More Foods No One Should Eat Raw

Last time we presented a list for some foods that no one should eat raw. While many foods are being eaten raw, doctors recommend against it. The reason is simple, the human stomach is just not used to eating many foods raw after millions of years of frequently cooked meals while some foods just are not suitable for the stomach altogether.

We present to you a few more foods no one should eat raw.

Almonds

Almonds are one of the best sacks as they are packed with proteins along with their healthy fats and dietary fiber. However, as they are nuts they also contain cyanide in trace amounts. It might not be deadly as it may sound but eating four to five of the bitter almonds can induce symptoms like nausea, abdominal cramping, and lightheadedness.

Flour

Whenever you make some cookies there is always bound to be some cookie dough left and it is hard to resist the urge to eat it. However, what you don’t know is that eating raw cookie dough can put a person at risk due to the salmonella from the raw eggs in the cookie dough. In addition to this, it might also contain the E. Coli in the flour.

Back in 2016, an outbreak occurred in which 63 people became infected with E. Coli as it was present in the flour. Flour based food items should only be eaten when they are fully cooked because bacteria tend to die at the temperatures of oven.

Apples

While the proverb “Ana Apple a day keeps the Doctor Away” is right to some extent but the apples can be equally harmful to health especially the raw ones. Chewing on the raw apple seeds might release the Cyanide from the Amygdalin in these seeds. Despite the fatal dose is only achieved after chewing on seeds from nearly 40 apples, researchers say that even a trace amount of cyanide is extremely harmful to human health.

Cashew nuts

Cashew Nuts are another nut-based snack which is extremely healthy for human health. It keeps the cholesterol levels check and also decreases the risk of having a heart attack. Still, it is not a great idea to eat the raw cashews as they contain a substance called Urushiol which is a toxic substance than is usually present in Poison Ivy. Just touching the raw cashew nuts can trigger the skin allergic reaction in a few people.

Tomatoes

There is nothing stopping a person from eating a raw tomato because they are also healthy when eaten raw. However, according to the latest research, it is recommended to eat cooked tomatoes because the oxidative effect of the tomatoes when cooked is higher when compared to the uncooked tomatoes.

In addition to that, tomatoes have been rated as number 10 on the list for vegetables which have the pesticide residue when coming from farms. It is best to wash them before eating them and also avoid eating the stem and leaves of the unripe tomatoes because they are poisonous.

Lima beans

Lima Bens contain a substance named linamarin which releases Cyanide when these beans are eaten raw. The cyanide level only goes down when the lima beans are cooked making them safe to eat.

In countries such as America, the lima beans which are sold in the grocery stores are required to have low levels of cyanide.

Potatoes

Although not many of us tend to eat raw tomatoes, kids might dig into them thinking them of apples.  Eating raw potatoes interfere with one’s digestive system as well as absorption for the nutrients from the food. One antinutrient in potatoes is called Glycoalkaloids which can cause conditions like the following.

• Drowsiness
• Itchiness
• Hypersensitivity
• Digestive disorders

All these effects of the Glycoalkaloids can be reduced if the potatoes are peeled and then cooked.

Chicken

The reason why the top chefs in the world do not like to serve raw chicken dishes is that it is poisonous. Eating chicken in its raw form can cause a person to get seriously ill as it contains salmonella or campylobacter. Both these can cause a person to experience following symptoms upon eating the raw chicken.

• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Abdominal cramps

According to the CDC, chicken is safe to eat when the cooked internal temperature of the chicken is at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mushrooms

A study conducted on mushrooms with lab mice as test subject revealed that these mushrooms have a substance called agaritine. This substance causes a cancerous effect on these mice’s bladders. The risk for a human to contract such effects is extremely low but still, there is a chance of having 2 cases out for 10000 people. In order to avoid getting those cancerous effects, it is better to cook the mushrooms instead of eating them raw. Mushrooms also have mercury content in them which can only be lowered down by cooking them.

Red kidney beans

Kidney beans have a toxin named Phytohemagglutinin which is also called Lectin of Kidney beans. This toxic substance can cause the following issues when these beans are eaten raw.

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Gastric disorders

According to researchers, kidney beans are only safe to eat if they are soaked for 5 hours or have been boiled for at least 10 minutes.

Rhubarb leaves

Well, you can actually eat the rhubarb in its raw form if you steer clear of its leaves. While the stalk of the rhubarb is safe and even have medicinal effects for the human body, the leaves of this plant are poisonous. They should not be eaten cooked much less raw. These leaves contain the Oxalic Acid which causes the following symptoms upon eating them.

• Diarrhea
• Red urine
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Honey

According to researchers, the raw honey contains microscopic spores of the bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. This bacterium is usually harmful to infants. Eating raw honey might infect the children under the age of 1 with these bacteria which results in Botulism Poisoning. The effects of botulism poisoning are as follows.

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Even paralysis

Related Content

Foods That Cause Puffy Eyes and Ones That Fix Them

Everyday Do’s and Don’ts for preventing Bad Breath

Foods No One Should Eat Raw