Comments on: Fried Rice Syndrome, or You Can’t B. cereus! http://www.8asians.com/2009/01/07/fried-rice/ A blog for Asian Americans Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:46:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: willneverusethisaccountagain http://www.8asians.com/2009/01/07/fried-rice/comment-page-1/#comment-129561 willneverusethisaccountagain Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:03:39 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2459#comment-129561 Almost exactly a year later and I was unlucky enough to win this from a [normally quite good] local take-out place. Exactly 24 hours of hell; the 'drink two tablespoons of vinegar' trick helped with the immediate symptoms but couldn't prevent the full day of fever and shaking. Astragalus tea (well, a 'Cold and Flu Time' blend) seemed to be the best thing for hydration, and ibuprofen got the fever to break. [In retrospect I it's probably better to hit the Advil as soon as you can keep it down; I figured I'd sweat it out and avoid irritating my stomach but the fever kicked in overnight and had me paralyzed in bed.]<br><br>As to MSG/"chinese food syndrome" - I don't get it either, but my mother was more than surprised to have a reaction in the '70s that put her in anaphylaxis and left her with permanent scarring from the swelling to her face and such. She was developing a tree-nut and peanut allergy around the same time (I'm not sure which came first), so maybe the excess glutamate 'enhanced' her reaction to traces of some other allergen the same way it enhances the flavors of normal food. [The diagnostic tools were a bit crude back then, but the doctors put it down as an MSG allergy and she's avoided it, and any further reactions, since, but tolerates parmesan and other high-glutamate foods fine.] I didn't inherit the same sensitivity (hallelujah), but too many Doritos - to pick a non-racist source of MSG - can leave me feeling all dehydrated and blah; maybe it's the sodium? (MSG is apparently 15% sodium by weight, while parmesan - which I understand is basically 100% glutamate - seems to be 2%.) Almost exactly a year later and I was unlucky enough to win this from a [normally quite good] local take-out place. Exactly 24 hours of hell; the 'drink two tablespoons of vinegar' trick helped with the immediate symptoms but couldn't prevent the full day of fever and shaking. Astragalus tea (well, a 'Cold and Flu Time' blend) seemed to be the best thing for hydration, and ibuprofen got the fever to break. [In retrospect I it's probably better to hit the Advil as soon as you can keep it down; I figured I'd sweat it out and avoid irritating my stomach but the fever kicked in overnight and had me paralyzed in bed.]

As to MSG/”chinese food syndrome” – I don't get it either, but my mother was more than surprised to have a reaction in the '70s that put her in anaphylaxis and left her with permanent scarring from the swelling to her face and such. She was developing a tree-nut and peanut allergy around the same time (I'm not sure which came first), so maybe the excess glutamate 'enhanced' her reaction to traces of some other allergen the same way it enhances the flavors of normal food. [The diagnostic tools were a bit crude back then, but the doctors put it down as an MSG allergy and she's avoided it, and any further reactions, since, but tolerates parmesan and other high-glutamate foods fine.] I didn't inherit the same sensitivity (hallelujah), but too many Doritos – to pick a non-racist source of MSG – can leave me feeling all dehydrated and blah; maybe it's the sodium? (MSG is apparently 15% sodium by weight, while parmesan – which I understand is basically 100% glutamate – seems to be 2%.)

]]> By: A http://www.8asians.com/2009/01/07/fried-rice/comment-page-1/#comment-109203 A Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:53:41 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2459#comment-109203 Just so you all don't freak out. B. Cereus is fairly rare. Of all the food poisonings that can occur in pretty much any meal you eat that you dont prepare yourself, it only accounts for from 3-5%. You are MUCH more likely to get food poisoning from any of the following: raw vegetables, ie. salad, lettuce on your sandwich, mayonnaise or chicken. So stop freaking out, your fried rice is probably safe. If it hasnt killed you up till now, its probably not going to again. If youre young and health, the worst (kind of) thing that could happen is some diarrhea or vomiting for a few hours. -A med student with an MPH in infectious disease Just so you all don’t freak out. B. Cereus is fairly rare. Of all the food poisonings that can occur in pretty much any meal you eat that you dont prepare yourself, it only accounts for from 3-5%. You are MUCH more likely to get food poisoning from any of the following: raw vegetables, ie. salad, lettuce on your sandwich, mayonnaise or chicken.

