Eating Raw Eggs: Learn if it is Safe to Eat Raw Eggs

Eating Raw Eggs: Learn if it is Safe to Eat Raw Eggs
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Is it Safe to Eat Raw Eggs?

There are two major concerns about eating raw eggs:

1) Salmonella Poisoning

Salmonella (a bacteria) can cause fever, diarrhea, cramps, and vomiting. A study done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2002 found that 0.0003% of all produced eggs are contaminated with salmonella.

An egg’s shell is a protective barrier and prevents salmonella from entering. However, when salmonella is present on the egg’s shell, it can contaminate the egg when it is cracked. It can also enter through microscopic cracks on the egg shell.

Salmonella is relatively benign in an individual with a strong immune system and has no health problems. Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with a compromised immune system (such as those with cancer or HIV) are at a higher risk of having complications from salmonella.

Although odds of contracting salmonella from raw eggs are fairly slim (only 1 out of 30,000 eggs are contaminated) and a healthy person can most likely avoid complications, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises against eating raw eggs, lightly cooked eggs, and foods that contain raw or lightly cooked eggs such as eggnog, raw batter, cookie dough, homemade dressings and sauces, meringue, and mousse.

If you choose to eat raw eggs, it should be sparingly and the following safe measures are recommended:

  • buy cage-free and organically-certified eggs
  • wash eggs before cracking them
  • do not eat eggs with cracks
  • do not eat eggs with a foul odor
  • store your eggs in the coldest part of the refrigerator (the temperature should be 40° F or a bit below)
  • do not leave eggs out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours

Cooking eggs properly will kill salmonella.

2) Biotin Deficiency

Biotin is an essential B vitamin that is important in normal body function and aids in body growth. Egg yolks contain biotin; however, egg whites contain avidin, a protein that binds with biotin (from any food source) in the gastrointestinal tract and prevents it from being absorbed by the body. A deficiency is unlikely when eating raw eggs or foods with raw eggs occasionally. People who eat raw eggs in large amounts regularly are at risk.

Cooking eggs properly will deactivate avidin.

Raw and cooked eggs are extremely high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Some people believe eating raw eggs are healthier because cooking reduces the nutritional value. There is no clinical evidence to support this. However, a study done in 1997, published in the Journal of Nutrition, showed the protein in cooked eggs were 40% more bio-available to the body than raw eggs. You would have to eat 7 raw eggs to absorb the same amount of protein from 5 cooked eggs.

Health Benefits of Eggs

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