How exactly does food poisoning work? How does the body know that the food is contaminated and which way to expel it out? How does it know when things are safe again?
In: 3971
E.coli and other bacteria are super tiny things that live and grow in food. As they grow and make more bacteria, they produce toxins (toxins are substances that make you sick), some of the toxins get destroyed by cooking, but some are still there even when cooked. When these toxins hit your insides they make your belly upset. Your body doesn’t want you to eat any more toxins, so you can even feel sick just looking at or smelling food.
Looking at some of the other answers I’d like to clarify. Bacterial infections in the bloodstream are known as sepsis.
When you get e.coli infection, it is actually infecting your gut lining. There are different types of infections, some break the cells of the gut lining and can cause bleeding, other times it changes they way the cells exchange water resulting in really watery poops.
E.coli and other bacteria are super tiny things that live and grow in food. As they grow and make more bacteria, they produce toxins (toxins are substances that make you sick), some of the toxins get destroyed by cooking, but some are still there even when cooked. When these toxins hit your insides they make your belly upset. Your body doesn’t want you to eat any more toxins, so you can even feel sick just looking at or smelling food.
Looking at some of the other answers I’d like to clarify. Bacterial infections in the bloodstream are known as sepsis.
When you get e.coli infection, it is actually infecting your gut lining. There are different types of infections, some break the cells of the gut lining and can cause bleeding, other times it changes they way the cells exchange water resulting in really watery poops.
The concerning bacteria create toxins that damage cells in one way or another. So when you eat food that these bacteria have been living in you’re eating a lot of toxins which don’t break down that well when cooking. So cells start being damaged or killed in your intestines or in your liver (where everything your intestines absorb is processed). This quickly causes inflammation and an immune response, which tells your body to get rid of everything in your digestive system before more toxins are absorbed. This triggers vomiting and your body stops absorbing water from everything you ate to push it out more quickly.
The concerning bacteria create toxins that damage cells in one way or another. So when you eat food that these bacteria have been living in you’re eating a lot of toxins which don’t break down that well when cooking. So cells start being damaged or killed in your intestines or in your liver (where everything your intestines absorb is processed). This quickly causes inflammation and an immune response, which tells your body to get rid of everything in your digestive system before more toxins are absorbed. This triggers vomiting and your body stops absorbing water from everything you ate to push it out more quickly.
The concerning bacteria create toxins that damage cells in one way or another. So when you eat food that these bacteria have been living in you’re eating a lot of toxins which don’t break down that well when cooking. So cells start being damaged or killed in your intestines or in your liver (where everything your intestines absorb is processed). This quickly causes inflammation and an immune response, which tells your body to get rid of everything in your digestive system before more toxins are absorbed. This triggers vomiting and your body stops absorbing water from everything you ate to push it out more quickly.
[removed]
[removed]
[removed]
As other people have said, it is a built-in mechanism of your body.
Bad stuff detected > Get it all out!
The problem is that once “trained” it is hard to overcome the reaction.
I got food poisoning from my High School Cafeteria. I ate a bad cheese burger that had ketchup and pickles on it. I spent 3 days in the hospital; running at both ends and plugged into a plethora of IV’s.
I cannot eat a cheeseburger with ketchup and pickles to this day. I get to “enjoy” a stomach purge just as I have the taste epiphany of cheese/ketchup/pickles.
It can be quite distracting for other restaurant patrons if my burger is prepared with those three magic ingredients.
As other people have said, it is a built-in mechanism of your body.
Bad stuff detected > Get it all out!
The problem is that once “trained” it is hard to overcome the reaction.
I got food poisoning from my High School Cafeteria. I ate a bad cheese burger that had ketchup and pickles on it. I spent 3 days in the hospital; running at both ends and plugged into a plethora of IV’s.
I cannot eat a cheeseburger with ketchup and pickles to this day. I get to “enjoy” a stomach purge just as I have the taste epiphany of cheese/ketchup/pickles.
It can be quite distracting for other restaurant patrons if my burger is prepared with those three magic ingredients.
Latest Answers