By Colleen D. Webb, MS, RDN, CLT
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that roughly 1 in 6 Americans get sick from food poisoning every year. Fortunately, most of these cases resolve on their own without lasting effects.
However, investigation into the causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) suggests that IBS can be a result of food poisoning.
However, investigation into the causes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) suggests that IBS can be a result of food poisoning.
Dr. Mark Pimentel, Director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on the West Coast, writes about this subject matter in great detail in his book A New IBS Solution. He states that many of his patients report developing IBS after an episode of food poisoning.
I pester my IBS patients with all kinds of questions about what they ate, where they traveled, and what medications they took before their IBS symptoms became most noticeable, and many report some connection with a “stomach bug” or food poisoning, often while traveling. According to Pimentel, statistics show that 12% of all travelers who leave their home town will experience food poisoning.
Fortunately, Pimentel and his team are researching more about the association between food poisoning and its contribution to IBS.
In the meantime, here's a list of tips to minimize your risk of succumbing to Montezuma’s revenge and post-infectious IBS:
I pester my IBS patients with all kinds of questions about what they ate, where they traveled, and what medications they took before their IBS symptoms became most noticeable, and many report some connection with a “stomach bug” or food poisoning, often while traveling. According to Pimentel, statistics show that 12% of all travelers who leave their home town will experience food poisoning.
Fortunately, Pimentel and his team are researching more about the association between food poisoning and its contribution to IBS.
In the meantime, here's a list of tips to minimize your risk of succumbing to Montezuma’s revenge and post-infectious IBS:
- Eat hot foods
- Remove the skins from fruits (e.g. peel an apple, choose a banana)
- Drink bottled water
- Eat at clean restaurants
- Ask travel agents and search dependable travel websites for recommended restaurants
- Wash your hands well before eating
- Avoid the following, especially when eating out in a foreign country:
- Salad bars
- Food from street vendors
- Raw fish and undercooked meat
- Raw eggs
- Unpasteurized dairy
- Uncooked vegetables
- Ice cubes
- Room temperature foods
