Raw Eggs - How Dangerous?

Nutrition
24

I used to love a couple raw eggs in my shake but the other concern (beyond the salmonella) about raw eggs is that there’s an enzyme that interferes with biotin absorbtion. Through cooking or pasteurization this enzyme is destroyed however. The fact that the protien is more bio-available (as mentioned before) in the cooked state moved me away from the raw guys as well.

Soooo I figure the best way to get “raw” eggs in is to use the pasteurized liquid egg whites or egg beaters, no salmonella worries and no interference with biotin uptake.

25

[quote]Winger11 wrote:
I used to love a couple raw eggs in my shake but the other concern (beyond the salmonella) about raw eggs is that there’s an enzyme that interferes with biotin absorbtion. [/quote]

That enzyme is only located in the white and it is neutralized when cooked. This is why you’re not supposed to eat whites raw. But from what I understand, there is enough biotin in the yolk to counteract the white. So eating a whole raw egg won’t do you wrong, it’s negligible.

Could be mistaken though.

26

The issue with uncooked eggwhites isn’t just microbial infection. Eggwhites contain a lot of avidin. Avidin tighly binds biotin which keeps you from
absorbing it.

This interaction is so substanital that there are many reported cases of egg-white induced biotin deficiency; it occurs quickly! Cooking the eggwhites denatures avidin, and avoids this nasty consequence.

Avidin is not denatured at pasteurization temperatures (132 to 146 degrees F). Cooking temperatures greater than 158 degrees F are required to denature avidin.

27

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
Cthulhu wrote:
…However,if,once again,you are purchasing eggs from healthy chickens this infection risk is reduced dramatically.
Only sick chickens lay salmonella-contaminated eggs

How do you know? The organic label is no guarantee. [/quote]

It isn’t a guarantee.
But I think I know something since I’ve been eating raw, organic eggs since I was 14 and have never gotten sick from eating them.
The study that was done shows that a small number of eggs,store-bought,regular eggs,contain salmonella.
I’d like to see how many organic eggs do.

28

[quote]tall tom wrote:
The issue with uncooked eggwhites isn’t just microbial infection. Eggwhites contain a lot of avidin. Avidin tighly binds biotin which keeps you from
absorbing it.

This interaction is so substanital that there are many reported cases of egg-white induced biotin deficiency; it occurs quickly! Cooking the eggwhites denatures avidin, and avoids this nasty consequence.

Avidin is not denatured at pasteurization temperatures (132 to 146 degrees F). Cooking temperatures greater than 158 degrees F are required to denature avidin.[/quote]

You won’t develop a biotin deficiency from eating raw eggs, since there is not enough biotin in an egg yolk to bind to all the avidin present in the raw whites.

5.7 grams of biotin are required to neutralize all the avidin found in the raw whites of an average-sized egg. There are only about 25 micrograms – or 25 millionths of a gram – of biotin in an average egg yolk.

Even if it were true,it would be next to impossible to develop a biotin deficiency because of the amount of biotin found in the most common foods we eat.

Food Serving Biotin (mcg)
Liver, cooked 3 ounces* 27
Egg, cooked 1 large 25
Yeast, bakers active 1 packet (7 grams) 14
Wheat bran, crude 1 ounce 14
Bread, whole wheat 1 slice 6
Cheese, camembert 1 ounce 6
Avocado 1 whole 6
Salmon, cooked 3 ounces* 4
Cauliflower, raw 1 cup 4
Chicken, cooked 3 ounces* 3
Cheese, cheddar 1 ounce 2
Pork, cooked 3 ounces* 2
Raspberries 1 cup 2
Artichoke, cooked 1 medium 2

29

[quote]Cthulhu wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
Cthulhu wrote:
…However,if,once again,you are purchasing eggs from healthy chickens this infection risk is reduced dramatically.
Only sick chickens lay salmonella-contaminated eggs

How do you know? The organic label is no guarantee.

It isn’t a guarantee.
But I think I know something since I’ve been eating raw, organic eggs since I was 14 and have never gotten sick from eating them.
The study that was done shows that a small number of eggs,store-bought,regular eggs,contain salmonella.
I’d like to see how many organic eggs do.[/quote]

you can’t know for certain. but if it isn’t necessary to dose the hen’s w/anti-biotics they’re living and producing in a much healthier/cleaner environment.

and like zap said, it’s true that “organic” isn’t a great guarantee…especially as larger companies are getting in and distributing product from many sources which become virtually unknown by the time it reaches the consumer…i don’t like buying food from vague sources.

