Here's why some people get poisoned and others don't...

Have you ever had food poisoning when none of your friends at the table got sick? According to experts, it's quite possible for just one person in a group eating the same meal to get food poisoning.

According to huffpost.com, emergency room physician Dr. Justin Mazur says patients often think, “I’m the only one who got sick, so it’s not food poisoning.” This is a common misconception, according to Mazur. In fact, it’s quite normal for not everyone to be affected in the same way in a typical case of food poisoning.

Food poisoning is defined as a condition that causes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever, and is usually caused by eating food contaminated with viruses, bacteria or, rarely, parasites.

Gut microbiome makes a difference

So why does only one person get sick when they eat the same thing? According to Dr. Mazur, this is due to individual differences, such as immune systems and gut microbiome.

Your gut microbiome, made up of trillions of microorganisms, has a huge impact on your overall health. If you have an unhealthy microbiome, you may have a hard time dealing with the bacterial onslaught that an undercooked burger can cause. A healthy microbiome can help you cope with these situations more easily.

Mazur emphasizes the importance of microbial diversity and beneficial bacteria, saying, “People with inadequate microbiomes are more likely to develop food poisoning.” An inadequate microbiome is usually characterized by a high density of pathogenic bacteria, which increases the risk.

Additionally, there are other factors that affect the likelihood of getting food poisoning.

What you eat beforehand also affects

Dr. Mazur says factors like whether a person consumes enough food to be infected and what they eat and drink on the same day also matter. For example, heavy alcohol consumption can wreak havoc on your healthy microbiome and make you vulnerable.

Dr. Mazur’s advice is simple: Eating a balanced diet is essential to supporting a healthy microbiome, which makes your gut more resilient to foodborne bacteria.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that food poisoning is perceived differently by everyone’s body, and a healthy microbiome can be your best defense against risk.