Raw Eggs

Guy: "Raw eggs are much healthier because cooking them denatures the protein."
Girl: "So what? That's disgusting. Plus, can't you get salmonella?"
Guy: "Not if they're fresh."
Girl: "So, do you just put it in a glass and drink it?"
Guy: "Yeah, with a little bit of water."
Girl: "Ewww. I would have to drink it with milk. Watery raw eggs sound nasty. Do you add salt and pepper? Your roommate must think you're insane."

For a solid month, I listened to one guy in my lab section talk about eating raw eggs. I would usually start laughing, which would earn me a weird look from whatever group I was trying to help at the time (amplifiers and filters really aren't that funny). This is not the first time I've heard the whole raw food argument. And, while cutting back on processed foods is a good idea... why is denatured protein bad? I mean, I always kind of figured that if the protein wasn't already denatured as a result of cooking, then gastric acid would take care of it. So, I looked it up. Turns out, denatured protein isn't bad, so the whole raw egg thing might be over-rated (read the 4th comment... wow... and thanks for the stats clarification... the first page of comments cracked me up). However, the "denaturing" from heat is different from that achieved chemically. From what I gather, while the protein is broken down in both cases, heat damages the enzymes (as well as other essential vitamins an minerals) and causes them to congeal (they cannot be used by the body in this state) whereas digestion breaks them down into usable components (i.e., amino acids). Also, it apparently takes more work to digest cooked food, so not only are you wasting time by cooking, but you're wasting energy (sweet... more reasons why I should never cook). And, while I'll probably never eat a raw egg, I think I can manage more fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts!