1. Avoid drinking raw soy milk
Soy milk is delicious and nutritious, with nutritional value no lower than that of milk. However, drinking unboiled soy milk can cause systemic poisoning.
2. Bitter almonds, bamboo shoots and their products, cassava and cassava products, and other edible plants contain cyanogenic glycosides and should not be eaten raw.
The Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety found in tests on common edible plants that cyanide levels in bitter almonds (North apricot kernels), bamboo shoots, cassava, and flaxseed samples ranged from 9.3 to 330 milligrams per kilogram. Cyanogenic glycosides themselves are non-toxic, but when the plant cell structure is damaged, the beta-glucosidase in cyanogenic glycoside-containing plants can hydrolyze the glycosides to produce toxic hydrocyanic acid (cyanide). Hydrocyanic acid can cause acute poisoning in humans, and in severe cases, it can lead to death. Therefore, such foods must strictly not be eaten raw.
3. Many legume vegetables contain lectins and should not be eaten raw.
Many legume vegetables contain a protein called phytohaemagglutinin, or lectin for short, which can cause red blood cells to clump. Eating raw legumes containing lectin can cause symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, and in severe cases, it can be fatal. However, lectins can be destroyed by heat treatment, so kidney beans, lentils, and cowpeas should not be eaten raw. Peas, however, do not contain this red blood cell agglutinin and can be eaten raw. When in doubt, avoid eating raw legumes.
Legume vegetables suitable for raw consumption include peas and their variants, snow peas and sugar snap peas.
4. Be moderate when eating raw seafood
Eating raw seafood may lead to vitamin B1 deficiency, so moderation is key. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is a B-complex vitamin. Although the body requires only small amounts, a deficiency can easily lead to beriberi. Some post-mortem fish and crustaceans contain an enzyme that breaks down vitamin B1—thiaminase (also called vitamin B1 hydrolase). In the past, Asian nobles' fondness for eating raw fish and caviar often led to vitamin B1 deficiency, and in severe cases, caused outbreaks of beriberi.
5. Avoid eating raw eggs
The avidin in egg white 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.
6. Avoid eating fresh daylilies raw