Eggs are nutritious and a good source of protein. Is eating raw eggs good or bad?
Many people believe the raw food is healthier than cooked food. They contain essential nutrients for the brain, nerves, glands and hormones. The sulphur amino acids help to keep you young, raw eggs also contain an abundance of other vital substances including protein, essential fatty acids along with niacin, riboflavin, biotin, choline, vitamins A, D and E, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, iron, iodine, copper, zinc and sulphur. Egg yolks are one of the few foods that contain vitamin D.
A great deal of controversy surrounds the issue of whether it's safe to eat raw eggs. The main issue regarding eating raw eggs is contamination with the Salmonella bacterium with the secondary issue involving the availability of the B-vitamin, biotin.
Raw eggs could contain a bacteria known as Salmonella enteritidis which is known to cause food poisoning. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Salmonella contamination may be a problem with about 1 in every 30,000 eggs, but there's no way to tell by looking at it whether you have a "bad egg". However, even a very small risk is not worth taking in this situation -and there is no way to avoid taking a very small risk when eating a raw egg. Since bacteria enter the ovaries of healthy looking hens even before the shells are formed, you cannot tell from looking at eggs whether they are contaminated.
This is why it's important to properly handle and cook eggs to eliminate the risk of Salmonella infection. People who have weakened immune systems, children, the elderly, and pregnant women run a higher risk than normal ones so the best way is not eating raw eggs.
On the other hand, eating raw eggs could carry an eventual risk of biotin deficiency. The egg yolk is a rich source of biotin, but the white contains avidin which bonds with biotin, preventing biotin's absorption into the body. Avidin is inactivated when cooked, which allows the biotin in the yolk to be absorbed by the body.
Here are some tips you can take to eat eggs safely:
- Be sure to purchase eggs from a refrigerated case and place them in your refrigerator as soon as you get home. It is best to use eggs within three to four weeks of purchase.
- Cooking eggs destroys the Salmonella; however, they must be cooked to a temperature of at least 160°F (71°C). Sunny-side up and over-easy eggs often do not reach this temperature.
- For recipes that contain raw eggs such as Caesar salads, mousse, or homemade ice cream, it is best to use pasteurized eggs that have been heated to a high enough temperature to ensure that the Salmonella has been destroyed.
- If you eat many eggs for a long stretch of time, you may need a biotin supplement (supported within a B-complex intake). Biotin rich foods include swiss chard, tomatoes, carrots, and liver. You many want to include these foods in your diet when you eat raw eggs, or just eat the raw yolks alone and cook the whites later.
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