30

[quote]swivel wrote:
Cthulhu wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
Cthulhu wrote:
…However,if,once again,you are purchasing eggs from healthy chickens this infection risk is reduced dramatically.
Only sick chickens lay salmonella-contaminated eggs

How do you know? The organic label is no guarantee.

It isn’t a guarantee.
But I think I know something since I’ve been eating raw, organic eggs since I was 14 and have never gotten sick from eating them.
The study that was done shows that a small number of eggs,store-bought,regular eggs,contain salmonella.
I’d like to see how many organic eggs do.

you can’t know for certain. but if it isn’t necessary to dose the hen’s w/anti-biotics they’re living and producing in a much healthier/cleaner environment.

and like zap said, it’s true that “organic” isn’t a great guarantee…especially as larger companies are getting in and distributing product from many sources which become virtually unknown by the time it reaches the consumer…i don’t like buying food from vague sources. [/quote]

I usually get my eggs from a local farm.
I know for a fact that the eggs come from healthy hens,so I don’t worry much about that.

It really doesn’t matter anyway,since the number of normal,grade A eggs that are contaminated with salmonella is very low.
It’s probably lower with organic eggs if it’s already low for normal,store bought,grade “A” eggs.

Most raw chicken on grocery store shelves is contaminated with at least some fecal bacteria and bacteria that show resistance to antibiotics.

I’m not going to stop eating chicken just because I heard that though.
I’ll just buy high quality chicken,like free-range or organic,whenever I can to lower the risk of getting sick.

31

[quote]swivel wrote:
Cthulhu wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
Cthulhu wrote:
…However,if,once again,you are purchasing eggs from healthy chickens this infection risk is reduced dramatically.
Only sick chickens lay salmonella-contaminated eggs

How do you know? The organic label is no guarantee.

It isn’t a guarantee.
But I think I know something since I’ve been eating raw, organic eggs since I was 14 and have never gotten sick from eating them.
The study that was done shows that a small number of eggs,store-bought,regular eggs,contain salmonella.
I’d like to see how many organic eggs do.

you can’t know for certain. but if it isn’t necessary to dose the hen’s w/anti-biotics they’re living and producing in a much healthier/cleaner environment.

and like zap said, it’s true that “organic” isn’t a great guarantee…especially as larger companies are getting in and distributing product from many sources which become virtually unknown by the time it reaches the consumer…i don’t like buying food from vague sources. [/quote]

Good point about the healthier environment compared to the factory farms.

I wonder if the rate of salmonella is different betwen the two.

Either way it is pretty unlikely you will get salmonella but if you get it you will regret it.

32

Raw Eggs: Don’t Even Think About It

Chances are if you eat a raw egg you won’t get sick.

…if you DO get sick, I guarantee you won’t be eating them any more. You’ll be lucky if all you get is a moderate to severe case of diarrhea. If that stuff gets into your bloodstream you’re looking at sepsis, 105+ degree “brain cell killing” fever, and possibly death. If you get treated for the sepsis and make it out, you’re still looking at possibly having reactive arthritis (aka Reiters Syndrome) or neurological issues for the rest of your life.

It’s just not worth it:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/salmonellosis_g.htm

33

[quote]Madman2 wrote:
BarneyFife wrote:
I hate eggs, and I cannot stand the taste of them. They are such a good source of protein that I know that I SHOULD eat them. So I was thinking about putting some in a shake. Would it be safe to pop a couple of raw eggs in a breakfast shake, and are there any other ways of eating eggs without having to taste them?

Are you wanting the extra protein or are there other aspects of eggs that you’re trying to add? If you just want the extra protein, look for some egg protein powder. If you’re wanting more, I can’t help you there. I love eggs.[/quote]

Good advice, me thinks.

Just add another scoop of protein powder and take some omega 3 supplementation if you’re after the good fats.

34

[quote]Brett Tucek wrote:
JohnnyBlaze wrote:
I know there is a small risk of salmonella, but I’ve heard that the contamination of the bacteria is usually on the outside of the egg - on the shell - and not actually inside the egg. So if you wash the eggs and your hands before using them and handle them carefully, it will reduce the risk of salmonella.

