Why We Should Embrace Consuming Raw Meat

Contrary to the American stigma, raw meat is one of the healthiest foods you can eat.

Raw meat is richer in some nutrients compared to cooked meat such as Vitamin B6, as well as live enzymes and probiotic bacteria. Many traditional cultures treasure their raw meat dishes, even when the ability to cook is available. 

Italians savor carpaccio, Vietnam enjoys nem chua, the French prepare steak tartare, Ethiopians relish kitfo, Thailand thrives on sok lek, Lebanon consumes kibbeh nayeh, and Turkey nourishes on Cig Kofte.

But most Americans? They’ll call a medium-rare steak raw.

One nutritionist known for advocating for raw meat consumption is Aajonus Vonderplanitz, the creator of the Primal Diet, who claimed raw meat drastically healed him and his clients.

The diet and its subculture encouraged me to try the strict raw Primal Diet for a few months. The all-raw diet focused on eating raw meat from pasture-raised or hunted animals paired with raw fat such as egg yolk, raw butter or extra virgin olive oil.

Other foods recommended for the diet include raw ocean-caught fish, raw milk and dairy products, raw eggs, fruit and fresh green vegetable juice. Everything is recommended to be as organic as possible.

While I didn’t feel particularly great on the diet, I developed an appreciation for raw meat that I didn’t have before. The experience of consuming pure life was extremely refreshing and satiating.

Consumption of raw liver has recently been popularized because Joe Rogan tried some during his podcast. Influencers on Instagram such as Liver King and Raw Meat Experiment also recommend it.

The liver, in particular, contains some of the highest densities of nutrients of any food out there and is the reason why carnivorous animals go for the liver first after a successful hunt.

Incidences of people getting sick from eating raw animal foods are far less likely than most people think. Chickens and pigs are treated terribly at conventional factory farms, making them toxic when eaten raw. For example, in 27 states including Florida, it is legal for certified farms to feed pigs literal garbage.

All animals are safe for raw consumption as long as they are properly pastured and fed an appropriate diet. I’ve eaten a fair amount of raw chicken, beef and pork with no issues. 

Next time you’re at a nice restaurant or at home, don’t be afraid to eat steak tartare or carpaccio. Raw milk, sushi, ceviche and oysters are all other great ways of incorporating healthy raw animal foods into your diet.