I’m a gut scientist – here’s the 4 foods you should cut out if you want to avoid food poisoning
WE’VE all experienced it: that sudden feeling that something inside us just isn’t right.
This is quickly followed by an ominous stomach-churning, then 24 hours of violent illness – to put it lightly.
Cases of dreaded food poising are still fairly common in the UK, despite improving health and safety measures.
Jordan Haworth, a gut health scientist from the US, has revealed the five foods he actively avoids so that he doesn’t get sick with foodborne related illnesses.
In a video posted on Instagram the scientist – who calls himself Mr Gut Heath – claims that food poisoning can “increase your risk of having long-term gut health problems such as post-infectious IBS“.
IBS is a common condition that affects the digestive system with symptoms including bloating, stomach cramps, flatulence, diarrhoea, constipation, mood swings, nausea, bodily aches and pains and incontinence.
1. Oysters
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The seafood, often dubbed as an aphrodisiac, are actually more likely to ruin your romantic evening of love, the social media star said.
“Oysters are filter feeders so they pick up everything in the water, including bacteria,” he explained.
2. Beef burgers
He also suggested people stop ordering rare beef burgers.
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“It’s not the same as getting a steak,” he explained.
“Beef burgers are typically made from minced meat so all the bacteria on the outside gets mixed in together.
“Make sure you order them at least medium rare,” Jordan added.
3. Sushi
Discounted sushi, as it can be a major culprit for food poisoning, the expert said.
“Most fish used to make sushi is actually frozen to kill the parasites and bacteria but it goes off really quickly once prepared, so make sure you eat it all on the same day”.
Showing a picture of pack of supermarket sushi with a yellow reduced label on it, he added: “If you’re buying this stuff then you’re just asking for it really”.
4. Salad
Surprisingly, the medic said that salad – specifically the pre-package stuff – poses a big risk to health.
“How mad is this… 22 per cent of all food poisoning outbreaks in the last decade have been linked to salads,” he says, while citing The Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
“The reason these pre-washed, pre-packaged salads are so risky is because there’s so many potential cross-contamination points and the inside of the bags are always moist and that’s a perfect environment for bacteria to proliferate”.
5. Bean sprouts
Bean sprouts are grown in warm conditions and we don’t typically cook them before we eat them.
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“They’re actually responsible for at least one case of food poising each year,” the expert explained.
“I know they’re supposed to be a superfood,” Jordan said, “but the risk just isn’t worth the reward, in my opinion.”