Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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Way back when I was a kid, my grandma would make milkshakes and banana smoothies and drop a whole raw egg into the mix. I've since carried this on and have always popped on into my protein shakes and still do. I was talking to a mate the other day who knows a bit about nutrition, and he said it's quite bad to consume raw egg whites (I have actually heard this before but ignored it), the yolk on the other hand is fine. So what's the big problem with raw whites?

flag	asked Jun 18 at 7:21 Rob 1,346●3●16

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I know this wasn't the question, but I don't even bother eating egg whites. I'm eating an adequate protein diet with a target protein intake of 62 gms/day of animal protein. While egg whites are complete, they are empty. THey have almost no other nutrients. So I throw them away and eat proteins that provide significant other nutrients. I do eat 4-6 egg yolks a day though. – scottts Jun 18 at 13:11

Adam · Answer 1 · 2012-06-18 10:43:17Z UTC

Think of raw egg whites as raw nuts with phytic acid. Raw egg white contains a protein called "conalbumin" which binds to iron (making it not biologically available to the body.) They also contains avidin, which binds to biotin and can impair metabolism of other B-vitamins. Like raw nuts and phytic acid, these proteins bind to vital vitamins and minerals rendering them unusable by the body. (Or at least far less digestible since I don't have specific numbers.)

Yolks are fine to eat raw, but whites are more bio-available to the body upon cooking.The anti-nutrient profile is eliminated/reduced rendering all major nutrients usable.

daz · Answer 2 · 2012-06-18 11:02:34Z UTC

supposedly, raw egg white has some bioactive proteins and one, avidin, can cause biotin deficiency.
"...(biotin) deficiencies can be caused by consuming raw egg whites over a period of months to years. Egg whites contain high levels of avidin, a protein that binds biotin strongly. When cooked, avidin is partially denatured and becomes somewhat non-toxic. A recent study1 found that activity in fried, poached and boiled (2 min) egg white was 33, 71 and 40% of the activity in raw egg white respectively..."

You can always supplement with Biotin or get from other food sources to counter the whole raw eggs if you feel the need

edit: another different wiki link to biotin deficiency.
"...(biotin) deficiency can be caused by the consumption of raw egg whites (two or more), which contain high levels of the protein avidin, which binds biotin strongly, daily for several months, has caused biotin deficiency serious enough to produce symptoms..."

tiger · Answer 3 · 2012-06-18 08:19:39Z UTC

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It's not bad, its just that the body can use the egg protein more if it is cooked. The yolk should be left runny and not cooked so the cholesterol in it won't get oxidized.

answered Jun 18 at 8:19

tiger
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Mr. J · Answer 4 · 2012-06-18 07:35:50Z UTC

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the bacteria. salmonella is the biggest concern with raw eggs / meat.Q

answered Jun 18 at 7:35

Mr. J
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Oh really? I've never heard that. So if the egg isn't rotten, and is kept in the fridge, there is a risk of salmonella? Like I said, I've been eating them raw 20+ years and haven't once been sick. – Rob Jun 18 at 8:32

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While that is a theoretical possibility, the odds of contracting salmonella from raw eggs is extremely remote. – mrmagee Jun 18 at 11:31

I've also read that salmonella exists more so on the surface of the egg shell rather than within. As long as you're careful about cracking it, there's hardly any risk of salmonella poisoning. – Walcott Jun 18 at 14:27

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Salmonella and the bad e. coli are more common in eggs etc grown in factory farmed conditions. Not that you might not run into them even in small pasture operations, but it would be much less common. Although not complete proof against problems, you can majorly reduce risk on quality eggs by washing them before cracking or dipping for 30-60 seconds in boiling water. – Karen Jun 18 at 19:24

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the actual risk of consuming a contaminated egg is quite low. Local authorities here put it at about 1 in 20,000 eggs, and the risk of actually getting sick from it is about 1 in 500. But a 1 in a million chance of someone getting sick is enough for public health recommendations to warn against raw eggs because there's no reason they so to consume them raw. – Noah Jun 18 at 19:24

Kyle_FitFolks · Answer 5 · 2012-06-18 10:50:42Z UTC

I heard it being bandied about for a while that consuming egg whites without the yolk prevented it from being a complete protein. That seems to have been settled more or less now.

Egg whites seem to have been lumped into this category:

"...Some foods contain all the essential amino acids on their own in a sufficient amount to qualify as a "complete protein.." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_protein

I guess you'll have to decide whether a 'sufficient amount' according to the regulators is enough for you.

bachcole · Answer 6 · 2012-06-18 17:15:51Z UTC

Rob, the big problem with eating raw egg whites is that your friend doesn't know what he is talking about. Your grandma was right and your friend is wrong. Think back 25,000 years ago. Can you imagine Oog telling Gog that eggs white were bad for him? If egg white were bad for people, there wouldn't be any people. Eggs have got to be one of the most frequently eaten items since they don't fight back. Easy nutrition with zero resistance. So we can be sure that whole eggs, even some of the shell, were a major part of the paleo diet. And you have evolved to eat whole, raw eggs.

However, this is bad advice if you are eating high carbs and are otherwise not eating and living paleo.

Domtx008 · Answer 7 · 2012-06-18 19:18:31Z UTC

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So in summary, eating the raw yolks only (and discarding the egg whites) will avoid both the issues of salmonella and anti-nutrients, correct?

answered Jun 18 at 19:18

Domtx008
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KA24 · Answer 8 · 2012-07-18 00:39:50Z UTC

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Raw egg whites are absolutely fine if they are sourced properly. There is zero risk of bacteria from lack of refrigeration in a pastured eggs because they do not require cold. They can stay at room temperature.

answered Jul 18 at 0:39

KA24
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Mark Kroger · Answer 9 · 2013-05-11 11:39:40Z UTC

IN doing a search for enzyme inhibitors, I came across a website listing raw egg whites, peanuts, soybeans and lima beans. I separate the yolk from the white and cook the white but I would guess anyone taking nutrient supplements including enzymes wouldn't have a problem either way.

So whats wrong with eating raw egg white?

9 Answers