So stop freaking out, your fried rice is probably safe. If it hasnt killed you up till now, its probably not going to again. If youre young and health, the worst (kind of) thing that could happen is some diarrhea or vomiting for a few hours.

-A med student with an MPH in infectious disease

]]> By: A http://www.8asians.com/2009/01/07/fried-rice/comment-page-1/#comment-139813 A Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:53:00 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2459#comment-139813 Just so you all don't freak out. B. Cereus is fairly rare. Of all the food poisonings that can occur in pretty much any meal you eat that you dont prepare yourself, it only accounts for from 3-5%. You are MUCH more likely to get food poisoning from any of the following: raw vegetables, ie. salad, lettuce on your sandwich, mayonnaise or chicken. So stop freaking out, your fried rice is probably safe. If it hasnt killed you up till now, its probably not going to again. If youre young and health, the worst (kind of) thing that could happen is some diarrhea or vomiting for a few hours. -A med student with an MPH in infectious disease Just so you all don’t freak out. B. Cereus is fairly rare. Of all the food poisonings that can occur in pretty much any meal you eat that you dont prepare yourself, it only accounts for from 3-5%. You are MUCH more likely to get food poisoning from any of the following: raw vegetables, ie. salad, lettuce on your sandwich, mayonnaise or chicken.

So stop freaking out, your fried rice is probably safe. If it hasnt killed you up till now, its probably not going to again. If youre young and health, the worst (kind of) thing that could happen is some diarrhea or vomiting for a few hours.

-A med student with an MPH in infectious disease

]]> By: Linda http://www.8asians.com/2009/01/07/fried-rice/comment-page-1/#comment-109031 Linda Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:57:02 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2459#comment-109031 i had no idea ur not supposed to leave cooked rice out- my mom does it all the time! thanks for informing us. btw, do cats really make u run to the bathroom every hour or so? i had no idea ur not supposed to leave cooked rice out- my mom does it all the time! thanks for informing us. btw, do cats really make u run to the bathroom every hour or so?

]]> By: Linda http://www.8asians.com/2009/01/07/fried-rice/comment-page-1/#comment-139812 Linda Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:57:00 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2459#comment-139812 i had no idea ur not supposed to leave cooked rice out- my mom does it all the time! thanks for informing us. btw, do cats really make u run to the bathroom every hour or so? i had no idea ur not supposed to leave cooked rice out- my mom does it all the time! thanks for informing us. btw, do cats really make u run to the bathroom every hour or so?

]]> By: nova http://www.8asians.com/2009/01/07/fried-rice/comment-page-1/#comment-108966 nova Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:22:42 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2459#comment-108966 lucky you for only eating a few bites. that would have never happened with me - which means i probably would have been in the bathroom all night. there was so much science here! love it. lucky you for only eating a few bites. that would have never happened with me – which means i probably would have been in the bathroom all night. there was so much science here! love it.

]]> By: nova http://www.8asians.com/2009/01/07/fried-rice/comment-page-1/#comment-139811 nova Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:22:00 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2459#comment-139811 lucky you for only eating a few bites. that would have never happened with me - which means i probably would have been in the bathroom all night. there was so much science here! love it. lucky you for only eating a few bites. that would have never happened with me – which means i probably would have been in the bathroom all night. there was so much science here! love it.

]]> By: YvesPaul http://www.8asians.com/2009/01/07/fried-rice/comment-page-1/#comment-108957 YvesPaul Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:22:19 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=2459#comment-108957 OMG, you're about to send the whole Asian population into panic. I love HK Cafe food! OMG, you’re about to send the whole Asian population into panic. I love HK Cafe food!

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