I’ve heard this too, but I’ve also heard this is wrong.

Do you have a source?[/quote]

Hmmm…shit, I read it recently but forgot. I’d have to look it up again.

36

I worked for a lab for a while where Campylobacter was studied extensively. Samples from organic farms had about the same amount of the bacteria, but there was usually far less antibiotic resistance in the organic bacteria.

I don’t know about how things are with Salmonella, but it’s probably similar. The amount of bacteria is probably about the same, but the resistance to antibiotics is probably lower.

I live near an organic farm (not mainstream organic, but truly old timey) where I got a Salmonella infection when I was very young, like 2 years old. It wasn’t from eating raw eggs, but just contact with the chickens. I can still remember how much it sucked.

Of course, my immune system is now much stronger, but I still won’t risk consuming raw eggs. If I had been infected with antibiotic resistant Salmonella, I would probably be dead. The risk of that is much greater today.

Raw eggs are for superheroes like Rocky Balboa and Chuck Norris, but they can get away with eating gunpowder and depleted uranium. Stick to cooking.

37

[quote]Higher Game wrote:
I worked for a lab for a while where Campylobacter was studied extensively. Samples from organic farms had about the same amount of the bacteria, but there was usually far less antibiotic resistance in the organic bacteria.

I don’t know about how things are with Salmonella, but it’s probably similar. The amount of bacteria is probably about the same, but the resistance to antibiotics is probably lower.

I live near an organic farm (not mainstream organic, but truly old timey) where I got a Salmonella infection when I was very young, like 2 years old. It wasn’t from eating raw eggs, but just contact with the chickens. I can still remember how much it sucked.

Of course, my immune system is now much stronger, but I still won’t risk consuming raw eggs. If I had been infected with antibiotic resistant Salmonella, I would probably be dead. The risk of that is much greater today.

[/quote]
Good point! The prevalence of antibiotics in the market today (and drug resistant strains of everything) didn’t even occur to me when contemplating this thread. I retract my previous statement, Salmonella may very well kill you. And what a sucky way to go (understatement.)

Also a little Google-fu turned up this:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no5/03-0209.htm

38

Well,I guess you got lucky when you got sick,since,according to the United States Department of Agriculture, only one in every 30,000 eggs is contaminated with salmonella.
I’ve consumed many different kinds of raw,organic eggs throughout my life and have never gotten sick.
Sure there are some farms who claim to sell “organic”,but are really in it for the money and don’t meet the organic standards.
Also,you cannot base an opinion or fact on a few samples of organic eggs from 1 or 2 farms.
I’m sure if they did a nationwide study on organic eggs in general,less would be contaminated with Salmonella.
In March 2006, The New York Times reported that the U.S. government said that 16.3% of all chickens were contaminated with salmonella.
I’m not going to stop eating chicken,however,but buy the best quality cuts I can get.
Also,you have to study the bacteria.
What kind it is,is it harmful,etc.
You also have to look for how much salmaonella is on the eggs,or meat.
Assuming you already have a healthy immune system,if you consume a little salmonella,you really won’t get sick.
You need to swallow just 15 to 20 salmonella bacteria, or about 500 campylobacter, to become ill.
Antibiotic resistant bacteria is an important thing.
Good to hear you survived.

[quote]Higher Game wrote:
I worked for a lab for a while where Campylobacter was studied extensively. Samples from organic farms had about the same amount of the bacteria, but there was usually far less antibiotic resistance in the organic bacteria.

I don’t know about how things are with Salmonella, but it’s probably similar. The amount of bacteria is probably about the same, but the resistance to antibiotics is probably lower.

I live near an organic farm (not mainstream organic, but truly old timey) where I got a Salmonella infection when I was very young, like 2 years old. It wasn’t from eating raw eggs, but just contact with the chickens. I can still remember how much it sucked.

Of course, my immune system is now much stronger, but I still won’t risk consuming raw eggs. If I had been infected with antibiotic resistant Salmonella, I would probably be dead. The risk of that is much greater today.

