World-Traveling Record Holder Warns Eating Out Abroad Could Make You Sick
A Danish traveler who has visited every country on Earth, including North Korea, has issued a warning to fellow travelers about dining out while abroad. Henrik Jeppesen became the youngest person to travel to all 193 nations at the age of 27. Having visited more than 2,000 destinations since his first trip to Egypt aged 17, Henrik has set foot in plenty of no-go zones for tourists. But his warning is not about avoiding war-torn countries or areas with high terrorist alerts. Instead, it's about where — and what — you eat while visiting another country. While most travelers want to eat out at local restaurants in order to try the destination's authentic cuisine, he warned that this can lead to sickness. 'You don't have to go out and eat every day. Supermarket food can save your life,' he told LadBible.
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A World Traveler's Cautionary Tale From 2,000 Destinations to Lessons About Food Abroad
Henrik claims he has been 'extremely sick' from food poisoning and the 'mistakes' he made with food may have contributed to his Lyme disease and multiple chemical sensitivity. Henrik pointed out that people who have only spent a number of weeks in areas of Asia, specifically Southeast Asia, can pick up parasites or diseases which are easily treated in that part of the world, with Western medicine not as well equipped to deal with them. 'I think hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people with some kind of chronic illnesses would get better, if they managed to get rid of parasites,' Henrik claimed. Eating contaminated food from street vendors is one of the most common ways travellers can fall ill in Southeast Asia.
Methanol-Tainted Drinks The Hidden Killer at Backpacker Venues
But an emerging new danger comes from methanol-tainted drinks, often served at backpacker venues. Londoner Simone White, 28, died last year after drinking alcohol which contained methanol at a backpacker hostel in the Laos town of Vang Vieng. Five other tourists, from Denmark, the US and Australia, also died after drinking at the same hostel that night.
Health Warnings and Practical Advice for Eating Abroad
A survey conducted from 2013-2022 of gastrointestinal infections in North East England found that out of 2,357 travel-associated illnesses, including salmonella, nearly half occurred in just four countries: Spain, Turkey, India and Egypt. According to guidance for eating out abroad, Brits should follow the mantra: 'Boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it!' This means choosing well-cooked, hot food, peeling your own fruit (bananas, oranges), drinking safe/bottled water, and avoiding raw items, buffets, salads, or unpasteurized dairy to prevent food poisoning.
