Originally Posted by
scotty51312
Egg whites raw can bind to the b vitamin biotin, which after long periods of time can result in a deficiency. The following is an excerpt from an article from Emedicine.com
Pathophysiology
History
Biotin was first recognized as an essential nutrient factor in mammals in 1936. Ten years earlier, the inclusion of large amounts of raw egg whites in experimental diets in rats had produced symptoms of toxicity within a few weeks of the diet being initiated. In 1926, Boas referred to these symptoms of toxicity as egg-white injury syndrome.[2] The major findings included severe dermatitis, loss of hair, and lack of muscular coordination. Boas also noted that yeast, liver, and several other foodstuffs contained a substance that protected rats from egg-white injury syndrome. Later, the protective compound in the foodstuffs was identified as biotin. Biotinidase deficiency was discovered in 1982.
The biochemical basis for egg-white injury syndrome was quickly elucidated when raw egg whites were found to contain the glycoprotein avidin, which has a remarkable affinity for biotin. Once a biotin-avidin complex forms, the bond is essentially irreversible; the biotin-avidin complex is not broken during passage of the food bolus through the stomach and intestines. As a result, biotin is not liberated from food, and the biotin-avidin complex is lost in the feces. The final step in solving the mystery of egg-white injury syndrome was the demonstration that the syndrome could be prevented by heating the egg whites, a process that denatures avidin and destroys its affinity for biotin.
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