6 common foods you shouldn’t eat raw

Eating veggies, almonds, apples , beans and meaty cold cuts raw? Then you need to stop and read this, now.

There are certain common foods that we often eat raw on a day-to-day basis such as beans, cold cuts, root vegetables, etc.

But you will be shocked to know that eating these common foods raw may have adverse long term effects on your digestion and overall health.

Here’s a list of common foods that should never be eaten without cooking and why?

1. Hot dogs
Who doesn’t love gorging on delicious sausages or hot dogs for breakfast or as a binge-worthy snack, but research shows that eating meaty cold cuts raw may have serious effects on digestion as well as gut health. As per the FDA, eating raw and packaged hot dogs may develop Listeria, a bacteria, which can be killed by grilling or heating the meaty sausages or cold cuts.

2. Potatoes
Delicious, crunchy and versatile, potatoes do not need an introduction as they are an inseparable part of our day-to-day cooking. The best thing about this root vegetable is that it can be eaten in any form, except raw!

This is because potatoes are rich in starch that are difficult to digest and resistant to the process of breaking down of food molecules, which causes bloating and increases insulin sensitivity in the body. Apart from that, potatoes that turn greenish in colour have a toxin called solanine, which may cause food poisoning.

3. Apple
Apple is the easiest and delicious on the go fruit. In fact, it is mostly eaten raw but have you ever gulped down apple seeds by mistake. Well, the seeds contain chemicals that often turn into cyanide, a harmful chemical during the process of digestion. So, make sure you remove the seeds before eating.

4. Kidney bean
This delicious bean is loaded with fiber, protein and antioxidants, which makes it good for health and Indians swear by this bean. But eating this bean raw may trigger discomfort due to the presence of a toxin

phytohemagglutinin, which may lead to bloating, discomfort and food poisoning. Thus it is best to soak it overnight, wash, rinse and cook properly.

5. Yuca
Yuca is a classic South American root vegetable, which is naturally rich in vitamins and minerals, but this root veggie also contains chemicals that may turn into cyanide if consumed raw. Thus, it is advised that before eating this vegetable should be washed, peeled and rinsed and cooked properly to ensure that there is no presence of harmful chemicals.

6. Bitter almonds
Eating bitter almonds have a mix of chemicals that are hazardous for health. These two chemicals like hydrogen cyanide and water known as hydrocyanic acid together can turn fatal. Even a handful of bitter almonds can be scary for health.