Does consuming raw vegetables lead to parasite infection?

Answer:
Eating uncooked or filthy food is a major contributor to parasite-related diseases since this allows parasites to enter the body, reproduce, and cause illness.

Most diseases caused by parasites, such as clonorchiasis, tapeworm infections, and roundworm infections in dogs and cats, are caused by flukes, worms, and worm eggs.

Drinking vegetable juice prepared from raw veggies is beneficial. Fresh fruits and vegetables have a higher nutritional value than cooked ones.

Some types of vegetables, including collard greens, water spinach, lettuce, and centella asiatica, are regularly eaten raw.

Although these vegetables are quite tasty, it is very easy to contract parasites when eating them if they aren’t properly washed.

In fact, vegetables grown on normal soil are susceptible to bacteria and parasites, not to mention the potential harm when the irrigation system is polluted or when the plants are watered with fresh manure.

A simple rule of thumb is to wash them properly before cooking. Parasites are not bacteria, but ones such as worms, flukes, or even worm eggs, fluke eggs, and we can wash the eggs away if we wash them properly.

Most fruit is grown above ground, which makes them less prone to parasites. Some vine fruit varieties are particularly prone to parasites because of their close proximity to the earth. If we wash and peel fruit thoroughly, we can lower the danger of parasite infection.

In general, you should not give up eating raw fruit or vegetables because of the risk of parasites.

However, it is important that you clean and sanitize your hands, as well as sanitize cutting tools and containers.

In addition, it is important to choose fresh, quality fruits and vegetables, as they are a good source of nutrients for the body.

Associate Professor Nguyen Duy Thinh,
School of Biotechnology and Food Technology, University of Science and Technology