Eating or slurping on raw eggs sounds disgusting but sipping on eggnogs does not. One of the ingredients in eggnog is a raw egg. Despite its good taste, this drink poses health risks too.
The Holiday Season is upon us, and it means one other thing other than jolly carols and Christmas gifts. It also means it is time to whip up some eggnogs for the holiday gathering. But before you go into an eggnog-making frenzy, ask yourself first if you need to put raw eggs in there. You can go vegan, and people would not notice the different taste with or without eggs.
So before you drink or make eggnog, ask yourself if the health benefits outweigh the bad. The bad can, after all, put you in the hospital bed for days. You are putting yourself at risk of food poisoning from the salmonella found in raw eggs. Though contracting salmonella is not life-threatening, it can still give you serious diarrhea that may require hospitalization for severe cases. Other symptoms include fever, headache, and stomach cramps, all of which may last three to seven days.
Likewise, eating raw eggs have been known to cause biotin deficiencies. Biotin is a type of vitamin B, also known as vitamin B7 that provides healthy hair and nails. This vitamin also helps in the body's production of glucose and fatty acids.
However, absorption of biotin is hindered because of the protein avidin that is found in raw egg whites. Avidin binds to biotin in the small intestine and blocks the absorption of biotin.
Likewise, eating raw eggs reduces the absorption of the nine essential amino acids present in eggs by 50 percent. A study revealed that those who ate cooked eggs absorbed protein by 90 percent and only 50 percent by those who ate the eggs raw.
Raw eggs may be nutritious, but your body won't absorb all the nutrients if you eat it raw. Eating it cooked instead does since heat destroys avidin, thus allowing proper absorption.
However, if you really must stick to tradition and prepare eggnog with raw eggs, then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests using pasteurized eggs. These eggs have been treated to kill most bacteria present in the eggshell and inside the egg itself. Restrictions to consuming raw eggs are given to infants, pregnant women, and those who have problems with their immune system.
