13 Foods You Should Never, Ever Eat Raw

By Meghan Jones, RD.com

Updated: Oct. 23, 2018

You know to avoid raw meat and eggs. But there are plenty of other foods that you definitely want to
cook before eating, and some of them might surprise you.

1 / 13Never eat potatoes raw

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Potatoes

Yes, this tuber-iffic mealtime staple should never be eaten raw! “Eating potatoes raw can cause
bloating and undesirable gastrointestinal effects, because potatoes contain starches that are resistant
to being digested,” says Dr. Lisa Davis, the chief nutrition officer at Terra’s Kitchen. (Cooking the
potatoes successfully breaks down these starches.) Even scarier, if raw potatoes spend a long time in a
warm or damp area, they can turn green and develop a toxin called solanine. If a potato appears to
have green spots on it, you should avoid eating it altogether, because the solanine could cause food
poisoning.

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2 / 13Never eat Yucca raw

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Yucca

One word: Cyanide! This root vegetable, a staple of South American cuisine, is packed with vitamins
and minerals. But it’s also hiding a sneaky, potentially lethal ingredient. The leaves and roots of raw
yucca contain cyanogenic glycosides, chemicals that release cyanide when eaten. Yucca is still edible,
but make sure you wash it thoroughly, rinse it, peel it, and cook it before consumption.

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3 / 13Never eat kidney beans raw

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Kidney beans
Here’s another normally healthy food that can be dangerous if eaten the wrong way. Red kidney
beans are packed with protein, fibre, and antioxidants, but eating them raw can wreak havoc on your
stomach. “Uncooked kidney beans contain the toxin phytohemagglutinin, which can cause unpleasant
gastrointestinal discomfort and symptoms similar to food poisoning,” says Dr. Davis. Make sure you
boil kidney beans for at least ten minutes before eating them.

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4 / 13Never eat hot dogs raw

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Hot dogs

Hot dogs aren’t the most nutritious food as it is, but eating them raw can be downright dangerous. It’s
a common misconception that, since they’re pre-cooked, hot dogs can be eaten right out of the
package like lunch meat. This isn’t the case at all. According to the FDA, packaged hot dogs can
become contaminated with the bacteria Listeria, which can only be killed by reheating the dogs.

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5 / 13Why you shouldn't drink raw mlk

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Milk

You might hear “raw milk” and wonder what that could possibly mean. You don’t cook milk! But raw
milk is real, and it’s dangerous. Milk that comes straight from a cow, without being pasteurized, can
contain harmful bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. According to the FDA, raw milk is 150 times more
likely to cause foodborne illnesses than other dairy products.

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6 / 13Why you shouldn't eat raw sprouds

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Sprouts

Sprouts—they’re so healthy! What could possibly be wrong with them? Well, alfalfa and radish
sprouts can contain pesky harmful bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. Sprouts are grown in
warm, moist conditions where these bacteria thrive. Because of this, you should aim to buy your
sprouts as fresh as possible; consider buying them locally or from a farmers’ market. And, of course,
wash them and cook them.

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7 / 13Don't eat raw almonds if they taste bitter

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Bitter almonds

The almonds that we know and love are also called “sweet almonds,” and there are some excellent
health reasons to eat them. Bitter almonds are kind of like their evil cousin. They’re a variety of sweet
almonds, but they contain hydrocyanic acid, which is a dangerous combo of hydrogen cyanide and
water. According to The Spruce, it would only take about 70 raw bitter almonds to kill a fully grown
adult. Yikes! Thankfully, they’re safe to eat if they’ve been cooked, and most grocery stores don’t sell
them. The likeliest places you’ll encounter them are in almond extract and almond-flavoured liqueurs.

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8 / 13Don't eat raw flour

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Flour

You’ve probably heard, countless times, about the dangers of eating raw eggs, and may have even
been shooed away from raw brownie batter or cookie dough for that very reason. But egg is only part
of the problem; eating pre-cooked flour might be just as problematic. In recent years, the FDA and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified raw flour as a potential health hazard.
During its journey from wheat stalk to supermarket shelf, flour may have come into contact with
pathogens such as E. coli, which can only be banished by cooking whatever the flour is in.

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9 / 13Don't eat raw eggplant

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Eggplant
Approach raw eggplant with caution. Raw eggplant contains solanine, the same toxin that makes raw
potatoes problematic. “Young eggplants” in particular, or eggplants that were harvested early in their
plant lives, contain the most of this toxin. You would have to eat a whole lot of raw eggplant to
experience the unpleasant gastrointestinal effects of solanine poisoning, but you might want to go
ahead and cook your eggplant anyway. Plus, some people may have allergic reactions to even small
amounts of raw eggplant.

10 / 13Lima beans

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Lima beans

Similarly to kidney beans, lima beans should always be cooked thoroughly. Lima beans contain
cyanogenic glycosides, a compound created to protect plants by releasing deadly hydrogen cyanide
when chewed raw, according to National Geographic.

11 / 13Mango, peach and nectarine pits

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Pits or seeds of apples, mangos, peaches, pears, or apricots

Although it would take at least a cup of these ground seeds to poison someone, seeds from apples,
mangos, peaches, pears, and apricots contain a chemical that can turn into organic cyanide.

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12 / 13Wild mushrooms

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Wild mushrooms

Mushrooms contain a host of beneficial properties including antioxidants, B vitamins, and potassium,
according to Healthline. Some doctors note, however, that heat is required to release some of these
nutrients and benefits. Plus, raw mushrooms are known for being hard to digest, and they are among
the most concentrated sources of a naturally-occurring toxin, agaritine. Various studies and research
found in some rat studies that agaritine has a carcinogenic effect. That said, cooking destroys these
compounds so you can still safely eat the cooked variety.

13 / 13Rhubarb leaves
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Rhubarb leaves

These leaves contain a high level of oxalic acid—a toxin that in high doses can cause kidney damage,
various stomach problems, and even death, in rare occasions, according to Hampshire College. This
“anti-nutrient” interferes with iron, magnesium, and calcium too, the Independent reports. Similarly
to fruit pits, a lethal dose of this toxin would be hard to consume naturally, but it’s mostly people with
kidney issues that should be concerned with avoiding these leaves, per Healthline.