Recent social media trends have shown influencers consuming raw eggs, particularly after workouts. That has been popular at times over the years, and was featured in the original Rocky movie. It has returned and become a phenomenon to include raw eggs in protein shakes or smoothies. However, given the potential consequences of eating raw eggs, it is important to think twice about this issue. Is it good for you to eat raw eggs, and can it really help build muscle mass?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is not safe to consume raw eggs under any circumstance (1). Most eggs are pasteurized, meaning they are heated in a warm water bath to kill bacteria that could make you sick. However, even pasteurized eggs can still contain Salmonella, which can lead to diarrhea, cramps, or more serious illness. In a 2019 report by the European Food Safety Authority, eggs and egg products comprise 5.3% of all foodborne Salmonella outbreaks and are the foods most commonly associated with Salmonella (2). Therefore, physicians recommend eating eggs that are both pasteurized AND cooked.

Another reason physicians recommend not consuming raw eggs is that you can receive the same benefits from eating a cooked egg. One study compared muscle growth in 45 young men randomly assigned to consume 5 raw eggs or 5 hard boiled eggs after exercise (3). Between the two groups, researchers found no significant difference in muscle protein synthesis rates between young men who ate raw versus hard boiled eggs, suggesting that eating raw eggs did not offer an advantage for building muscle.

In this vein, another study showed that raw egg is more poorly absorbed during digestion than cooked egg, and cooking eggs can facilitate more complete digestion (4). However, this study investigated digestion of 5 participants, so more research is needed to conclude how raw versus cooked eggs are digested. Nevertheless, cooking is known to increase digestion of many foods.

Given this research, you don’t need to follow influencers by consuming raw eggs or put them in protein shakes to build muscle mass. A hard- boiled egg will do the trick! Remember to always Think Twice!

Sources

Cleveland Clinic. “Is Eating Raw Eggs Bad?” April 6, 2022. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-you-eat-raw-eggs

Oh, Hyemin et al. “Quantitative risk assessment of foodborne Salmonella illness by estimating cooking effect on eggs from retail markets.” Journal of animal science and technology vol. 65,5 (2023): 1024-1039. doi:10.5187/jast.2023.e18

Fuchs, Cas J et al. “Raw Eggs To Support Postexercise Recovery in Healthy Young Men: Did Rocky Get It Right or Wrong?.” The Journal of nutrition vol. 152,11 (2022): 2376-2386. doi:10.1093/jn/nxac174

Evenepoel P, Geypens B, Luypaerts A, Hiele M, Ghoos Y, Rutgeerts P. Digestibility of cooked and raw egg protein in humans as assessed by stable isotope techniques. J Nutr. 1998 Oct;128(10):1716-22. doi: 10.1093/jn/128.10.1716. PMID: 9772141.

Over Thanksgiving, we might indulge in cranberry sauce or cranberry juice as part of our holiday traditions. While some love cranberry products and others do not, are there benefits to consuming cranberries? Specifically, can cranberry juice prevent urinary tract infections?

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are bacterial infections that occur when bacteria enter the urethra (part of the urinary tract) from the skin or rectum (1). UTIs are often treated by a short course of antibiotics and will clear up within a few days of treatment (2). It is often stated that drinking cranberry juice can help prevent or clear up UTIs. Let’s think twice.

A 1998 systematic review found no randomized controlled trials of cranberry juice as treatment for UTIs (3), and we couldn’t find any done since. Cranberry juice is not a treatment for UTI.

In terms of prophylaxis, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found a 54% lower rate of UTIs with cranberry juice consumption and a 49% lower rate with other liquids (4). Greater liquid intake is associated with fewer UTIs, but it’s not clear that cranberry juice is more effective than other liquids for prophylaxis.

