Is it safe to eat raw eggs?

Filled with essential vitamins, minerals and macronutrients, eggs are one of the healthiest foods in the world. People around the world eat eggs because of their impressive health benefits. Raw eggs and cooked eggs have the same health benefits. But is it safe to eat raw eggs?

Recently, the use of raw eggs has increased for the preparation of foods such as smoothies, ice creams.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), unpasteurized raw eggs may contain bacteria that may be harmful to one's health. However, you can have pasteurized eggs in the shell without cooking them.

Risks related to the consumption of raw eggs:
According to the FDA, a large number of people develop food-borne illnesses, and some even die every year after eating Salmonella-contaminated eggs (a bacterial disease).

Raw egg consumption can also reduce your ability to absorb essential proteins found in eggs because proteins are better absorbed by cooked eggs.

The consumption of raw eggs can also affect your ability to absorb biotin. Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin B that participates in the production of glucose and fatty acids in the body.

Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin, which binds to biotin in the small intestine and prevents its absorption.

When you cook eggs, the heat destroys the avidin.

How to prevent contamination
Contamination can be avoided by heating the egg in hot water for a given period of time. Egg heating, also called pasteurization, reduces Salmonella contamination but does not affect the nutritional quality or taste of the egg.

Who is at risk of infection?
The consumption of raw or undercooked eggs can increase the risk of Salmonella infection, also called salmonellosis. Symptoms of infection appear within 12 to 72 hours of eating contaminated eggs.

People infected with Salmonella can suffer from various problems:

-Diarrhea

-Fever

– Abdominal cramps

-Vomiting

Infants, children, older adults and pregnant women have a higher risk of infection.

How to protect yourself from infection
-Do not eat raw eggs to avoid the risk of infection.

– Store raw eggs in a refrigerator at a temperature of 40 ° F or lower.

-Do not consume the egg if the shell is cracked or dirty.

-After handling raw eggs, wash your hands, utensils and kitchen counters properly.

-Well cook the egg white and yolk before consumption.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article should not be considered as a substitute for the doctor's advice. Please consult your doctor for more details.