Symptoms of Food Poisoning
Some symptoms of food poisoning include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal Cramps
Diarrhoea
These symptoms are not the result of the pathogens affecting bodily processes; they
are the body’s self defence mechanisms to deal with the disease. When pathogens
are ingested with food, the chemicals on the bacterial membrane act as an alert
signal to mechanoreceptors within the GI Tract, which the brain quickly senses and
sends messages, firstly to the oesophagus, giving rise to nausea, and secondly to
the stomach. The vomiting centre (a region within the brain) instructs the stomach to
expel all contents as quickly as possible (vomiting).
Another line of defence is the stomach. The parietal cells within the epithelium of the
stomach secrete hydrochloric acid (gastric juices). The acid breaks down food and
kills pathogens. The acid is non discriminatory and will kill all bacteria, including the
pro-biotic bacteria (available in yoghurts and health drinks) that allegedly help the
digestive processes. The main digestive processes take place in the small intestine,
which the pro-biotics never reach! Because of the size of these industries, no
government of the day will repudiate their claims.
E coli are acid tolerant bacteria and if they remain in the stomach after vomiting, they
resist the stomach acid and reach the small intestine. The bacteria will start to grow
and attract the body’s next line of defence, its antibodies. The antibodies attack the
bacteria and a battle commences. This battle causes the stomach cramps. Some
variants of E coli release poisons into the blood stream, which affect the kidneys,
often causing kidney failure.
If other bacteria manage to invade the small intestine, they also cause stomach
cramps.
We have up to 1Kg of symbiotic bacteria living in our colon, which break down the
last of the food material, leaving faeces. Even E coli are residents, but harmless,
helpful variants; good friends! These E coli synthesise vitamin K from the food,
which acts as a blood clotting factor. So if it wasn’t for E coli we could bleed to death
from a small cut!
However, as the surviving pathogens enter the colon the immune system
causes a mass diffusion of water from the cells to enter the colon, mixing with the
faeces and giving rise to diarrhoea. The body, via signals from the brain, wants to
ensure the bacteria are flushed from the body as soon as possible.
The symptoms of food poisoning are not life threatening, albeit not very pleasant.
The life threatening element of food poisoning is dehydration, resulting from fluid loss
via vomiting and diarrhoea. Dehydration does kill.
The body requires sufficient water and salts in order for all body cells and the major
organs to work. Severe dehydration causes the body cells to die, organs to fail,
resulting in death.
Dehydration is not a serious problem in developed countries as fluids can be
replaced with chlorinated tap water or bottled water. In under-developed countries
which have a non-chlorinated water supply or well water, hydration can exacerbate
the situation. The water might well be contaminated from faeces or decomposing
animal life.
Natural disasters are also a major problem, such as earthquakes and floods. Even “clean” drinking water becomes contaminated from dead and dying animals and
faeces from flooded or damaged sewers.
Statistically speaking, if no clean water is available for disaster victims, at least 50
times the number of people who are killed by the disaster, will be affected, and
possibly die, from food poisoning or from a Foodborne disease such as typhoid or
cholera.
There are four groups of people who are more affected by food poisoning than
healthy adults. They are:
The elderly, whose immune system is not as strong as a healthy adult,
their organs are much weaker as they get older. In 1996, 22 people died
from E coli food poisoning in Wishaw, in Scotland. All victims were elderly.
The very young haven’t developed an immune system yet, their organs
are still not fully developed to be able to cope with poisoning. In 2005
Mason Jones, a five year old child from Deri, South Wales, died from E
coli food poisoning due to contaminated meat supplied by a butcher in
Bridgend, South Wales.
People who are already ill cannot fight another disease. The body has
evolved to competently fight one disease at a time. It concentrates all its
resources to one battle only. People who are immunocompromised such
as those taking drugs during cancer therapies, after organ transplants or
with diseases such as AIDS cannot fight any infections.
Pregnant women can become infected by Listeria, bacteria that infect the
placenta, and prevent nutrients and oxygen from reaching the foetus,
causing stillbirth or miscarriage.
The majority of food poisoning is caused by bacteria. Other culprits of food
poisoning include chemicals, moulds, metals, plastics, natural poisons, and fresh
fish. The symptoms of food poisoning are the body’s self defence mechanisms.
The groups of people who are more susceptible to food poisoning than health adults
include the elderly, very young, pregnant women and ill or immunocompromised.