This is an archive article published on September 19, 2019

Here are some foods that you should never eat raw

There are some foods that one must never consume raw. From milk to sprouts and potatoes, here's a list that you should best avoid.

potatoes, raw potatoes, raw food, uncooked food, foods to avoid, indian express, indian express news Raw potatoes don’t even taste good, and at the very least, they could cause bloating and indigestion. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)

The raw food diet is all the fad, with some celebrities endorsing it as well. But you know better than to consume certain foods uncooked. They do not sit well with the natural process of things and the human body can do without this experimentation.

And so, here are some foods that one must never, ever eat raw.

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Potatoes

Let’s just avoid potatoes altogether. While in cooked form they go with every dish possible (and taste great as well), raw potatoes contain a toxic compound called solanine, which could make you very sick. Most potatoes do not have enough solanine to kill you, but green potatoes which are starting to sprout, could cause symptoms including headache, stomach ache and paralysis. Raw potatoes don’t even taste good, and at the very least, they could cause bloating and indigestion.

Kidney beans

If not cooked properly, raw kidney beans can harm your health. They contain lectins, which if consumed in high doses, can cause gastrointestinal issues, nausea and vomiting. You must soak the beans in water for at least five hours and then boil, to avoid these issues.

Hot dogs

Any kind of meat, if consumed raw, can cause health issues, and hot dogs are no different. The misconception is that since they are pre-cooked, they can be consumed as is, but doing so can lead to bacteria contamination. It is advisable to heat them before consumption.

Sprouts

But they are so healthy! Yes, they are, but raw sprouts can host a family of potentially-harming bacteria. As such, they should be avoided by people low on immunity, pregnant women, children, elderly people, etc.

Milk

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milk, raw milk, health risk, raw food, indian express, indian express news Raw milk can contain a host of bacteria that can make you very sick. (Source: Getty/Thinkstock)

No one ‘cooks’ milk, yes. But milk that is consumed straight from the animal without being pasteurised, can contain harmful bacteria like E coli and Salmonella. Also, according to the USFDA, raw milk is 150 times more likely to cause food-borne illnesses than any other dairy product.

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Eggplants

Like potatoes, eggplants, too, contain solanine that could make you sick, so approach with caution. The eggplants that are harvested early in their lives contain this toxin in abundance. Moreover, some people display allergic reactions to eggplants anyway, cooked or uncooked.

Seeds of apple

One or two seeds won’t kill you, but if consumed regularly and in copious amounts, it could prove deadly. The seeds contain a chemical that can turn into organic cyanide.

Others

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You can avoid consuming the following foods raw: eggs, wild mushrooms, olives, flour, pork, bitter almonds, etc.


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