This maybe new to you but in the bodybuilding world, or perhaps, to some people who value fitness like athletes, eating raw eggs, yup, no cooking or whatsoever, is a norm. Question is, is it safe to eat raw eggs?

There have been big names in history that have been known to eating raw eggs to power their day ahead.

Take famous novelist Victor Hugo for example. While he was in exile in Channel Islands, before he started writing every morning, he would eat two raw eggs and a cup of coffee to help him in writing.

In one scene of the ever popular sports film, Rocky, Sylvester Stallone started his morning by eating more than 5 raw eggs before jogging through the streets of Philadelphia.

Marilyn Monroe, a famous actress in the 20^th century, reportedly ate raw eggs every morning as part of her healthy lifestyle.

Hulk Hogan (Terry Gene Bollea), a wrestling icon who found fame in the 1980’s puts 3 whole raw eggs in his protein shake.

Couldn’t blame them though as eggs are one of the wonder foods ever.

Why the eggs?

They are packed with vitamins, minerals, good fats and nutrients.

What bodybuilders and athletes are after though is protein. Just a single egg can give you about 6 to 7 grams of proteins, easily.

For the health conscious, they only eat the egg white because it is cholesterol-free, low in calories (around 20 calories) and has more proteins (around 4 grams). And the egg yolk, on the other hand, has saturated fat, more calories (about 55 calories) and less proteins (around 2.5 to 3 grams). In short, eating the egg white alone has been long believed to be a healthier choice.

But if you are targeting more proteins, obviously, you’re eating both, right?

These bodybuilders and athletes opt to eating (or drinking?) raw eggs, usually by adding them to smoothies or shakes, because it is the fastest way to get proteins to grow muscles. Or is it? Or is it just a myth?

According to a study made by The Journal Nutrition, protein absorption in cooked eggs is higher (91%) than in raw ones at around 50% percent.

Anyway, even if that is how they like their eggs, let them be.

The real concern is eating raw egg, is it safe?

Is it completely safe to eat raw eggs? The answer is maybe or maybe not.

How to be certain? What are the odds? Is it risky?

According to US Department of Agriculture or the USDA, eating raw eggs is completely fine as long as they are pasteurized. If not, there can be risk of Samonella food poisoning or Salmonellosis.

By definition, pasteurization is a way to partially sterilize a product. By undergoing pasteurization, the food, like egg, becomes fit for human consumption while maintaining its quality. It involves heat processing to kill the harmful microorganisms like Salmonella in raw eggs.

How do eggs get salmonella?

The outside of shell of eggs may be contaminated with salmonella. It commonly originates from chicken poop. If not necessary, do not wash raw egg shells.

Salmonella food poisoning doesn’t only occur by eating raw eggs—it may happen by eating raw or under cooked meat like beef as well.

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In 2019, in the U.S., there were reported 11 people who fell ill after eating ground beef and 1 of them died. Lab test revealed the outbreak was cause by strain of Salmonella Dublin.

In Hong Kong, the same year, there were 2 outbreaks of Salmonellosis from consuming improperly cooked scrambled eggs.

Now, let’s go back to raw eggs.

How is the chance of getting poisoned from eating raw eggs?

Very slim—about 0.005%.

Symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning may include fever, diarrhea and vomiting—all of which may persist up to 7 days. Worst may happen if the victim is of young/old age or those which weak immunity. Although Salmonellosis rarely develops to be fatal, are you going to risk it?

Conclusion

Even if the chance of getting Salmonellosis from raw eggs is very slim to none, it is recommended to steer clear of it.

 If you can’t help it, choose pasteurized raw eggs. This way, eating raw eggs won’t be a matter for concern.

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