Benefits And Risks Of Raw Eggs

We have all been told not to lick the cookie batter with the raw egg and to make sure our eggs are thoroughly cooked before eating.  Why is there such a scare about raw eggs?  Don’t some people consume raw eggs to help them bulk up and rave about the benefits of raw eggs? The thing is there is a bit of a controversy when it comes to consuming raw eggs.

The Danger

The main thing to be wary about when consuming a raw egg is that eggs can be contaminated by Salmonella. You can get food poisoning from Salmonella.  In severe cases Salmonella can be fatal.  It is extremely harmful to infants, young children, pregnant women, people over 65 and people with already underlying conditions such as diabetes, HIV or tumors.  There is a risk of Salmonella in all uncooked eggs up anymore with the cleanliness of eggs though the contamination of eggs is way less.  In the United States one out of every thirty thousand eggs could be contaminated.  Much lower than it used to be.  The shell or inner part of the egg can be contaminated by Salmonella.  

The Benefits

There are some things though that are beneficial from raw eggs.  Eggs in general are considered a superfood giving you a great source of protein.  Eggs also contain good fats, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and are an excellent source of choline.  They contain all nine essential amino acids.  When cooked though eggs lose some of their health benefits.  Raw eggs have an extra choline in it that is an essential nutrient for brain health and heart health.  The yolks in eggs contain most of the nutrients of the egg.  The amount of each nutrient that an egg contained is at a higher percentage when consumed raw.  Sometimes though the percentage is not always worth the risk of eating a raw egg to some. 

B7 Vitamin Absorption

Though raw eggs give you some extra health benefits they also contain some things that can cause trouble. Eating raw eggs may not allow your body to absorb all the other nutrients in the best way.  This can cause you to not get all the benefits of the eggs in the end.  Another thing raw eggs contain is a protein called avidin.  When avidin is ingested and goes into your small intestines it can actually stop your body from absorbing the B7 vitamin.  Though it will take a lot of consumption of avidin to cause your body to become deficient in the B7 vitamin.  

Lower Risks

There are some things you can do that will lower your risk of getting a contaminated egg if you are into the benefits of consuming raw eggs.  Make sure to buy pasteurized eggs.  Also when you buy eggs make sure they have been refrigerated and that you refrigerate them until you eat them.  This will help decrease the chance of bacteria growing on the eggs.  Another thing to lower risk is to not eat eggs after their expiration date.  If you have any cracked or dirty eggs discard them without eating and get rid of them from your egg container so they don’t accidentally contaminate other eggs.  The only way to make sure to reduce risk completely of getting Salmonella is to make sure you cook your eggs thoroughly.  

Final Thoughts

Raw egg consumption is very controversial.  Some people are extremely against it, when some people consume raw eggs on a daily basis.  It is up to you to what you think is truly best for you.  If you are pregnant or in one of the other risk groups of Salmonella being harmful to you it is best to cook your eggs through.  Eggs are superfoods raw or cooked so having them in your diet is a great source of protein.