It’s probably happened to almost everyone: Not too long after a meal, you get a distress signal from your stomach- rumblings, pain, perhaps nausea and then a quick sprint to the bathroom. Most of us know what it’s like to get “food poisoning” and usually, it’s a minor annoyance that quickly passes (pun intended). But for 3,000 people a year, it turns into a deadly strike, and in seniors, the risks of food-borne illness can be great. In older stomachs there can be less stomach acid to kill off harmful bacteria. Once sickened, older victims may then get sicker than their younger counterparts. Also, our sense of smell and taste diminish as we age, so that our ability to discern spoiled or rotten food may lessen, leaving us more vulnerable to being stricken. To read the National Institute of Health’s excellent summary of the risks of contaminated food and strategies to avoid potential harm, Click Here. And for more general advice on healthy eating choices for seniors, Click Here.