One limitation of studies of the relationship between UTIs and cranberry is the use of a variety of cranberry products, for example, juice or capsules (5). Though you are likely not preventing a UTI, you can indulge in cranberry foods this season for the sake of holiday tradition.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Urinary Tract Infection Basics.” Jan. 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/uti/about/index.html

2. May Clinic. “Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).” Sep. 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353453

3. Jepson, R G et al. “Cranberries for treating urinary tract infections.” The Cochrane database of systematic reviews vol. 1998,2 (2000): CD001322. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001322

4. Moro, Christian et al. “Cranberry Juice, Cranberry Tablets, or Liquid Therapies for Urinary Tract Infection: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.” European Urology Focus, S2405-4569(24)00122-6. 18 Jul. 2024, doi:10.1016/j.euf.2024.07.002

5. R. Raz, B. Chazan, M. Dan, Cranberry Juice and Urinary Tract Infection, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 38, Issue 10, 15 May 2004, Pages 1413–1419, https://doi.org/10.1086/386328?

Plant-based milk alternatives, like almond, soy, and oat, have taken grocery stores by storm in recent years. With some people removing cow’s milk entirely from their diets, the question arises, does plant-based milk offer the same nutritional benefits as cow’s milk? Let’s think twice.

The nutritional value of plant-based (PB) milk alternatives is variable compared to cow’s milk, particularly in terms of protein. Research indicates that PB milk alternatives generally have lower protein content than cow’s milk. A 2022 systematic review of PB milk alternatives (1) found that only 7.7% of PB milks met USDA standards for protein. Furthermore, a 2021 study (2) reported that almond and soy milk provide less than half the protein content of cow’s milk.

Despite differences in protein content, PB milk alternatives can provide other nutrients, such as calcium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin D, and B12, in sufficient amounts. For example, the same 2021 study reported that almond milk contained the highest calcium content compared to oat, soy, goat’s, and cow’s milk (2). Fortification of PB milks with nutrients can help them meet the necessary standards (1). In a 2021 study by Johnson et al. (3,4), analysis of 233 PB milks revealed that half were fortified with vitamin D and 2/3 with calcium.

Additionally, some PB milk alternatives, especially almond milk, are desirable for their lower calories (5). For example, according to Baylor College of Medicine (6), almond milk is a lower-calorie option than cow’s milk due to its low protein and carbohydrate content, and it can provide small amounts of unsaturated fats.

Though fortification and other strategies can increase the nutrient content of PB milks, some research refutes their nutritional value. The same study by Johnson et al. found that only 12% of milk alternatives contained comparable or greater amounts of calcium, vitamin D, and protein when compared to cow’s milk (3). This result demonstrates a need for further research investigating nutritional outcomes of PB milks and the roles that the various key nutrients play.

While there is a long way to go before we fully understand the differences between milk products, it remains important to read milk labels and educate ourselves on the milks that are best for us.

References

Drewnowski A. (2022). Most Plant-Based Milk Alternatives in the USDA Branded Food Products Database Do Not Meet Proposed Nutrient Standards or Score Well on Nutrient Density Metrics. Nutrients, 14(22), 4767. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14224767

Collard, K. M., & McCormick, D. P. (2021). A Nutritional Comparison of Cow’s Milk and Alternative Milk Products. Academic pediatrics, 21(6), 1067–1069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2020.12.007

American Society for Nutrition (2023, July 4). Nutritional content of most milk alternatives doesn’t measure up to cow’s milk. https://nutrition.org/nutritional-content-of-most-milk-alternatives-doesnt-measure-up-to-cows-milk/#:~:text=Compared%20to%20cow’s%20milk%2C%20only,%2C%20vitamin%20D%2C%20and%20protein

Lamotte, S. (2023, July 25). Good or bad? Plant-based and cow’s milk are not always nutritionally equal, study says. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/25/health/plant-milk-nutrition-labels-wellness/index.html

Vanga, S. K., & Raghavan, V. (2018). How well do plant based alternatives fare nutritionally compared to cow’s milk?. Journal of food science and technology, 55(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2915-y

Warren H. (2023, October 4). Cow milk vs. Alternative milk: what’s the best? Baylor College of Medicine. https://www.bcm.edu/news/cow-milk-vs-alternative-milk-whats-the-best#:~:text=Almond%20milk%20is%20a%20lower,with%20calcium%20and%20vitamin%20D.