Raw eggs are for superheroes like Rocky Balboa and Chuck Norris, but they can get away with eating gunpowder and depleted uranium. Stick to cooking.[/quote]

39

[quote]Cthulhu wrote:
You need to swallow just 15 to 20 salmonella bacteria, or about 500 campylobacter, to become ill.
[/quote]
Where did you get these numbers?

41

[quote]pushharder wrote:
Higher Game wrote:
I worked for a lab for a while where Campylobacter was studied extensively. Samples from organic farms had about the same amount of the bacteria, but there was usually far less antibiotic resistance in the organic bacteria.

I don’t know about how things are with Salmonella, but it’s probably similar. The amount of bacteria is probably about the same, but the resistance to antibiotics is probably lower.

I live near an organic farm (not mainstream organic, but truly old timey) where I got a Salmonella infection when I was very young, like 2 years old. It wasn’t from eating raw eggs, but just contact with the chickens. I can still remember how much it sucked.

Of course, my immune system is now much stronger, but I still won’t risk consuming raw eggs. If I had been infected with antibiotic resistant Salmonella, I would probably be dead. The risk of that is much greater today.

Raw eggs are for superheroes like Rocky Balboa and Chuck Norris, but they can get away with eating gunpowder and depleted uranium. Stick to cooking.

Like I said, why does buying eggs from organic hens has anything whatsoever to do with avoiding this bug?

I can see the point that if one is treating the infection you would hope that the strain of salmonella would not be resistant to antiobiotics but I don’t see how eating organic eggs would lower your chances of being infected to begin with.[/quote]

Organic eggs from local farms with healthy chickens are probably not as likely to be carrying salmonella in the first place. If the animal itself is not contaminated with salmonella, then the eggs probably won’t be.

This isn’t based on any studies or anything, but I would assume well treated healthy chickens from a local organic family farm would not be as likely to carry salmonella as the mistreated unhealthy chickens with a horrible environment from factory farms. If anyone had any sort of studies to confirm the difference, that would be great.

42

[quote]pushharder wrote:
Higher Game wrote:
I worked for a lab for a while where Campylobacter was studied extensively. Samples from organic farms had about the same amount of the bacteria, but there was usually far less antibiotic resistance in the organic bacteria.

I don’t know about how things are with Salmonella, but it’s probably similar. The amount of bacteria is probably about the same, but the resistance to antibiotics is probably lower.

I live near an organic farm (not mainstream organic, but truly old timey) where I got a Salmonella infection when I was very young, like 2 years old. It wasn’t from eating raw eggs, but just contact with the chickens. I can still remember how much it sucked.

Of course, my immune system is now much stronger, but I still won’t risk consuming raw eggs. If I had been infected with antibiotic resistant Salmonella, I would probably be dead. The risk of that is much greater today.

Raw eggs are for superheroes like Rocky Balboa and Chuck Norris, but they can get away with eating gunpowder and depleted uranium. Stick to cooking.

Like I said, why does buying eggs from organic hens has anything whatsoever to do with avoiding this bug?

I can see the point that if one is treating the infection you would hope that the strain of salmonella would not be resistant to antiobiotics but I don’t see how eating organic eggs would lower your chances of being infected to begin with.[/quote]

Because sick chickens can lay eggs that are contaminated with salmonella.
While the chances are already very low, I’d still consume organic/free-range eggs if I were eating them raw.

Salmonella is a bacterium that is widespread in the intestines of a lot of birds, reptiles and mammals,etc. It can spread to humans via a variety of different foods of animal origin.
If you were to purchase eggs straight from a farm, from healthy hens who are not sick because of salmonella,multiple bacterial infections,etc.,there would be an extremely low chance of getting sick,since most store-bought eggs are produced by larger companies-even with the larger companies,studies have shown the risk is still quite low(1 in every 30,000 eggs).

There are different forms of salmonella.
The form you were talking about,often called Typhoidal Salmonella, is only carried by humans and is usually contracted through direct contact with the fecal matter of an infected person,not animals.

The most common type of salmonella that is passed onto humans from birds and other animals is called Salmonella enteritidis.

Salmonella enteritidis is usually found in eggs infected by foecal germs.

Salmonella Enteritis, also called Salmonellosis, is an infection caused by a bacteria called Salmonella that could have been present in the food that one had consumed.
As you can see,chickens can easily pass this onto their eggs when nesting.