You see it everywhere on TikTok lately. Some guy is chewing on a slab of uncooked beef liver or a raw steak, claiming it’s the secret to "ancestral" health and peak testosterone. It looks intense. It looks primal. But honestly? It’s a massive gamble with your gut. People act like eating raw meat risks are just some old wives' tale or something the "big food" industry made up to keep us weak. They aren't.
Microbes don't care about your fitness goals.
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When you eat a steak that hasn't seen a flame, you're inviting whatever was living on that cow into your own digestive system. Sometimes it's fine. Other times, you’re looking at a week in the hospital with kidney failure. It’s that simple. We’ve spent thousands of years perfecting the art of cooking for a reason—it’s the only way to effectively kill off pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria.
The invisible guests on your plate
Let's talk about Campylobacter. It’s one of those names people forget until they’re doubled over in pain. It is incredibly common in raw poultry, but it shows up in beef too. Just a tiny drop of juice from contaminated meat is enough to cause an infection. You get the fever, the abdominal cramps, and the kind of diarrhea that makes you regret every life choice leading up to that moment.
Then there is Staphylococcus aureus. Usually, we think of Staph as a skin thing. But if someone with a small cut handles your raw carpaccio, that bacteria can produce toxins in the meat. The kicker? Those toxins are often heat-stable, but the bacteria itself thrives in the raw environment.
Parasites are a real thing, even in 2026
We like to think we're too "modern" for parasites. That’s a mistake. Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that many people associate with cat litter, but one of the primary ways humans get it is by consuming undercooked or raw meat. For most healthy people, it’s asymptomatic or feels like a mild flu. But if you’re immunocompromised or pregnant, it can be devastating.
And don't get me started on tapeworms. Taenia saginata, the beef tapeworm, comes from eating raw or undercooked beef containing "cysticerci"—basically larval stages of the worm. You eat the meat, the larva attaches to your small intestine, and it grows. It can live there for years. It can reach lengths of several meters. Think about that next time you’re eyeing a raw "power bowl."
Why "High Quality" meat isn't a silver bullet
A common defense for this diet is the "grass-fed, local butcher" argument. People think if they buy the expensive stuff from a clean farm, the eating raw meat risks vanish. This is a half-truth that gets people in trouble.
Sure, a massive industrial slaughterhouse might have a higher risk of cross-contamination because of the sheer volume of animals. But even the happiest, most pampered organic cow lives outside. It poops. It grazes near wild animals. E. coli lives in the intestines of healthy cattle; it doesn't matter if they ate grass or grain. During the butchering process, it is remarkably easy for intestinal contents to touch the surface of the meat.
If you sear a steak, you kill those surface bacteria. If you grind that meat into tartare or eat it raw? You're swallowing them.
The cross-contamination nightmare
The risk isn't just in the meat itself. It’s in the prep. If you’re handling raw chicken or beef in your kitchen, you are potentially spreading those pathogens to your counters, your knives, and your hands. The CDC estimates that roughly 48 million people get sick from foodborne illnesses every year in the United States. That’s 1 in 6 people. A significant chunk of those cases comes from mishandling or undercooking animal products.
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The nutrient myth vs. the bioavailability reality
Raw meat enthusiasts claim that cooking "destroys" the nutrients. They talk about enzymes and B-vitamins like they’re fragile glass ornaments.
It’s true that high-heat cooking can reduce certain heat-sensitive vitamins, like B1, B6, and B12, by a small percentage. But it’s not a total loss. More importantly, cooking actually makes meat easier to digest. It breaks down tough connective tissues and denatures proteins, which allows your body to absorb them more efficiently.
Harvard biological anthropologist Richard Wrangham has argued extensively that cooking was the catalyst for human brain evolution. By cooking our food, we got more calories with less digestive effort. Why would we want to go backward?
The "High Meat" danger
There is a disturbing sub-trend where people eat "high meat"—meat that has been left to rot or ferment for weeks or months. Proponents claim it creates a "probiotic" effect or a natural high.
