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Why eating raw egg whites even from high-quality eggs is not a good idea despite the fact that consuming fresh, free-range yolks is a safe and healthy practice.
A common question from people who enjoy the superior nutrition of eggs on a regular basis is whether raw egg whites are safe to eat.
I posted a smoothie recipe that garnered several comments about this, so I thought I’d take a few words to answer.
Of course, I’m not talking about Egg Beaters or liquid egg whites from the store. Rather, this article is about whether the egg white from a real egg is healthy or even safe to consume without cooking.
It’s not really a matter of what is safe versus not safe … the entire egg is “safe” to eat raw if you obtain quality eggs. It is best to avoid eating commercial eggs raw due to the unsanitary conditions and crowded production methods that confined chickens are subjected to which increases salmonella risk.
The real question is whether egg whites are healthy to consume raw.
The egg yolk is a wonderful way to get healthy, unprocessed fats into the diet. Yolks from duck and goose eggs included! Loaded with enzymes along with brain-boosting and nervous system calming omega-3 fatty acids when chickens run free to peck for insects and grubs, raw egg yolks are healthy to use in smoothies, eggnog, ice cream, and other uncooked foods.
They, of course, are also healthy cooked. My favorite recipes using lots of them at once are creme brulee or traditional Welsh Rarebit.
And no, cooking egg yolks does not oxidize the cholesterol. Only the extreme heat/pressure conditions of factory processing that creates powdered eggs can do that.
What to do, then, with all the leftover egg whites if you are making a dish that requires only yolks? Can or should you use them raw?
Anti-Nutrients in Raw Egg Whites
Most people do not realize that raw egg white contains avidin and trypsin inhibitors. Duck egg whites also contain this anti-nutrient.
Avidin blocks the digestion of biotin, one of the B vitamins. The trypsin inhibitors make digestion of the protein in the egg white more difficult.
Both of these anti-nutrients are neutralized by cooking. As a result, it is best to reserve the egg whites for cooked dishes. This same rule also applies for the pinkish or reddish egg whites that backyard chicken keepers sometimes get.
Even though raw egg whites contain anti-nutrients, the amount doesn’t compare with aquafaba. This popular vegan egg substitute made from cooked chickpea water contains dangerous substances such as saponins, which contribute to the development of leaky gut according to scientific research. What’s more, the anti-nutrients won’t go away with cooking, so avoid it!
What About Whites from Fertilized Eggs?
There is information going around that raw egg whites are safe to eat if they are from fertilized eggs.
Unfortunately, this simply is not the case!
According to Sally Fallon Morell, President of the Weston A. Price Foundation, raw whites are still very hard to digest even if the egg is fertilized.
The bottom line is that no matter whether you use organic store eggs, unwashed/fertilized eggs from the farmer’s market, or those from your own hens, you should always cook the whites before eating them.
Ways to Use and Store Uncooked Egg Whites
So, if you are adding a lot of raw yolks to your smoothies, what to do with all those leftover whites?
My favorite way to use up lots of uncooked egg whites in a hurry is to make nutrient-dense, soaked waffles or delicious high protein cookies.
If you can’t use them right away, they store well in a glass container in the refrigerator for several days until you are ready to use them up.
One other salient point. The egg yolk actually contains about 43% of the protein in the egg. (source)
So don’t worry that leaving out the egg whites from your smoothies will leave it devoid of this macronutrient.
More Information
I’m on gaps and eatting lots of raw egg yolks. Thanks for the egg white ideas 🙂
I wonder if the effects of avidin and trypsin inhibitors are purely theoretical or have they been proven empirically?
I myself have been consuming on average 4 whole raw eggs per day for the past 5 years and have suffered no ill effects that I am aware of. Whole raw eggs are one of the cornerstones of The Primal Diet espoused by Aajonus Vonderplanitz Phd and have been used by a great many people who follow his program to create vibrant health. The eggs themselves are rich in biotin and the undenatured proteins seem to digest very easily. So that is why I must wonder about advice about not eating raw egg whites and whether it has been proven in humans or is just theoretical.
This from Cholesterol and Health site (written by Chris Masterjohn)
Consuming 100 grams of raw egg white with one egg yolk compared to consuming the same food cooked was shown in one study to reduce protein digestion from 90 percent down to 50 percent.
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/10/1716.short (Journal of Nutrition).
It seems you would be absorbing that protein a whole lot better if you cooked the whites.
I would also add that folks consume improperly prepared gluten grains for years without seeming ill effect either and then out of the blue develop chronic IBS, colitis and other gastrointestinal problems.
I tend to agree. When I was a kid, we were told not to eat the yolks. Now we’re told not to eat the whites. When animals eat eggs, do they just eat the yolks? Of course not.
Aajonus Vonderplanitz was a genius and I trust his empirical data over any other. Even times where I thought he was wrong, he’s always been right. And he ate an egg before every meal for 30+ years.
This article is interesting and gives me doubt about eating eggs at every meal, but it’s really hard to trust the science over empirical evidence.
That’s interesting, I always just put the whole egg in my smoothie, and didn’t think much about it. Now I’ll just save the whites to add to everyone else’s omlettes.
At Nourished Kitchen, they use them (along with refined table salt, I’m guessing) for skin care. I’m fond of chocolate & coconut macaroons, myself 🙂
Oh, save those whites!!!! They make such FABULOUS cookies!
Thank you for “hearing” your readers and guiding us! It is much appreciated..
I was going to put up a blog about a completely different topic today, but hey – you have to go with where the conversation is headed I think! 🙂
Thanks! Two questions: Can egg whites be frozen for later use? Can farm-fresh eggs be kept at room temperature? If so, how long? Oh, one more thing (question from your “high-protein cookie” recipe). What is the difference between Grade B maple syrup and Grade A? My grocery store (we live in a small town) only sells (organic) Grade A.
BTW, you have single-handedly changed the way my family eats!
Hi Nelly, yes you can freeze egg whites. They last up to a week in the fridge though so just make a big batch of protein cookies with your kids for a very healthy low carb snack during the week instead as you do lose a bit of nutrition by freezing and thawing.
Farm fresh eggs can be kept on the counter for several weeks. I tend to do it only for a week or so where I live though especially in the hot humid summer in FL where our home does get rather warm during the day (78F .. we keep our thermostat pretty high).
Grade B maple syrup is darker and more nutritious with more minerals than Grade A.
I’ve also read it has less sugar than A.
I also always feel bad pouring out the whites.
So pour them into a bowl, use the egg yolks in a smoothie, and make an omelette with the free run eggs, and some organic greens. You’ll get plenty of protein (and other good stuff), and you won’t feel bad about pouring them out 🙂
Thanks so much for the ideas on how to use the extra egg whites! I haven’t used the yolks in smoothies because I couldn’t bring myself to throw away the whites. 🙂
Are Raw Egg Whites Healthy? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/vv3p8pa