Raipur cancer surgeon reveals why antibiotics in eggs may not pose that big of a health risk
Recently, there have been concerns about whether eating eggs can cause cancer after a YouTube video went viral. The video, posted by the channel Trustified, allegedly found illegal and genotoxic substances in eggs produced by the brand Eggoz Nutrition, raising questions about food safety. Addressing this concern, Dr Jayesh Sharma, a leading oncologist and cancer surgeon based out of Raipur, shared in an Instagram video on December 12, explaining the actual level of risk and why you should not panic as much. Dr Sharma addressed the situation with the help of a simple paracetamol analogy, elaborating that while some form of residues may be present, the actual amounts are far too small to pose a major threat to your health.
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How big is the health risk?
Dr Sharma explained that the tiny amount of banned antibiotics found in the eggs is extremely small, millions of times less than a normal dose of medicine, and poses not that big of a health risk.
The cancer surgeon elaborated, explaining in Hindi, which has been translated. He shared the analogy of paracetamol medicine, showing how the body flushes out substances. “This is paracetamol. It reduces headaches. But if you crush one tablet and divide it into tiny granules to eat one speck a day for a whole year, it won’t cure a headache. That’s because our body doesn’t accumulate it. Our kidneys and liver flush it out daily.”
While there may be alarm over the fact that antibiotics were found in eggs, the doctor shared that there’s no cause for alarm. “Now, the eggs in the news were found to contain residue of an antibiotic that’s currently banned. The original nitrofuran tablets used to be 100 milligrams, prescribed three times a day.”
Dr Sharma elaborated that the amount of antibiotics found in the eggs was extremely tiny, measured in micograms and millions of times smaller than a normal dose. He further drew another analogy that the same amount was consumed in a single tablet used by previous generations, dating back to the grandparents’ time.
He remarked, “To equal the amount in just one tablet our grandparents used to take, you’d need to eat around 250 million eggs. If someone is eating that many eggs, nitrofuran is the least of their worries.”
What should one be concerned about?
However, when it came to food security, one should be concerned about proper regulation. The doctor raised questions about the quality checks and why a private lab, rather than the government, made the discovery. There is also the issue of mislabelling. Why would an ‘antibiotic-free’ product contain antibiotics at all? He assured that people can safely continue to eat eggs, and if they feel uncomfortable, they can choose another source of protein.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition. This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
