meat

Question
QUESTION: Can humans eat raw meat? Is there a risk of getting E. Coli or Salmonella, or other parasites? I tried raw meat and eggs and I didn't get sick. Are raw eggs good to eat?

Thank you.

ANSWER: Yes, humans can and do eat raw meat all the time without problems. Many RVAFers have eaten raw meats, even aged, raw meats or raw wild game for decades without incident. The important point is to avoid all unhealthy meats, even when raw. That is to say, grainfed meats are a really bad idea as the animals in question are fed on very unhealthy nutrients which are not part of their natural diet in the wild, but if you eat raw, grassfed meats or raw meats from wild animals, then you will be fine.


You should read about the hygiene hypothesis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis

which shows that bacteria are actually quite healthy. The trouble with bacteria is that if bacteria are mixed with unhealthy foods like raw, grainfed meats or cooked foods(eg:- canned foods), then that's when one gets real problems. As Aajonus has stated it is not the so-called "pathogen" that is the problem, but the environment the so-called "pathogen" is in. Aajonus has, for example, pointed out a study showing that something like 38 percent of all households have the salmonella bacteria in them, yet there are no mass infections related to salmonella in those households.

Parasites are also a non-issue. Because grassfed meats come from animals that are regularly given deworming medicines, the chances of actually getting parasites is microscopic, if in the developed world. Very, very few RVAFers have ever gotten parasites, and those always mentioned getting minimal to nonexistent symptoms therefrom, so it's nothing to worry about whatsoever.

HTH,
RPG.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Can you catch any diseases if you eat raw meat from deer, squirrels, chipmunks and racoons? I guess you can tell when they are healthy if they don't have any spots or lesions on the liver and kidney. I'm not sure if you can catch rabies or ticks.

Answer
Any raw wild game you buy is invariably checked by farmers before sale. I know there are all sorts of urban legends about wild animals being infested with worms and whatnot, but I and many RVAFers have been eating lots of raw wild game over the years and had no such issues - so, if a danger exists at all, it is so rare that one has about as much chance of encountering problems as one has of being run over by a car.

HTH,
RPG.

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