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Food and Water Risks
When traveling the world and visiting new cultures, one of the most pleasurable experiences is to sample the local cuisine. Unfortunately, it is very easy for this delight to not only ruin your entire trip but also possibly cause even more serious problems to your health. When it comes to deciding what to put in your body while traveling, here are two good philosophies to live by:
- If you can cook it, boil it, or peel it, you can eat it...otherwise forget it.
- Dont drink the water.
After youve repeated those two phrases ad infinitum, here are some good guidelines and solutions to help you adhere to these philosophies, and also enjoy your trip to its fullest. The following guidelines are good for travel anywhere, but are more focused on developing countries. These tips wont guarantee that your body wont revolt against you on a trip, but at least theyll help you lower the odds of getting sick.
Food
- Wash (in iodine solutions) and peel all vegetables and fruits before eating. Since many developing countries tend to be inundated with contaminated water (due to lack of running water and a good sewage system), the chances are high that produce has been contaminated.
- Cooked food that is eaten hot can usually be considered fairly safe. High heat tends to kill most bacteria that cause disease. Whether you cook the food yourself or order it in a restaurant, try to eat it soon after it is cooked. As food begins to cool down, even slightly, the chance of it becoming risky to eat goes up. As for eating in restaurants, though finding the little out-of-the-way spot might be more exciting. But if you want to keep your insides happy and healthy, try sticking to the recommended or more popular and crowded establishments. If a restaurant is empty, there might be some very good reasons for that.
- Fish poisoning, though not very common (in the Caribbean, the chance of ciguatera poisoning is only a three in 1,000 chance), can put a seriously bad tint on a vacation. There are three different types of fish poisoning:
- Scrombroid poisoning occurs in certain types of fish that were not properly chilled right after capture. This type is found in fish in temperate or tropical waters. Scrombroid poisoning can be treated with antihistamines.
- Ciguatera poisoning occurs by eating reef fish, which have fed on algae containing a toxin. This type is found in fish in tropical and subtropical waters. Ciguatera is not as easily treated as scrombroid and can produce more serious reactions.
- Tetrodoxin (or fugu) poisoning is the most dangerous, yet is also the most easily avoided. The poisoning results from eating fish which contain tetrodoxin, such as puffer fish. Ironically, the very reason why people tend to eat these kinds of fish is to enjoy the reaction that tetrodoxin, in very small amounts, produces: numbing of the lips and mouth, slight euphoria. If these kinds of fish are not prepared correctly, the reactions can be very serious, possibly even fatal.
Water
- Drinking only bottled water is a good choice. The only problem: there are no strict controls over bottled water in certain countries. It is a common occurrence for bottles to be filled with regular tap water and then sold as bottled water, which really doesnt help you one bit. When you buy bottled water, make sure that the seal is unbroken. It is also a good idea to stick with brands you recognize, if you can.
- No, alcohol does not purify water. So if you order a drink, make sure that there is no ice in it and that no water is used in the mix, including fruit juices. Besides alcoholic drinks, always be sure to ask for regular drinks without ice.
- No matter where you are, purifying water before you drink it is your best bet. There are three different methods for purifying water:
- Boiling: Many different types of bacteria and organisms cannot exist at high heat. Contrary to common thought, you dont need to boil water for a long time. In fact, most organisms cant survive in water over 86°C. Just bringing water to a boil is enough to kill off anything that might be in there. But, for a little more security, let the water actually boil for about a minute.
- Chemical treatment: Chlorine tablets are readily available and will kill many organisms and bacteria in water. However, they do not work against giardia and amoebic cysts. Iodine tablets are very effective but you need to be very careful about reading the directions because too much of it can be harmful to your health. If you dont have tablets, tincture of iodine can be used also. About four drops per quart of water will suffice. The water should be left to stand for 20 to 30 minutes before drinking. After using either kind of tablet, flavored powders or dissolvable vitamin C pills will help get rid of the chlorine/iodine taste.
- Filtering: Filters, while safeguarding against larger organisms and helping the clarity of the water, are the least productive in treating water. Many viruses and other organisms are too small to be caught in a filter. However, filters used with chemical treatment greatly increases the safety of drinking water. Before going on a trip, read the directions of how to use your filter and carefully examine it for breaks or faults.
No one wants to travel and worry about guidelines at the same time. But spending some time on precautions will make sure that you spend your vacation experiencing the world and not just the worlds bathrooms.
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