The Older You Are, The Higher The Risk Of Serious Gastrointestinal Infections

From the perspective of microbiologists, it is better to be cautious as we get older, as the body becomes more vulnerable to infections. The immune system weakens and loses its defenses and this leads to agents entering the body more easily and causing damage.

Older people are more exposed to norovirus and Campylobacter and are more susceptible to developing more severe cases of these gastrointestinal diseases, explains microbiologist Heribert Keweloh.

One of the reasons is the changes that occur in the stomach mucosa, which is responsible for eliminating these agents with its acid. When this mucosa stops working properly because, over the years, the pH in the stomach increases too much, “many germs pass from the stomach to the intestine,” says Keweloh, and there they can cause damage.

Seniors should be cautious about eating raw meat and smoked fish, experts recommend. Photo Prensa Libre: Christin Klose/dpa

This is why the food hygiene specialist, who has also collaborated on a book on infections in older people, recommends caution. He is shocked when he sees a 90-year-old woman in his circle of friends eating raw meat. “These dishes can contain dangerous germs,” he warns, such as listeria, which can even cause the death of an elderly person.

Chicken meat triggers many infections, “it is extremely dangerous,” says Keweloh. Hygiene in the kitchen is essential, he adds. Knives and cutting boards should be washed thoroughly. Ideally, he points out, everything used to cut and treat raw meat should be put in the dishwasher. The same goes for hands. Either wash them thoroughly or use latex gloves when preparing anything with meat.

Washing utensils is crucial because germs can remain on the blade or cutting board, and if we then use them to cut a salad, it is very likely that the vegetables will become contaminated and the germs will pass through those vegetables directly to the bodies of the diners.

Meat should only be served if it is well cooked, and the specialist recommends caution with other raw products such as milk and its derivatives, such as raw milk cheese and raw fish. Smoked and marinated fish are also not the best option for older people, the specialist points out, because “smoking food is not enough to kill germs.”

Another problem that the expert sees is acid blockers, which are widely used to combat acidity, for example, but Keweloh says that “they further reduce the production of acid in the stomach,” which in turn leads to greater exposure to infections. When it comes to boosting defenses, the specialist recommends eating a varied diet and, above all, regularly, “since eating too little also damages the immune system.”