Why are people cracking raw eggs into their coffee and does it have benefits?

Eggs are good.

Coffee is good. Combine the two and, in theory, the end product should be pretty good too but it is, in fact, apparently not so good. In terms of taste and health, would you believe it? As of late, there's been a lot of talk of people cracking raw eggs into black coffee before heading off to the gym for a particularly intense workout session. Apparently, the idea is that the caffeine gives you a boost before the gym, while the eggs fills you with protein and helps with all them oh-so-coveted gains. Eggs are good for building muscle, don't you know. However, there are a few reasons why maybe we shouldn't all jump on this trend so quickly - and it's not just because the taste of a raw egg in black coffee sounds less than appetising. Although piping hot coffee does have the ability to cook eggs to a safe enough temperature, this may not always be the case. Consuming raw eggs can lead to salmonella poisoning, which can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and intense cramps. Not really worth it for not wanting to mix of few scramblers up on the side, in fairness. Similarly, even though coffee is going to give you a boost before your workout, it's recommended that loading up on protein after your gym sesh is more beneficial than doing it before. It has its benefits both ways, sure, but if you're really interested in getting those amino acids going, you should get your protein into you 30 minutes after you're done. That all being said, people looking to bulk up a bit aren't the first to opt to throw a raw egg into their coffees. The drink (meal?) has actually been around for centuries... except these eggs are beaten and definitely cooked. Traditional Vietnamese egg coffee contains egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk, and coffee all whipped up to create a drink that's sweet, filling, and still served in cafes in Hanoi. Similarly, the Swedes have been drinking egg coffee for a while now by mixing whole raw eggs in with coffee grounds before being added to boiling water. Look, at the end of the day, if you're going to crack an egg into your coffee, make sure it's hot enough to heat the thing properly. ... And if it's not, just make a protein shake instead.