Why do hard boiled eggs make you fart

Boiling an egg is useful. It kills bacteria, such as Salmonella, which may be on or even inside the egg. Heat treatment also triggers chemical reactions (specifically, protein crosslinking) that convert the egg into a gel, which makes it tastier and far easier to eat.

However, these same chemical reactions can also cause heated eggs to smell like farts. (This is particularly true of hard-boiled eggs.) A major protein inside the egg, called ovalbumin, possesses the sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine. When heated, these sulfur atoms are converted to hydrogen sulfide, the nasty gas associated with rotten eggs and bodily functions. It doesn't take much to wrinkle our noses. Humans may be more sensitive to hydrogen sulfide than sharks are to blood in the water. 

Japanese chemists are fed up. So a team of researchers showed that, if first treated with electricity, egg whites can release little to no hydrogen sulfide. (The diagram below depicts what happens at the chemical level to the egg protein ovalbumin. The pre-treatment of egg whites with electricity is referred to as "anodic oxidation.") 

Why do hard boiled eggs make you fart

In the diagram, sulfur (technically, a thiol group, -SH) is marked with a blue arrow. Heating is more likely to convert these groups to stinky hydrogen sulfide, while pre-treating the eggs using anodic oxidation is more likely to convert them to a stable disulfide bond that will not produce hydrogen sulfide upon further heating.

Besides stinking less, the authors also found that oxidized egg whites had several unique properties. Compared to conventionally produced egg whites, their oxidized egg whites had fewer protein crosslinks and were softer. Also, as the amount of electricity applied in the oxidation step increased, the temperature required to gel the egg whites decreased. This could be useful. Any processed foods that contain both eggs and meat often must be cooked at a higher temperature to properly gel the egg. But too high of a temperature can damage the meat. Lowering the temperature needed to properly gel the egg might help prevent this.

Unfortunately, electrochemical cooking of eggs isn't something you will be able to do in your kitchen. To cook their eggs, the authors first added various ions (necessary for the electrochemical reaction) and adjusted the pH to 9.0 with hydrochloric acid, after which they electrolyzed the egg with a galvanostat. If their technique proves practical or sufficiently advantageous, the only places capable of adopting it will be commercial or industrial kitchens.

Source: Masahito Takahashi, Akihiro Handa, Yusuke Yamaguchi, Risa Kodama, and Kazuhiro Chiba. "Anodic Oxidative Modification of Egg White for Heat Treatment." J. Agric. Food Chem., 64 (34): 6503–6507. Publication Date: 12-August-2016. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b02785

    Why do hard boiled eggs make you fart

    By Alex Berezow, PhD

    Former Vice President of Scientific Communications

    Dr. Alex Berezow is a PhD microbiologist, science writer, and public speaker who specializes in the debunking of junk science for the American Council on Science and Health. He is also a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors and a featured speaker for The Insight Bureau. Formerly, he was the founding editor of RealClearScience.

    Boiled, poached, or scrambled eggs are easy to prepare, eat, and digest. They are often suitable for people who are recovering from a stomach virus or nausea. The white contains less fat and is easier to digest, but many people with digestive problems can also tolerate the yolk.

    Can boiled eggs cause digestive problems?

    What is egg intolerance? An egg intolerance is a non-life-threatening adverse response to the consumption of eggs. You might have an intolerance to the egg white, egg yolks, or both. Such an intolerance most commonly leads to gastrointestinal upset, such as abdominal bloating or diarrhea.

    How long does it take to digest a hard boiled egg?

    Egg yolk digest in 30 minutes on the other hand whole egg takes 45 minutes to digest.

    Do hard boiled eggs cause gas and bloating?

    Contrary to popular belief, eggs don’t make most of us fart. But they do contain sulphur-packed methionine. So if you don’t want smelly farts, don’t eat eggs alongside fart-causing foods such as beans or fatty meats. If eggs make you bloated and give you wind, you may be intolerant to them or have an allergy.

    What part of the egg is hardest to digest?

    Remember, the egg white is toughest to digest.

    Can boiled eggs trigger IBS?

    Eggs digest easily and are a safe choice for someone with IBS. Eggs can be enjoyed hard-boiled, soft-boiled, scrambled, or poached. Omelets and frittatas can be your meal of choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and make a great option when eating out in a restaurant.

    Can boiled eggs cause gastritis?

    Can I eat eggs with gastritis? Yes, plain eggs are a good source of protein to eat when you have gastritis. A few caveats: Avoid eggs that are fried, cooked in butter, or mixed with cheese. Pepper and other spices can aggravate the stomach lining.

    What are the benefits of eating eggs?

    Eat One Boiled Egg a Day, See What Happens to You

    How can I make my eggs more digestible?

    Cooking eggs makes them safer to eat, and it also makes some of their nutrients easier to digest. One example of this is the protein in eggs. Studies have shown it becomes more digestible when it’s heated.

    Why does our body not digest eggs?

    Food intolerance happens when the body is unable to digest certain components in food. People who have an egg intolerance may not be able to digest the egg whites or yolks, or both. With an intolerance, a person may experience digestive problems hours after consuming the offending food item.

    What food takes the longest to digest?

    The foods with the longest time to digest are bacon, beef, lamb, whole milk hard cheese, and nuts. These foods take an average of about 4 hours for your body to digest. The digestion process still occurs even when asleep.

    Do boiled eggs make you poop?

    According to Dr. Lee, “For someone dealing with predominant diarrhea (the fast transit type where they have loose frequent bowel movements), eggs can be a friend and help bind up the bowel movements.”

    Are scrambled eggs easier to digest than boiled eggs?

    Soft boiled eggs are easier for your body to digest, and they retain more beneficial nutrients than hard boiled eggs. When comparing scrambled eggs and hard-boiled eggs, the USDA Nutrition Database shows higher protein content for hard-boiled eggs.

    Do boiled eggs cause constipation?

    Some people believe that eggs can cause constipation. However, there is not much scientific evidence that supports this. They are a low fiber food, though, so eating a lot of them may contribute to constipation.

    Are eggs easy to digest at night?

    Eggs are easy for your body to digest. This is important when you’re heading to bed just a few minutes later because your body won’t be trying to digest something heavy or fibrous, while you’re trying to fall asleep. Note: Murray says a scrambled egg will be easier for your body to process than a hard-boiled one.

    A medium digesting protein is a protein that is typically digested within 3 to 3 ½ hours and includes a number of proteins such as whole egg protein, egg white protein, pea protein and rice/soy protein.

    Is boiled egg good for gastric?

    If you have diarrhea, consuming eggs may provide relief. You may consume scrambled or boiled eggs that may slow bowel movements and provide relief from frequent trips to the bathroom.

    How do you avoid gas after eating eggs?

    I have found that eating more than one hard-boiled egg produces bloating and gas with an unpleasant sulphurous odor. Adding mustard to the eggs before consuming them seems to eliminate this problem so I can eat a dozen deviled eggs without trouble.

    Why do eggs give me gas?

    Eggs are the most common breakfast food. However, eating eggs might cause bloating or make you gassy. So why does this happen? Eggs contain sulfur, which some people have trouble digesting, producing gas and bloating symptoms.

    Can eggs cause gut inflammation?

    The arachidonic acid found in egg yolks can contribute to inflammation in the body. Consuming eggs regularly can lead to an increased amount of swelling and joint pain. The yolks contain arachidonic acid, which helps trigger inflammation in the body. Eggs also contain saturated fat which can also induce joint pain.