Allison Turner
There are many foods that can be eaten raw. However, there are also foods that cause poisoning if they are not boiled, roasted or baked. You should never eat these nine foods raw!
Mushrooms
Mushrooms can be delicious, in salads for example. However, mushrooms are foods that – with the exception of cultivated mushrooms – should not be eaten raw. According to the online portal “madame.de”, other types of mushrooms can transmit fox tapeworms.
Potatoes and eggplant
Both potatoes and aubergines are nightshade plants and contain the toxin solanine. The amount of solanine is reduced by cooking, making the potatoes and eggplant edible. Consuming the two nightshade plants raw can lead to stomach problems and kidney inflammation.
Black elderberries
“Elderberries have to be heated to over 80 degrees for a short time,” writes the Bavarian consumer advice center. This is the only way that sambunigrin and other indigestible substances can be rendered harmless from black elderberries. Anyone who eats elderberries raw is at risk of vomiting, diarrhea and chills due to the toxin. In small amounts, elderberries are suitable as a laxative. So they are by no means there to be eaten raw. The berries do better in jam, for which they have been boiled long enough. Incidentally, elderberries can also be used in great healthy recipes.
Green beans
Green beans have toxic protein compounds, explains the consumer center in Bavaria. These have the name Phasin. Phasin causes red blood cells to stick together in the body. Those who eat uncooked beans can suffer from symptoms such as nausea, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea. The poisoning can even lead to death if one consumes a large amount of raw green beans. Therefore: Always boil green beans in boiling water for at least ten minutes. This destroys the toxic protein. The water used should then be disposed of immediately.
Raw eggs
Eggs help build muscle. They contain plenty of protein and hardly any carbohydrates. But the egg is packed with vitamins and minerals – both cooked and uncooked. But should you eat eggs raw? Better not, writes “Men’s Health”. They can contain salmonella in their raw state and should not be eaten as they are. Incidentally, products that contain eggs, such as mayonnaise, are also contaminated. However, if you boil or fry eggs really well, they are very healthy! Here’s what happens to a body when you eat eggs.
Raw dough or flour
Who doesn’t? Snacking on raw dough at Christmas time. It tastes good, but it’s not particularly healthy. This can result in diarrhea and abdominal cramps. If the dough contains eggs, there is a risk of salmonella. Stomach pain can also occur with yeast dough. Yeast continues to ferment in the gastrointestinal tract, says Roger Vogelmann, an expert on infections of the gastrointestinal tract at the University Medical Center Mannheim, to “Spiegel Online”. By the way, there can also be germs in the flour. So keep your hands off the raw dough – it tastes much better baked anyway.
Raw meat
Many like their steak medium or English. In principle, this is not a problem – with beef. It only gets difficult with chicken meat. You should also be careful with pork, minced meat and untreated fish. Raw meat and untreated fish can be contaminated with germs. The risk of salmonella is high, writes “alternative-gesund-leben.de”. Food infections can occur due to the Campylobacter germs found in raw meat. Symptoms can include fever, nausea and diarrhea. Therefore, sufficient cooking is very important.
Rhubarb
When raw, rhubarb contains oxalic acid. “In large quantities, oxalic acid can trigger symptoms of poisoning,” says Antje Gahl, nutritionist at the German Society for Nutrition, to the “Apotheken Umschau”. Oxalic acid attacks the teeth and leaves an unpleasantly dull feeling. It can also lead to gastrointestinal problems. When rhubarb is cooked, oxalic acid decreases, making it harmless to us. By the way, if you prepare rhubarb properly, you can use it to make really delicious rhubarb cakes.
Spinach and chard
Like rhubarb, spinach and chard also contain large amounts of oxalic acid. However, unlike rhubarb, spinach retains its acidity both raw and cooked. If the spinach is eaten raw, the “madame.de” portal recommends using the young, fine leaves of the vegetable. There is less oxalic acid in these. If the spinach is cooked and then left to cool, it should not be reheated. The nitrate present in spinach is converted into nitrite by bacteria. The spinach should therefore be eaten quickly. The same goes for Swiss chard.
