Eli5 How come we get sick after eating moldy food?

Question

Dont the mold and bacteria die to the acids in our stomach?

In: 5

Answer 1

Microbes use poison to prevent other microbes from taking over the lovely piece of filth they are eating. Many of these poisons are very sturdy and can survive acid. This is why you can’t just cook rotten food and eat it, even if you kill all of the microbes the poisons they made stay behind.