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By
Dr. Joseph Mercola
Well folks, it is time for a major update on my recommendations
for eating raw eggs. First, before I review the update, I want to
dispel the common myth that raw eggs are bad for you. Most people
fear them because of the risk for salmonella contamination. If you
are still concerned about this please read my
earlier article on raw eggs.
As part of that article I had stated that one should never consume
raw egg white alone without the yolks, as a component in them called
avidin binds to the B-vitamin biotin,
potentially creating a deficiency in your body. However, my
position shifted when one consumed whole raw eggs, both the yolk
and the white together.
One of my raw food mentors convinced me that there was more than
enough biotin in raw egg yolks to compensate for this problem, and
I revised my previous recommendation
to say that eating whole raw eggs would not pose a problem. This
idea made sense to me as many wild animals consume raw eggs with
no apparent problems.
However, recently a subscriber, Dr. Sharma, PhD, who is a biochemist
with Bayer, contacted me about this issue. His investigation into
the matter revealed that there is not enough biotin in an egg yolk
to bind to all the avidin present in the raw whites. He found that
5.7 grams of biotin are required to neutralize all the avidin found
in the raw whites of an average-sized egg. There are only about
25 micrograms -- or 25 millionths of a gram -- of biotin in an average
egg yolk.
This is obviously not nearly enough to do the job. For this very
reason, controlled diets of only raw egg whites lead to severe biotin
deficiency.
New Egg White Recommendations
So is this the 'end' for the healthy consumption of raw egg whites?
If you naturally tend to be biotin deficient or are pregnant then
the answer is yes. However, raw egg whites (the white 'Yin' to the
yolk's 'Yang') are part of the important combined nutritional balance
of the egg.
The nutritional
breakdown of the egg white is rather impressive. With 9.8 grams
of varied protein, high riboflavin, magnesium and potassium, plus
a whopping 25 percent the daily value of selenium, there are options
to have your white and eat it too! If you decide to eat whole raw
eggs, here are my suggested options:
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My primary new recommendation, and the one I now follow,
is to separate the yolks from the whites so you can cook the
whites and consume the yolks uncooked, or raw. The white
can be cooked and eaten on its own. Although cooking the white
reduces the nutrient quality and perhaps increases allergic
sensitivities to some, the avidin in the egg white breaks down
when cooked to 100 degrees Centigrade, therefore releasing the
biotin back for your absorption and virtually eliminating any
risk of biotin deficiency.
-
Supplement with biotin. Safe and adequate recommendations
for biotin use are about 30 to 300 micrograms per day in adults,
and 10 to 30 micrograms per day for infants and children. Typical
therapeutic doses are anywhere between 100 micrograms and 16
milligrams per day.
Studies have shown daily doses as high as 100 milligrams caused
no adverse effects in otherwise healthy individuals. No studies
to date have been done using intakes anywhere near 5.7 grams,
but for those who are interested Allergy Research Group has
a 5,000-mg biotin capsule, and, depending on your overall egg
consumption, there's also an 8,000-mg capsule by Thorne. You
would theoretically need about 5,000 mg of biotin per egg white
to 'neutralize' the avidin in the average large egg.
You can also get limited amounts
of biotin from your food. Animal livers are by far the richest
sources.
-
Don't eat raw egg whites every day. Allow your biotin
reserves to rebuild and eat only raw yolks or an alternative
breakfast.
-
Eat yolks one day then whites the next. Remember that
the biotin loss occurs in your digestive tract when the two
molecules bond together before it is even absorbed. Eating the
yolk and the white separately will greatly reduce the problem.
-
Keep your intestinal flora healthy. Probiotics
should always be used. The GI track is long and has evolved
different biotin strategies at different locations. A 1989 study
showed quality
biotin absorbed most effectively at the upper bowel. Keeping
this region healthy and functioning optimally with plenty of
good bacteria is a must to speed up the nutrient uptake of high-quality,
small molecules such as biotin versus the 'lumbering' avidin
at the start of digestion.
Additionally, a healthy lower bowel will produce limited biotin
on its own and absorption may even be possible.
Detection and Treatment of a Biotin Deficiency
If you have been consuming whole raw eggs like I have, you may
be concerned that you are now deficient in biotin. You need not
worry too much as it takes months to years of severely deficient
biotin intake to cause any noticeable symptoms, and these symptoms
will clear up quickly if you stop eating raw egg whites and take
a biotin supplement for a few weeks.
Common symptoms of biotin deficiency include:
- Brittle fingernails
- Thinning hair and/or loss of hair color
- A red, scaly rash around the eyes, nose and mouth
Less common symptoms of biotin deficiency include:
- Depression
- Lethargy
- Hallucinations
- Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
A definitive diagnosis of biotin deficiency can be made if the
symptoms in question resolve by supplementing with biotin, or by
measuring and detecting a reduction in urinary excretion of biotin.
The Bottom Line
One of the problems with being on the leading edge of natural medicine
is that occasionally one will veer off course a bit, but with time
the direction always swings back to the truth. Many readers have
appreciated my openness to modifying my views based on new information.
This is in direct contrast to the conventional medical model that
can be quite dogmatic and rigid about considering new data to modify
their current beliefs.
When eating any part of an egg raw, I also recommend that you read
my guidelines on how to
ensure that you are consuming fresh high-quality eggs.
Related Articles:
Raw Eggs for Your Health -- Major
Update
Eggs Not a Likely Source
of Salmonella Contamination
People are Buying More
'Designer' Eggs
Efforts Needed to
Prevent Salmonella Infection from Eggs
Eggs Improve Bad
Cholesterol
Eggs Can Prevent
Breast Cancer
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