People's diets are truly diverse these days, with raw food being one of the most trendy. Although raw food has many benefits, not everything can be eaten raw, as the dangers of doing so are significant. Below, the editor has compiled a list of 12 foods that should not be eaten raw, along with advice on how to eat raw food healthily. Hurry and read on to learn more.
Raw food is appearing more and more in our lives: lettuce salads, white-cut chicken, steak, sashimi... As "foreign foods" continue to be imported, new dietary trends are冲击ing (impacting) the once traditional Chinese cooking habits, and more and more people are willing to follow the trend and experience the charm of raw food. However, the old saying, "disease enters through the mouth," is no joke. While raw food may contain more nutrients than cooked food, the risk of illness is greatly increased.
1. Fish
The Japanese崇尚 (advocate for) eating raw food, believing that sashimi has a better texture and allows one to experience the freshness and tenderness of the fish. However, netizens should note that as marine pollution deepens, the level of contamination in seafood far exceeds our imagination, and it is also easily infected with parasites. While eating raw seafood offers a unique flavor, it can also lead to parasitic diseases. Clinically, parasitic diseases often manifest as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. Furthermore, parasites can damage the body's ability to absorb nutrients and加重 (increase) the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Eggs
The anti-nutritional protein in egg whites binds to biotin in the intestines, hindering the body's absorption of biotin. Raw eggs also often contain Salmonella, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
3. Crab, Lobster
Raw crabs carry metacercariae of lung flukes and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, while lobsters are intermediate hosts for lung flukes. After eating raw crabs and lobsters, lung flukes enter the human body, causing lung damage. In severe cases, it can lead to intestinal inflammation or intestinal edema and congestion. According to statistics, among outpatients who ate raw crabs and lobsters, over 4,000 cases of lung damage, over 3,000 cases of intestinal inflammation, and over 2,000 cases of intestinal edema and congestion were reported.
4. Water Chestnuts
Often eating raw water chestnuts can allow the Fasciolopsis buski to enter the human body and attach to the intestinal mucosa, causing intestinal ulcers, diarrhea, or facial swelling. According to a report from a hospital last March, among outpatients, over 400 people had intestinal ulcers due to raw water chestnuts, 158 had diarrhea, and 15 had facial swelling.
5. Fresh Daylilies
Fresh daylilies contain colchicine, which is converted into colchicine oxide in the human body, an extremely toxic substance. Consuming 3-20 milligrams can be fatal.
6. Fresh Wood Ear Mushrooms
Fresh wood ear mushrooms contain porphyrin-like photosensitive substances. Eating them raw can cause solar dermatitis. In severe cases, symptoms include skin itching, edema, and pain.
7. Honey
When bees make honey, they often collect poisonous pollen. When this poisonous pollen is brewed into honey, consuming raw honey can easily lead to poisoning. Additionally, honey can easily be contaminated by bacteria during harvesting, transportation, and storage. Therefore, raw honey should not be consumed.
8. Soy Milk
Soy milk is delicious and its nutritional value is no lower than that of cow's milk. However, drinking unboiled soy milk can cause systemic poisoning. This is because raw soy milk contains some harmful components, such as trypsin inhibitors, phenolic compounds, and saponins. Trypsin inhibitors affect the digestion and absorption of protein; phenolic compounds can give soy milk a bitter and fishy taste; saponins irritate the digestive tract, causing vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea, which in turn destroys red blood cells, produces toxins, and leads to systemic poisoning.
9. Green Beans
Green beans include lima beans, kidney beans, string beans, sword beans, and French beans. Eating green beans can easily cause poisoning because they contain a toxic protein called "lectin," which is most abundant in mature or older beans. Green beans should be boiled or heated over high heat for at least 10 minutes to remove this "lectin." When stir-frying green beans or using them as a filling, they must be thoroughly cooked. Even for cold green bean salads, they should be boiled for 10 minutes.
10. White-Cut Chicken and Steak
White-cut chicken is loved by many, and with the nationwide expansion of steak chains like Haokelai and Haoxianglai, steak has also gradually become a daily dining option. However, leaving some pink in the chicken and eating steak medium-rare has become a habit for most food lovers. Although they believe this method tastes better, the possibility of parasites and pathogenic bacteria in undercooked food is very high. These health hazards can easily and silently enter your body while you are enjoying your meal, posing a risk to your health.
11. Peanuts
Peanuts contain a lot of fat, which the body digests and absorbs slowly. Eating a large quantity of raw peanuts can cause indigestion. Additionally, as peanuts grow in the soil, they are often contaminated with parasite eggs, and eating them raw can easily lead to parasitic diseases. Therefore, peanuts should not be eaten raw; it is best to cook them before consumption.
12. Carrots
Vitamin A in carrots is a fat-soluble substance that is heat-resistant. It is difficult for the human body to absorb it when eaten raw, so it cannot perform its nutritional function. Therefore, when eating carrots, lightly stir-frying them with oil or stewing them with meat allows them to be better absorbed by the body.
Processed or cooked natural foods can contain components that hinder or inhibit the absorption of nutrients. These substances are not inherently toxic to the body, but they can cause an障碍 (obstacle) in the absorption of certain nutrients, leading to nutritional deficiencies in the body. Therefore, when choosing food, one must not only consider its nutritional value but also the method of consumption. Foods that can be eaten raw should be eaten raw, while those that cannot must be properly cooked to maximize benefits and avoid harm.