Food Poisoning Causes; What Mostly Triggers The Illness
More often than not, we don’t pay much attention to the food we eat and often times this can lead to food poisoning. In order for you to detect whether or not it is food poisoning, it is of crucial importance to know what food poisoning causes are and to take the matter from there.
Another way you can refer to food poisoning is “foodborne illness” which is mostly caused by eating contaminated food, infectious organisms, bacteria, viruses, and parasites or their toxins. The food can be contaminated by the infectious organisms or their toxins either during the processing or the production. Another way your food can get contaminated is if it is incorrectly handled or cooked. There are cases where food poisoning finds its way into people’s stomachs through non-infectious poisons, such as poisonous mushrooms or even metals such as lead or mercury according to Med Broadcast.
Food poisoning is known to be a very common illness since for some people out there it is usually mild, nevertheless, it can also lead to a very serious, severe condition even deadly for some individuals.
Some of the food poisoning symptoms that you should be aware of so you can forestall food poisoning are nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. In the majority of cases, food poisoning is mild, and everything can be resolved through treatment, although there are cases you might have to go to the hospital.
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Food Poisoning Causes:
Below, we will list some of the main food poisoning causes which you should be very aware of according to Med Broadcast.
Bacteria and bacterial toxins
One of the main sources of food poisoning are the bacteria either directly or by the toxins they produce. The most common bacterial toxins are Salmonella, E. coli, Shigella, Staphylococcus, Campylobacter, and Clostridium perfringens. The most common food that consists of bacteria are undercooked meats, poultry, eggs dairy, processed meats, fish, custards, cream pies, and contaminated water.
Viruses
Another cause which can lead one to food poisoning is norovirus and other viruses which mostly come through contaminated raw or uncooked produce and shellfish from contaminated water.
Parasites
Parasites such as Giardia lamblia can also cause food poisoning through contaminated produce and water.
Mushrooms and toadstools
Muscarine poisoning can be caused by numerous species. In this case, these poisons attack the central nervous system which leads to cause partial or complete paralysis in severe cases.
Fish
For all the fish lovers, next time you eat it, look closely to it as puffer fish are naturally poisonous. The similar poison that is found in puffer fish can also be found in many edible Caribbean and Pacific species. It is called ciguatera poison which is produced by a tiny sea parasite called a dinoflagellate and it attacks the nervous system.
Shellfish
Shellfish such as clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops can cause poisoning when they ingest certain poisonous dinoflagellates that produce the toxin saxitoxin. This mostly occurs in North America between June and October, and when eaten during this period of time can be dangerous.
Insecticides
Many poisons can occur to insecticides, however, the most dangerous types are the organophosphates which basically are nerve gas for insects. Such insecticides are deliberately formulated to be less harmful to humans than insects, but these chemicals can be very dangerous to people if the insecticides are not used properly.
Other causes of food poisoning
- Nuts
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Berries
- Underripe tubers
- Botulism
- Cadmium from containers
- Lead
- Arsenic from fertilizers
- Acids and lead from pottery
Bottom line:
You should pay full attention to the food you eat and be more cautious in case you want to avoid food poisoning. And, I bet we can all agree that staying as far away as we can from food poisoning is making our body a favor.
Disclaimer: The contents of this article: text, graphics, images, and other materials contained are strictly for informational purposes only. The Content is NOT intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice, or treatment. Please ALWAYS seek the advice of a qualified health provider with all the questions that you have related to, or about, a medical condition.
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