British doctor reveals the food and drinks to avoid at all-inclusive hotel buffets – or risk food poisoning on holiday
ONE GP has revealed the dos and don'ts on holiday for anyone wanting to stay healthy - and it's mostly avoiding certain food and drinks.
Dr Masarat Jilani is a resident doctor at Jude whose expertise is about gut health and here's how to avoid falling ill on your next break.
6
Millions of Brits will soon be jetting off on their summer holidays, and if you want to stay in tip top health, abide by these simple rules.
The first, be wary of the all-inclusive buffet.
Plates upon plates of enticing foods might look tempting, but they can come with health risks.
If you do want to eat from the buffet, choose carefully. For example any lukewarm food, especially meat, fish, eggs, and dairy-heavy dishes may have been sitting out for a while will come with a health risk.
Avoid other items like unpasteurised local cheese, cream-based desserts that haven't been properly refrigerated, and ice cream that has started to melt.
Anything that looks like it should be chilled or frozen but has been left out is also a red flag.
As for seafood, only eat it if it's very fresh, and thoroughly cooked, Dr Masarat Jilani also urged caution to those tempted to try sushi for the first time.
Finally, don't overload your plate just because it's 'free' as overeating in the heat is likely to leave you feeling unwell.
Generally speaking, it's safer to stick with bottled water abroad when it comes to keeping hydrated - and for brushing your teeth too.
Also avoid ice in drinks unless it's definitely from purified water - and you can just ask at the bar about this.
Gran Canaria all-inclusive
6
When it comes to drinks, check the seals on bottled drinks to ensure they haven't been refilled or tampered with.
Another source of water to watch is at the salad bar.
Unless you're confident the vegetables have been washed in safe, bottled water, assume they haven't.
Everyone should have good hygiene, but it's important when away to wash hands more frequently, and it's recommended to use hand sanitiser.
Make sure little ones are washing hands properly as well and not just rushing back to the pool or beach.
To keep your gut ticking along, consider taking a probiotic supplement before and during your trip.
This is especially good for travellers with sensitive stomachs because they can help strengthen your gut's natural defences ahead of any disruption - like travelling.
The effectiveness does vary, so the GP warns that it's not a "licence to eat anything and everything".
Including natural sources of probiotics such as kefir, yoghurt with live cultures, and fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut, may offer a more consistent benefit.
Most holidaymakers like a drink on holiday, but excess alcohol can lower resistance to stomach bugs.
While it can be tempting to make the most of the all-inclusive bar, remember to pace yourself, especially in hot climates.
Heat exhaustion or dehydration can have similar symptoms to food poisoning, and alcohol poisoning can be even more serious.
Even if drinks are poured from branded bottles, they may have been refilled with stronger, unregulated local versions.
That means you could be drinking a higher percentage of alcohol than you realise - so go slow and stay hydrated by drinking lots of bottled water throughout the day.
Dr Masarat Jilani added: 'First of all, it's worth remembering that not all gut problems abroad are caused by food poisoning.
"Our digestive systems thrive on routine, and the disruption of travel can change the way they behave."
She continued to suggest easing yourself in slowly to the holiday routine and not dive straight in with over-eating.
"Having an upset stomach while on holiday is unpleasant, but will usually pass within a couple of days.
"If symptoms persist or worsen ask the hotel to contact a doctor, especially if you've got a fever or signs of dehydration.'
Plus, our Sun-approved booking tips, plane hacks and travel products.
And these are the 11 most common illnesses you can catch on holiday.
