'Rule of 5 seconds': doctors explained whether it is possible to eat products quickly raised from the floor
'03.03.2020'
Source: Facts
In the world there are a large number of eating rules that help lose weight, start to feel better and so on, at the same time, some of them are more like beliefs or signs, they write "Facts".
For example, one of the common beliefs says: "Food that is quickly picked up after falling to the floor can be consumed without fear - bacteria do not have time to contaminate it." We are talking about the “rule of 5 seconds” - supposedly, if you managed to lift the product within 5 seconds, bacteria will not “stick” to it.
But is it really so? In search of an answer to this question, the editors of the German edition of Fit for Fun turned to the doctor Aref Kassobhoy, who answered negatively to the question: the “5-second rule” does not work in this case.
“No matter how fast you pick up products that have fallen to the floor, they quickly collect bacteria. This is true even if the food rises after five seconds or less. The research results show that microorganisms accumulate on food from the surface on which it lands, ”the doctor said.
According to Kassobkhoy, the researchers tested a large number of products that were specially dropped on different parts of the floor.
On the subject: Health hazard: 5 foods that no one should eat
It was found that the “5-second rule” did not work for any product after falling to the floor, although the degree of bacterial contamination was different for different foods. It was the strongest in wet (for example, watermelons).
Dry foods, such as a piece of chocolate or a nut, collected a minimum of bacteria.
But even them, according to doctors, it is dangerous to eat.
“If you eat foods that have fallen on the floor, you are at risk of swallowing bacteria: E. coli or Salmonella. Both types of bacteria can cause unpleasant symptoms (for example, diarrhea, nausea), sometimes they can be fatal, ”the expert warned.
