Eating raw food is indeed a dietary method favored by many in modern society, seeking that fresh and tender sensation. Many common foods are eaten raw, but what people don't realize is that long-term consumption of raw food can weaken the immune system, and it's no exaggeration to say it could cost you your life. Below, the editor brings you this article on foods you must absolutely not eat raw, hoping it can be of help to you.
In daily diet, some foods can be eaten both raw and cooked, such as cucumbers and tomatoes. However, some foods must be cooked before consumption, as eating them raw might cause illness and requires caution. So, which foods should not be eaten raw? Let's take a look at the introduction below with the editor from Tian Tian Yang Sheng.
Which foods should not be eaten raw? Several common foods:
1. Honey
When bees make honey, they often collect some toxic pollen. After this toxic pollen is brewed into honey, people who consume raw honey can easily get poisoned. Additionally, honey is easily contaminated by bacteria during the harvesting, transportation, and storage process. Therefore, raw honey should not be consumed.
2. Soy Milk
Soy milk is delicious and its nutritional value is no lower than milk's. However, drinking unboiled soy milk can cause systemic poisoning. This is because raw soy milk contains some harmful components—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; saponin irritates the digestive tract, causing vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea, which in turn destroys red blood cells, produces toxins, and leads to systemic poisoning.
3. Milk
Some people believe that freshly milked, unprocessed milk is fresher and has a higher nutritional value due to its concentration. In fact, even the finest breeds of cows can sometimes suffer from zoonotic diseases. Drinking milk that has just been milked without any sterilization treatment can easily lead to illness or plant the seeds of future health problems.
Relevant regulations stipulate that raw milk is not allowed for sale. Milk sold on the market must undergo "pasteurization" or high-temperature instant heating. Pasteurization involves holding milk at 62°C~63°C for 30 minutes, or heating it to 72°C~73°C for 20 seconds; high-temperature instant heating involves sterilizing it at 125°C to 130°C for 3 seconds.
4. White Sugar
White sugar often has mites living in it, and eating raw sugar can easily lead to acariasis. Mites are tiny, hairy insects invisible to the naked eye and reproduce quickly in sugar. If mites enter the gastrointestinal tract, they can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, and form ulcers. If they enter the lungs, they can cause hemoptysis and asthma. If they enter the urinary tract, they can cause urinary tract inflammation. Therefore, white sugar should not be eaten raw and should be heated before consumption (heating to about 70°C and keeping it for 3 minutes is usually sufficient).
5. Fresh Daylilies
Because fresh daylilies contain colchicine, which is not toxic in itself, it is converted into colchicine dioxide in the human body, triggering poisoning symptoms. Consuming 3-20 milligrams can be fatal.
6. Beans
Beans include lentils, kidney beans, string beans, sword beans, and green beans. Eating beans can easily cause poisoning because they contain a toxic protein called "lectin," which is most abundant in mature or older beans. Beans should be boiled or heated over high heat for more than 10 minutes to remove this "lectin." When stir-frying beans or using them as a filling, ensure they are fully cooked. Even for cold bean salad, they should be boiled for 10 minutes.
7. Freshwater Fish and Shellfish
The danger of eating raw freshwater fish and shellfish is greatest with liver flukes. When people eat freshwater fish or shrimp containing live metacercariae of the liver fluke (such as raw fish slices, raw fish porridge, raw shrimp, or undercooked fish), they can become infected with liver flukes. In the early stages of infection, patients show no obvious symptoms, which gradually appear after several years, including poor appetite, nausea, a feeling of fullness and discomfort in the upper abdomen, dull pain in the liver area, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, and fatigue.
8. Beef
In Western cuisine, many people enjoy eating raw veal or ordering it medium-rare. Raw beef has not been disinfected, and bacteria can easily grow and multiply in the raw meat and blood. Furthermore, some raw beef contains tapeworms, and eating such meat can seriously harm human health. It is understood that the toxoplasmosis infection rate in some Western countries can be as high as 70% to 80%. Moreover, finely minced beef used for making hamburgers most easily hides sand (a likely mistranslation for pathogens like E. coli).
9. Raw Fish Slices
Eating raw fish slices! With the introduction of Japanese and Korean dietary habits, eating raw fish slices has become a popular activity for many. Those who enjoy it will eat it with great relish, while those who don't will avoid it, as such food is truly difficult to swallow.