Do you enjoy a wedge of lemon with your water or iced tea when you eat at a restaurant? Well, you’ll be shocked by what this video shows. Two out of every three restaurant lemon wedges tested in a study were covered in disease-causing bacteria -- including fecal bacteria. A total of 25 different, and potentially dangerous, microorganisms were discovered on the wedges.
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Should you now boycott all restaurant lemon wedges, because sooner or later you will get one that will make you sick?
Well, if you have a compromised immune system, are elderly, or are referring to a small child, perhaps. These are the people who are most likely to become sick from rogue bacteria.
For most of you, however, particularly if you’ve been following basic health principles, your immune system can more than handle the bacteria found on a contaminated lemon rind.
If it couldn’t, we’d all be in trouble, considering that over 65 percent of colds, 50 percent of all cases of diarrhea and 50 percent to 80 percent of food-borne illnesses are caught not in restaurants but in your own homes.
So while the idea of strange fecal bacteria coating your restaurant lemon wedge is disgusting, and certainly not hygienic, your own kitchen is probably home to some of it as well. Studies have actually shown that there could be up to 200 times more fecal bacteria on your kitchen cutting board than on your toilet seat.
The sponge that you use to wash your dishes is another one that is commonly loaded with disease-causing bacteria, as are computer keyboards, desks, phone receivers and shopping cart handles.
And did I mention that one of the “riskiest” ways to get an infection is by simply shaking hands with someone? It’s true. So unless you plan to shun not only lemon wedges but also your kitchen, dish washing sponges, computer keyboard, grocery shopping and handshakes, I’d suggest following these simple tips to keep your immune system up to par:
* Get a good night’s sleep
* Minimize stress in your life
* Exercise regularly and effectively
* Get enough sun exposure or, alternatively, enough of the right vitamin D (if you live in a cold environment where you can't stay out in the sun)
* Avoid sugar and grains, and instead eat plenty of raw foods
* Take a high-quality probiotic (good bacteria)
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