The doctor revealed the reason for aversion to food after poisoning

After food poisoning, many people develop a persistent aversion to certain foods, even if they were not the cause of their ill health. As gastroenterologist Natalia Savelyeva told the Health Mail on July 16, this phenomenon is called conditioned taste aversion, or the Garcia effect.

According to the expert, the brain begins to perceive the product as potentially dangerous, even if there is no certainty that it caused the malaise. This mechanism is based on a series of experiments by the American scientist John Garcia. During the research, the rats were given sweet water and then exposed to X-rays. After several repetitions, the animals began to avoid sweet water, associating it with a deterioration in their well-being.

As Savelyeva noted, a similar mechanism works in humans. For example, after poisoning with an alcoholic cocktail, the body can "remember" not alcohol for a long time, but the orange juice that was part of it, and it is to it that an aversion is formed.

The expert explained that such a reaction is a protective mechanism that was formed during evolution and helped people avoid potentially dangerous food. At the same time, aversion to the product does not mean that it was the cause of poisoning, since the body is not always able to accurately identify the source of the problem.

Poisoning on a schedule: why ready-made food becomes deadly

The number of cases of salmonellosis infection is growing in the country — most often the infection is transmitted through prepared foods.

Daria Rusakova, a dietitian and candidate of medical Sciences, warned in an interview with Moskva 24 on July 16 that frozen marshmallows could cause poisoning if they were stored in a freezer without packaging. If there is raw meat or fish nearby, then the pathogenic bacteria that may be in them can get into dessert, notes 360.ru .

Infectious disease specialist Vladimir Neronov warned on July 13 that the main sources of infection are raw eggs and meat, insufficiently fried chicken, unwashed vegetables, polluted water and dirty hands. In addition, salads seasoned with mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt quickly become a favorable breeding ground for bacteria. If such dishes are kept in the heat for several hours, they can pose a serious health hazard, according to the website. kp.ru .

In June, Elena Specenko, director of the Roskachestvo Center for Food Safety Competencies, said that the risk of poisoning increases significantly in the summer. According to the expert, high temperatures create ideal conditions for the reproduction of bacteria and some products become especially dangerous.