6
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Boy, five, died from allergic reaction after eating biscuit
A five-year-old boy died after an allergic reaction at school, an inquest heard. Benedict Blythe, who was in his first year at Barnack Primary School in Stamford, Lincolnshire, died in hospital on Dec 1 2021 after vomiting, the jury at Peterborough town hall heard. His cause of death was recorded as food-induced anaphylaxis, according to Elizabeth Gray, the area coroner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. He was allergic to milk, eggs and some nuts, as well as having asthma. Benedict was kept home from school on November 30 because he was unwell and had vomited the previous night, but went to school as normal on Dec 1 after eating dairy-free chocolate from his advent calendar, the jury heard. The coroner said Benedict then ate a biscuit during that school day that he had brought from home. He was offered oat milk by a teacher, but he refused to drink it, Ms Gray added. The coroner said Benedict then ate a biscuit during that school day that he had brought from home. He was offered oat milk by a teacher, but he refused to drink it, Ms Gray added. He then vomited, so his parents were called to pick him up, but he vomited a second time and was taken outside for fresh air where he 'collapsed'. An adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) was administered by a first aid-trained teaching assistant but Benedict was 'not responding' before CPR was attempted. Emergency services were called but the schoolboy died later that day at Peterborough City Hospital. Benedict's mother, who gave evidence to the inquest, told the jury that vomiting was 'always' the first symptom of his allergic reactions, but 'how it played out after that varied'. School given management plan She said the school was given a management plan with 'things we knew as a family and as his parents' about his allergic reactions. In a witness statement read to the inquest, Helen Blythe, his mother, said Benedict was 'well aware' of his allergic reactions, adding: 'I believe he had an allergic reaction and this is what caused his death.' She added that Benedict 'woke up as normal and in good health' that morning with no temperature or cough. She described feeling 'terrified' when she learnt that Benedict had become unwell. The inquest heard that Benedict was 'not necessarily adventurous' with food but had become 'increasingly anxious' about asking whether things contained milk because of previous allergic reactions. Dr Emilia Wawrzkowicz, a consultant paediatrician, said the initial post-mortem examination report recorded Benedict's cause of death as asthma but she felt 'very strongly' that it was due to anaphylaxis. She told the court: 'The original post-mortem report had concluded on the balance of probabilities that the cause of death was asthma. I wholeheartedly disagreed with this. I was shocked to have seen this.' She said one of the reasons she believed this was because there was 'never any suggestion of airway compromise'. A video was shown to the jury of Benedict opening his advent calendar before school with his younger sister on the day he died. Mrs Blythe told the inquest the chocolate he ate from the advent calendar was dairy-free. She also read a pen portrait to the inquest, saying: 'Quick-minded and kind-souled, his superpower was his kind heart, and it's that kindness that is so missing from our lives. 'The first return to a new school year after his death, children said 'I wish Benedict was here - he'd stop me feeling nervous'. 'Aside from the joy Benedict had in his life, he had to develop his own quiet kind of bravery. 'He lived with allergies and chronic asthma, and sometimes that meant missing out - on parties, on snacks other children could eat, on ice creams from the ice cream van - but he never let it define him. 'The day Benedict died, our world broke but what's even more unbearable is the knowledge that we weren't alone. 'Benedict was not just a child with allergies, he was a whole universe - curious, funny, kind and loving - and the world should have been safer for him.' The Benedict Blythe Foundation was set up in his memory and, along with The Allergy Team and the Independent Schools' Bursars Association (ISBA), launched the school's allergy code last year to protect children with allergies and set out how schools can keep pupils safe.
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Safety alert for over-the-counter remedy taken by millions - after pills trigger disease that fuels bowel cancer in healthy 18 year-old
Frequently taking a common type of painkiller could trigger inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—raising the risk of bowel cancer—experts warn. Medics raised the alarm after treating an 18-year-old boy who developed colitis—a type of IBD—after taking over-the-counter allergy and pain relief medication continuously for almost three years. IBD is a known risk factor for bowel cancer and experts have long warned that those who have had the condition for years are at increased risk of developing the disease. The unnamed American teen sought medical help for bleeding from his rectum and extreme fatigue—according to doctors who shared his tale in a medical journal. He told medics he had been taking diphenhydramine, an over-the-counter hay fever medication and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), daily to combat debilitating headaches and allergies for almost three years. NSAIDs are a class of painkiller—famous examples being ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen—which are commonly used to alleviate pain and swelling. Pills combining diphenhydramine and NSAID are available in both the US the UK under brands like Advil PM and Motrin PM, as pain relief and sleep aids. While not naming the brand of medication the teenager took, doctors said he had taken the equivalent of 600mg of NSAIDs twice a day. Brands that make diphenhydramine and NSAID combination pills warn patients not to take more