Is it safe to drink egg yolk?

Question

I've seen people drink egg yolks straight from the shell. What are the health effects of this practice?

Answer 1

From a nutrition standpoint, I doubt there's much difference between raw and cooked. although the benefit of some vitamins may be reduced or altered by exposure to heat
From a sanitation standpoint, it isn't wise due to the possibility of bacterial or viral infection or poisoning.
In the past, a raw egg slipped into a glass of dark beer and drunk quickly down has been used as both a health tonic for pregnant women and a strength-boosting tonic for men in physical competitions. But this was mostly in the days when real chickens laid natural eggs, ran around in the sunshine, and had natural diets. Today's biological egg producing machines can barely qualify as chickens, with their genetic engineering, chemical/steriod diets, massive doses of antibiotics, and unhealthy overcrowding, never seeing real daylight, much less scratch the earth for natural food.

Answer 2

You could. Salmonella is not (usually) found in the egg yolk/whites. It would generally be found on the outer shell. However, any reputable egg supplier (in the USA) should be washing/treating to whole eggs to kill any Salmonella. You could also do this at home if you are concerned.

There have been no reported occurences of the avian flu at monitored poultry farms. Again, reputable farms/suppliers have safeguards and testing in place.

Answer 3

There are many issues when it comes to raw eggs. Generally any protein based food that is not cooked to 141 degree F is not safe to eat. A raw egg does not therefore fit that description. In addition, because the egg is raw, any sort of bacteria and disease is not cooked out, for example salmonella. All in all, to be safe, don't do it.

Answer 4

That's pretty old school. Eggs are a good source of protein, but there is an a$$ load of cholesterol in egg yolks.

Answer 5

I do not know of any negative health effects but drinking it raw say said to preserve the nuitrients of the egg to the best. I've done so in the past.

However, with the recent concern of avian flu, I've stopped doing so and stuck to cooked eggs.

Answer 6

I suggest if you are really interested in the health benefits to look it up and do some research. It is quite healthy to eat raw egg. Knowledge is power.

Here are some sites that I know of that talk about raw egg.

Answer 7

I have heard that you can boil an egg in the shell for 30 seconds to destroy bacteria and then it's safe used raw. I haven't done this for the simple reason I'm not sure.

Answer 8

I haven't added raw eggs to fix dessert (like tiramisu / mousse / cheese cake) even since bird flu was a hit topic on news!

I do not suggest anyone to eat eggs raw.

Answer 9

salmonellosis from eggs is not a commonplace occurance in the usa nowadays. how many ppl do you know get sick from runny eggs?

Answer 10

it has tons of protein. meat-heads are usually the ones that practice this technique. beware of salmonella!!!