What happens if you drink sour milk or expired kefir

What happens to milk and kefir when they spoil

Fresh milk is virtually free of bacteria. Especially if it is pasteurized - heated to a certain temperature in order to destroy or reduce the activity of harmful microorganisms.

When they want to make kefir or yogurt from milk, then add bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus, in other words - lactobacilli. And then they wait for them to eat lactose (milk sugar) and multiply. These microorganisms are beneficial to health: they improve state of the intestinal microflora, protect against carcinogenic enzymes and have a good effect on the immune system.

But even if nothing is added to milk, sooner or later there will be many microorganisms in it - only already dangerous to health. Both raw and pasteurized multiply bacteria of the genera Acinetobacter, Bacillus and Clostridium, which can cause food poisoning or other health problems.

The same thing happens with kefir. Over time, in addition to beneficial bacteria, dangerous ones will appear in it.

What happens if you drink sour milk or expired kefir

There are two scenarios. If you are lucky and there are no harmful microorganisms in milk and kefir, nothing will happen. If such bacteria enter the body, the consequences will be unpleasant.

Especially carefully it is worth monitoring the freshness of dairy products in case of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. If you regularly experience bloating, there is a tendency for soft, semi-formed or liquid stool several times a day, this may indicate a violation of the intestinal microbiota.

Stale dairy products can increase bloating, increase stool frequency, and lead to bacterial overgrowth syndrome.

How to understand that milk and kefir have deteriorated

An unsuitable drink is easy to distinguish by sour and bad smell. It appears due to the waste products of bacteria that have multiplied in spoiled milk or kefir.

In addition, enzymes secreted by microorganisms increase the acidity of the environment, which leads to the breakdown of the casein protein and the formation of lumps. As a result, the dairy product loses its uniform structure and may acquire a yellowish tint.

It is also worth considering the storage method. If the temperature in the refrigerator higher 5 ° C, and milk or kefir has been standing there for several days, it is better not to take risks and pour out a dubious product.

What to do if you are poisoned by sour milk or expired kefir

Maria Lopatina says that the symptoms of infection do not necessarily occur immediately after consuming the product. Depending on the type of toxin, it can take from 20 minutes to several hours before the first signs of poisoning appear.

Monitor your condition carefully. If you feel swelling, rumbling in the abdomen, cramping pain or the urge to go to the toilet, take any available enterosorbent, such as activated charcoal or dioctahedral smectite.

If there are emetic urge, do not hold back. On the contrary, you can call them by pressing on the root of the tongue. If you vomit repeatedly, drink warm water to avoid dehydration.

If there is no improvement, call an ambulance. Call emergency if:

• appeared multiple loose stools;
• there is repeated vomiting;
• there were acute pains in the abdomen;
• the temperature has risen.

Do not hesitate if the poisoning occurs in a child or an elderly person.