirely true because egg yolk causes fat and acid reflux.

In simple words, eggs are a healthy choice to start your day with because they will make you feel full for a longer time. So, if you are looking forward to egg recipes, we have picked some reflux-friendly and healthy recipes.

Let’s move ahead to know more about these recipes.

Delicious Egg Recipes

Recipe	Calories	Preparation Time
Farmer’s Market Scramble	270 Per Serving	30 Minutes
Reflux-Friendly Frittata	308 Per Serving	45 Minutes
Breakfast Burritos	636 Per Serving	40 Minutes

1. Farmer’s Market Scramble

If you have a problem with acid reflux caused by the eggs, then the farmer’s market scramble egg recipe is for you. It is an easy and nutritious recipe to make a healthy breakfast.

Scrambled eggs, along with vegetables, will not disappoint you. The ability to change, interchange, or substitute makes this recipe popular because you are free to make as many changes as you want.

Calories: 270 Per Serving

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

Go To Recipe

RELATED: Are Blueberries Acidic? And Bad For Acid Reflux?

2. Reflux-Friendly Frittata

Egg frittata is one of the most accessible and popular breakfast choices. What makes this dish unique is that you may add whatever vegetable you want to use in it. Be it mushroom, spinach, sweet potatoes, etc.

Not only for breakfast, but if you want, you can opt to try this dish for lunch and dinner too. In addition, frittatas are freezer-friendly, so you can make them in advance and microwave them whenever you want.

Calories: 308 Per Serving

Preparation Time: 45 Minutes

Go To Recipe

3. Breakfast Burritos

If you are looking for a kickstart morning, then Burritos are the must-try dish. One can opt for this on a weekend morning. Burritos are loved not only by adults but children too.

The best part about this dish is that you can make as many changes as you want with ingredients and vegetables per your choice.

You may substitute the fillings with the ones you like. Although if you make the burritos by following the given recipe, you will get a splendid breakfast.

Calories: 636 Per Serving

Preparation Time: 40 Minutes

Go To Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Eggs Cause Acidity?

Many people tend to be allergic to eggs, leading to reactions. As a result of allergies, getting acidity is one of the side effects caused by eggs.

Are Scrambled Eggs OK For Acid Reflux?

Scrambled eggs are neither good nor bad for acid reflux because they don’t have anything that could trigger acidity. But, yes, there might be some other factors that could do that.

So if you think eggs could harm your stomach, limiting your egg intake will be best for one’s health.

Are Eggs Acidic? And Bad For Acid Reflux?

Eggs are a great source of protein and nutrients. Find out how acidic eggs are and how badly they affect acid reflux.

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Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!