The sun laughs, the first ice cream tastes like more – hours later there is then unfortunately stomach ache and diarrhea. Do you know this? Bacterial contamination is often the trigger for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but food can also contain other toxins. Food poisoning is the term used to describe all the ailments associated with ingesting foods that are toxic to humans in some form – they contain toxins from bacteria, fungi, fish or plants, or chemical toxins.
Food poisoning or gastrointestinal infection?
The difference with food infection and gastrointestinal infection is that there are always pathogens involved – usually viruses, less often bacteria or parasites. However, the symptoms are the same and in most, because most common cases, the treatment does not differ.
Thus, in the case of food poisoning by bacteria, their toxins cause the disease, while in the case of food infection, the bacterium itself causes the disease. The distinction seems academic, but for some pathogens it is important in terms of therapy.
How does food poisoning occur?
The causes of food poisoning can vary widely. Different foods may contain different germs, toxins or contaminants. Below, we present possible triggers of food poisoning.
Bacterial contaminants
Especially in the warm season, germs such as salmonella, and more rarely staphylo- or enterococci, multiply rapidly – especially if food has not been stored properly (unrefrigerated) or prepared carelessly (forgotten to wash hands). Ice cream, dairy products and raw eggs (typically also mayonnaise), sausage, meat (especially minced meat), poultry, fish and seafood are particularly at risk.
In addition to the affected food, they then ingest entire “legions” of bacteria and their metabolic products that are toxic to humans, so-called toxins – nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are the consequences.
A life-threatening special case is represented by the highly toxic botulinus toxins, which are nerve poisons formed by Clostridia bacteria in spoiled canned food. They paralyze the body and respiratory muscles and can thus lead to respiratory distress. Early on, double vision occurs as the eye muscles are also attacked.
Poisons from plants and fungi
Among the approximately 10,000 known species of mushrooms, there are about 1,000 edible and 500 poisonous – making mushroom searches difficult and sometimes life-threatening, especially for the untrained. Mushroom poisons not only attack the gastrointestinal system, but can also cause hallucinations, liver damage, circulatory failure and death.
Plant toxins such as solanine (from raw potatoes or green tomatoes) or atropine (from belladonna) show similar symptoms: Paralysis often occurs here.
Mussels and fish
Saxitoxin is produced by certain algae that serve as food for mussels and is enriched in them. If one consumes such mussels, depending on the amount of toxin, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and in larger amounts, paralysis and even respiratory distress occur. Tetrodotoxin is the known neurotoxin of the pufferfish, of which even the smallest amounts cause respiratory paralysis.
Chemical contaminants
Antimony, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and zinc, for example, are found in some glazes of tableware or in glass that can be attacked by acidic foods. These components are also found in pesticides or wood preservatives. These toxins irritate the skin and mucous membranes, are deposited in body tissues, and damage the human organism in a variety of ways.
