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Story at-a-glance
- Your gut microbiome plays a central role in determining whether you get food poisoning, even if you eat the same contaminated meal as others who stay symptom-free
- Alcohol disrupts your gut’s protective bacteria within hours, making you far more susceptible to foodborne pathogens, even after just one night of heavy drinking
- Eating more of a contaminated food increases your odds of getting sick, so the quantity you ingest is just as important as the type of bacteria present
- Cross-contamination in the kitchen — like using the same cutting board for raw meat and vegetables — is one of the fastest ways harmful bacteria get into your meals
- Reheating leftovers won’t always destroy toxins already produced by bacteria, meaning improperly stored food could still make you sick even after it’s cooked again