From a medical standpoint, this is terrifying. You aren't just dealing with standard pathogens at that point; you're dealing with the potential for Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is rare, but it’s a neurotoxin. It causes paralysis. It can be fatal. Fermenting meat requires incredibly specific conditions (like acidity and temperature control) that the average person cannot replicate in a glass jar in their fridge.
The specific dangers of raw poultry and pork
While raw beef is the "star" of the raw meat movement, some people push it with pork and chicken. This is where the risk level moves from "risky" to "reckless."
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Raw pork used to be synonymous with Trichinosis, a parasitic disease caused by roundworms. While commercial pork production has largely eliminated Trichinella in many countries, it still exists in wild game (like boar or bear) and some small-scale operations. Plus, raw pork is a major carrier of Yersinia enterocolitica, which causes painful infections that often mimic appendicitis.
Raw chicken? Just don't. Salmonella and Campylobacter are so prevalent in raw poultry that health departments basically treat all raw chicken as contaminated. There is no such thing as "sashimi-grade" chicken that is 100% safe.
Real talk on food safety and "Sashimi Grade"
You’ll hear people say, "But what about sushi?" or "What about steak tartare in France?"
There are standards. In the US, the FDA requires fish intended for raw consumption to be frozen at specific temperatures (like -4°F for 7 days or -31°F for 15 hours) to kill parasites. This is called "parasite destruction."
For beef tartare in high-end restaurants, chefs often use whole muscle cuts, trim the exterior (where the bacteria live), and then grind it fresh for immediate service. This reduces risk, but it does not eliminate it. Even the best chefs in the world will tell you there is an inherent risk. That’s why menus have those little asterisks at the bottom about consuming raw or undercooked proteins.
What happens if you get sick?
Food poisoning isn't just a bad night in the bathroom. For many, it’s a life-altering event.
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS): This is a complication of certain E. coli infections. It destroys red blood cells and can cause permanent kidney failure. It’s most common in children, but adults aren't immune.
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A rare but serious condition where your immune system attacks your nerves. It can be triggered by a Campylobacter infection. It can lead to temporary or permanent paralysis.
- Reactive Arthritis: Some people develop chronic joint pain after a bout of Salmonella.
How to actually minimize your risk
If you’re absolutely dead-set on trying raw or very rare meat despite the eating raw meat risks, you have to be smart about it. Don't just buy a pack of ground beef from the grocery store and eat it with a fork. Ground beef is the highest risk because the bacteria from the surface of hundreds of different cows are mixed throughout the entire batch.
- Buy whole cuts: Buy a solid piece of muscle, like a tenderloin.
- Sear the outside: Even a quick 30-second sear on all sides kills the vast majority of surface bacteria.
- Use a trusted butcher: Ask them about their sourcing and if they have specific protocols for meat intended for tartare.
- Keep it cold: Bacteria double every 20 minutes at room temperature. Keep meat at or below 40°F until the second you eat it.
- Skip it if you're at risk: If you are pregnant, elderly, or have a weakened immune system, raw meat is a hard "no." The stakes are just too high.
The "primitive" allure of raw meat is a powerful marketing tool, but biology doesn't care about your aesthetic. We have fire. We have ovens. Use them.
Practical next steps for safety
- Invest in a digital meat thermometer. It’s the only way to know if your food is actually safe. Ground beef should hit 160°F, and poultry needs 165°F.
- Clean your gear. If you prep meat, wash your cutting boards with hot, soapy water immediately. Better yet, use a dedicated plastic board for meat and a wooden one for veggies.
- Freeze wild game. If you’re a hunter, freezing meat at sub-zero temperatures for several weeks can kill many parasites, though it won't touch bacteria.
- Watch for symptoms. If you’ve eaten raw meat and develop a high fever, bloody stools, or signs of dehydration, don't "wait it out." Go to an urgent care. Early intervention can prevent the more severe complications like HUS.