Although the raw food trend is booming, you have to be careful, in some cases it can be dangerous, especially for certain groups such as pregnant women, children or immunocompromised people.
Sometimes because they contain bacteria and parasites that can affect our health, and sometimes because of our digestive system cannot digest them properly or because they can be poisonous, there are some foods you should never eat raw.
Some of them will surprise you.
It is not very common, but in some restaurants they serve it.
Eating raw chicken increases the risk of getting infected with Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria.
It is recommended to cook the chicken at an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
As in the case of chicken, it is not common either, but there are people who follow a raw paleo diet if they do.
Eating raw meat increases the risk of infection by E. coli, a bacterium that is able to survive in refrigerators and freezers, and at temperatures below 44ºC.
To eliminate it, it is necessary to cook it at a high enough temperature, higher than 160ºC is recommended.
Raw milk can contain bacteria, viruses and harmful parasites are eliminated after a pasteurization process.
Some people continue to drink raw milk for their supposed health benefits, but it is important to consider pasteurization does not reduce the nutritional value of milk, nor cause lactose intolerance and allergic reactions, as some believe.
Raw eggs are at risk of Salmonella poisoning, so it is important to avoid eating it that way.
Many people think that taking raw eggs has many health benefits because they are getting their protein pure and unadulterated.
Eggs are a great source of protein, but while 90% of those proteins are absorbed when the egg is cooked, only 50% of these proteins are absorbed when it is raw. And although the absorption of other nutrients may decrease slightly during the cooking process, the difference in protein absorption is much more interesting.
Eating raw potatoes can cause bloating and gastrointestinal problems because they contain starches that can not be digested correctly.
When you cook the potatoes, all of these starches break and are easier to digest.
In addition, and even more problematic, is that raw potatoes contain solanine, a toxin that could cause food poisoning.
This tuber, which is widely used in South American cuisine, is full of vitamins and minerals.
But it also contains a potentially lethal ingredient.
The leaves and roots of raw cassava contain cyanogenic glycosides, chemicals that release cyanide when eaten. For this reason it is so important not to eat it raw.
It is a common mistake to think that since they are pre-cooked, frankfurters can be eaten directly from the package without having to cook them in advance.
That’s not true.
Packaged Frankfurt-type sausages can be contaminated with Listeria bacteria, which can only be eliminated by cooking them.
Eating raw flour can be a danger to our health.
From the wheat grains until we buy it in the supermarket, the flour may have been in contact with pathogens like E. coli.
This possible contamination can only be eliminated by cooking it.
So the next time you’re tempted to take a bit of the cookie dough you’re about to put in the oven, keep in mind the possible risks to your health.
Raw eggplant contains solanine, the same toxin as in raw potatoes.
The sooner the aubergines are harvested, the more solanine they have.
For toxic effects to appear by eating raw eggplant you would have to eat a lot, but the problem is that many of us could be allergic without knowing it. For this reason, it is best to always cook it before eating it.
Bones or seeds of apples, mangoes, peaches, pears or apricots
Although it would be necessary to take at least one cup of these ground seeds to poison us, the seeds of apples, mangoes, peaches, pears and apricots contain a chemical that can be turned into organic cyanide.