than two tablets in 24 hours, equivalent to around 400mg of NSAID. Medics then performed a colonoscopy—where a thin flexible camera is inserted into the rectum—and found the tissue inside was severely inflamed. Writing in the journal Cureus, medics said he was then diagnosed with colitis, a form of IBD which specifically develops in the colon. They theorised that his frequent use of NSAID drugs had disrupted the production of mucus that protects the digestive system, causing irritation. Irritation of the digestive system is a known risk of these drugs and as result they can lead to bleeding, ulcers and potentially colitis. Some studies have linked using NSAID drugs with an 86 per cent increased chance of developing colitis. The medics who reported the case said these increased risks are why doctors often prescribe a separate medication to patients' who have to take NSAIDs frequently for chronic pain issues, in order to protect their guts from this potential damage. However, they noted that their patient was an extreme example and occasionally using a medication like ibuprofen will not carry the same risk. But they added that the risk is something to be aware of given how readily patients are able to take these over-the-counter medications without medical supervision. 'Given the widespread availability of these medications and their over-the-counter accessibility, it is imperative that patients suffering from chronic inflammation or long-term pain be advised to avoid NSAIDs, or to use them only under the direct guidance of a supervising clinician,' they said. WHAT IS INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE? Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a medical term that describes a group of conditions in which the intestines become inflamed (red and swollen). Two major types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis affects the large intestine (colon) whereas Crohn's disease can occur in any part of the intestines. Symptoms may include: Abdominal cramps and pain frequent Watery diarrhoea (may be bloody) Severe urgency to have a bowel movement Fever during active stages of disease Loss of appetite and weight loss Tiredness and fatigue anaemia (due to blood loss) People of any age can get IBD, but it's usually diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40. The conditions are chronic and cannot be cured so treatment usually relies on medication and lifestyle changes to manage the symptoms, but may include surgery. IBD is thought to affect some three million people in the US, over 300,000 Britons, and 85,000 Australians. Source: Crohn's & Colitis Australia In the teen's case, once he was stable, he was prescribed anti-IBD drugs and told to stop using NSAIDs. However, despite being scheduled for a follow-up colonoscopy, he never attended, so medics were unable to determine how successful this had been. For years scientists have been unsure exactly what causes IBD to develop in some patients but not others. Earlier this year, however, researchers in London discovered a genetic weakness present in 95 per cent of people with IBD. An estimated half a million Britons and some 3million Americans are thought to have IBD, with the condition affecting more than 10million globally. IBD arises when the immune system mistakenly attacks the bowel, causing an array of debilitating symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhoea and blood in stools. The disease can also cause sudden weight loss and crippling fatigue. While no cure is available, symptoms can be managed with drugs. These tend to be most effective when given soon after diagnosis. Estimates vary on exactly how much having IBD increases the risk of bowel cancer, with some charities citing studies which found it raises it by 7 per cent compared to the general population. But charities are keen to highlight that the vast majority of patients with IBD won't develop the disease. They do, however, advise people with IDB to keep in mind other risk factors for the cancer, such as smoking, drinking alcohol and being overweight that could further increase their individual risk. It comes as experts have repeatedly warned of a concerning and mysterious rise in rates of bowel cancer among under 50s. A recent global study found rates of bowel cancer in under 50 year-olds are rising in 27 of 50 nations. England is averaging a 3.6 per cent rise in younger adults every year-one of the highest increases recorded. While the disease is known to be linked to obesity, experts have noted that the disease also seems to also be occurring in fit and healthy patients. Some believe the explanation must lie in environmental factors young people have been exposed to more than previous generations. Signs of bowel cancer include abdominal pain, a lump in the abdomen, bloating and feeling very tired or short of breath. Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in the stool, occurs when cancerous tumours bleed into the digestive tract. However, bowel cancer can also appear with no symptoms until it has spread, where it becomes harder to treat. Overall, just over half of bowel cancer patients are expected to be alive 10 years after their diagnosis.
The Sun
43 minutes ago
- The Sun
Legendary bodybuilder in hospital after ‘medical emergency' as 8-time Mr Olympia forced to pull out of UK event
LEGENDARY bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman has been rushed to hospital with a "medical emergency" - forcing him to axe upcoming appearances. Ronnie, 61, is hailed as one of the sport's greatest ever competitors and holds the record for most Mr Olympia titles with eight. 2 In an Instagram post on Sunday, he wrote: "Hey guys, I hate to break it to y'all, but I won't be able to make it out to the UK this week like I planned. "Unfortunately, I had a medical emergency and had to stick around here in the US for treatment." Ronnie has also won 26 International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) titles. Ronnie retired back in 2007 after his reign as Mr Olympia came to an end. .
