For many years, the age-old question has been debated: can you eat raw eggs? While some recipes call for consuming raw egg whites or yolks, others may be skeptical of their safety due to the potential presence of disease-causing bacteria. We’re here to provide you with straight-up expert answers and why it’s sometimes better to cook your eggs than eat them purely raw. Read on to delve deeper into the subject and demystify some of the myths associated with eating raw eggs!
Why eat raw eggs?
Several benefits are announced to the consumption of raw eggs, among them:
- Their richness in protein, filled with essential amino acids and healthy fats that the body needs to function optimally.
- Their nutritional composition brings together vitamins A, D, E and K as well as B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin and folic acid.
- Their contribution in various minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and zinc.
- Their ability to protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals thanks to their richness in antioxidants.
- Their power to improve your digestion system due to their high content of enzymes that help break down food much more efficiently than cooked food.
- Eating raw eggs may also help prevent cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and stroke, as they contain lecithin which helps keep cholesterol levels low by preventing it from building up in the arteries. .
- Finally, the abundance of B vitamins in raw eggs gives you an energy boost and improves physical performance and mental clarity.
All these benefits make some of us prefer to consume raw eggs to ensure a better daily intake of nutrients that the body needs to function better.
Cooked egg vs raw egg: which is more nutritious?
To answer this question, it all ultimately depends on the person and their dietary goals. Raw eggs have a higher nutritional value than cooked eggs because they contain more of the vitamins and minerals found in egg yolk. As they also feature certain enzymes that help your body break down and digest food better. However, these same enzymes can be destroyed when an egg is cooked.
In terms of overall nutrition, cooked eggs offer a different set of benefits than raw eggs. For example, cooked eggs are much easier to digest than their raw counterparts because some of their proteins and fats have already been changed during cooking. This means that the body can absorb more nutrients from a cooked egg than from a raw egg.
What are the potential health risks of consuming raw eggs?
Eating raw eggs can be dangerous for your health because:
They may contain salmonella.
Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause serious gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and fever. These symptoms can last from several days to a week, or even longer in some cases. In extreme cases, they can even lead to hospitalization and sometimes death.
It is also possible to contract other food-borne illnesses.
Indeed, eggs are often produced under insufficient hygiene standards and may have come into contact with bird droppings or other contaminants. Also, uncooked eggs can contain harmful germs such as E.coli, which can make people sick by causing severe stomach pain and diarrhea. Therefore, they can lead to an increased risk of food poisoning due to the presence of toxins created by bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes, which can survive temperatures as low as 4°C.
Eating raw eggs increases the risk of developing food allergies.
The proteins in raw eggs remain largely intact during digestion. Thus, people who suffer from allergies may experience an allergic reaction if they consume raw egg products. Likewise, consuming large amounts of raw egg whites has been linked to increased levels of biotin deficiency, which could potentially lead to skin disorders and hair loss over time.
Shareable tips for getting the nutrients from raw eggs without the fuss.
Be sure to buy raw eggs from a reliable source.
Look for organic eggs that are free-range, cage-free, and fed a natural diet. Eggs should also be inspected by a certified inspector before you buy them to make sure they meet safety standards. Organic certification ensures that your eggs come from healthy, humanely treated poultry and do not contain antibiotics or other contaminants.
Store raw eggs appropriately.
To reduce any potential bacterial contamination, store them in their original packaging in the refrigerator and use them within three weeks of purchase. If left too long at room temperature, bacteria grow faster. It is therefore important to keep them cool until ready to use them.
Always inspect each egg carefully before using it.
Make sure the shell is not damaged or cracked and check for any foul odors, which may indicate spoilage. Discard cracked or smelly eggs, as they may contain one of the dangerous bacteria mentioned earlier.
Be sure to cook the mixture well in your recipes.
When making recipes with raw eggs, be sure to cook the mixture thoroughly before serving, especially if eaten raw (like in an omelet). Also, avoid combining raw egg whites with foods containing iron, as this can reduce its nutritional benefits, including vitamins A and E found in egg yolks.
