>Irene replied:
>
>> Have to be careful on this one, Wes.  Avidin is a factor in raw egg
>> whites which can destroy biotin (a nutrient) in the body.  Cooking
>> destroys the avidin, and makes the biotin more available to the body.
>
>Carol wonders:
>
>How many of you folks out there eat raw egg white?  My personal
>take on eggs is that only the yolk should really be eaten, raw
>or cooked.

As far as I understand, there are several different takes on the Albumin/Biotin
combination issue.  The following represent simplifications of a few that I know
of:

idea #1:  the idea that Irene presents, that avidin in the egg whites needs to
be destroyed by cooking to avoid the avidin binding with the biotin in the body.

idea #2:  there is plenty of biotin in the yolk to bind with the albumin in the
white, and this natural combination is beneficial to the body in other ways.

I tend to agree with idea #2 from my own personal experience.  Raw whole eggs
seem to be a fairly important part of my raw intake.  While I do not consume
them every day, I typically consume 2-3 dozen per week, and notice a great
benefit in energy from doing so.

Several friends of mine report similar benefits from consuming eggs.  I also
believe that Wes reported good results from consuming whole raw eggs.  Of
course, that only accounts for about four people, so mabye others have different
stories to tell.

Regards,

Ben