Eating Raw Eggs: Benefits, Pros and Crons

Eating raw eggs can be a quick way to get a lot of protein. If you are consuming raw eggs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends using pasteurized eggs. These eggs have been heated up enough to kill the Salmonella bacteria that was potentially inside.

Bazzup Editorial TeamApril 17, 2021Last Updated: April 17, 2021

213 2 minutes read

Raw eggs are what stands between you and eating uncooked cookie dough every day. Many people give in to the temptation posed by cookie dough and never get sick, but here’s what you should know before you make that choice.

Legend has it that tough guys like Rocky Balboa drink raw eggs to gain extra muscles. Eggs are full of nutrients both when they’re raw and cooked — but the former put you at risk of getting seriously sick.

Cooking eggs breaks down the protein, making it easier for you to digest, which means your body will have more protein to use.

In this Article

Nutrition Information

Raw eggs are rich in protein and other micronutrients. The fatty acids they have can help your metabolism. They contain most of the essential amino acids, and one egg provides 27% of the daily choline requirements.

They’re also an excellent source of:

Calcium
Phosphorous
Potassium
Vitamin A
Vitamin D

One raw egg contains:

72 calories
6 grams of protein
5 grams of fat
186 milligrams of cholesterol

Potential Health Benefits of Raw Eggs

There are many vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants found in raw eggs. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two important antioxidants that protect your eyes and make eye-related diseases less likely.

In addition, raw eggs can also:

Help your heart. Eggs are filled with HDL or “good” cholesterol. High HDL cholesterol protects your heart from LDL, the bad cholesterol. Eggs are full of both types of cholesterol, so it’s important to limit the good so you can also limit the bad. Eggs are also full of fatty acids, like Omega-3s, which bring down the bad cholesterol levels.

Help your brain work better. The high amounts of choline found in eggs are important factors of brain function. Eggs are nutrient dense and just one egg is an excellent source of choline.

Strengthen your immune system. High levels of vitamin A and vitamin B-12 are found in eggs along with other nutrients and antioxidants that make up a well-defended immune system.

Give you more energy. Eggs are packed with nutrients that make you feel full and energized. They are rich sources of protein and considered a complete source of essential amino acids.

Potential Risks of Raw Eggs

Eating raw eggs can be potentially dangerous if they contain Salmonella. About one in 20,000 eggs does. Salmonella is a bacteria commonly found in food that causes diarrhea, fever, cramps, and vomiting.

In serious cases, you can develop chronic, severe, or life-threatening health problems from eating food-borne bacteria. Salmonella causes about 30 deaths in the United States each year. You’ll usually experience illness 1 to 3 days after eating food contaminated with bacteria. However, you can get sick anywhere between 20 minutes and 6 weeks after you have it.

Usually, cooking eggs thoroughly will kill the bacteria. If you use a recipe that requires raw or undercooked eggs, make sure you only use eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella through pasteurization or pasteurized egg products.