# How to Avoid Getting Sick from Food or Water in Mexico



## gdlmx91221

Does anyone have any tips for avioding getting sick from food or water in Mexico?

Thank you!


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## RVGRINGO

I must admit that I'm beginning to wonder, gdlmx91221, if you are for real or an internet troll. If you are serious, we're all here to help but you seem either overly worried or have never traveled before. The truth is, we don't get sick from the food or the water in Mexico. Those who do are the ones who worry about it too much. Worry can make you sick. Actually, some expats do get sick when they go back to the USA because the food and water there can be dangerous from time to time. I can assure you that Mexican food servers take more care in food handling than I've ever seen in the USA in my days as a county health officer. Here, they often have a separate person to take your money for sanitary reasons, frequently wear disposable gloves, etc. You have little to fear but fear itself. Come, travel, eat, drink and enjoy. I say this after just having returned from a double helping of roast pulled pork, rice & beans, slaw, desert and a Negra Modelo; all prepared and served by Mexicans, of course. It was delicious and my only discomfort is that I am very, very full.
Water served in restaurants is purified, as is the ice. Most expat homes use five gallon garafons of such water or have their own filtration and UV purification system. In many areas this may be 'overkill' as the water may actually be quite potable right out of the faucet. If in doubt, you may safely drink tap water by simply adding two drops of Chlorine bleach per liter of water. Let it sit for 30 minutes and/or refrigerate it to dissipate the taste of chlorine. There is no need to boil water or to use purified water to soak vegetables if you are adding a few drops of Microdyne or chlorine bleach to the water. It is all pretty simple and quite safe.


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## ROKZY

gdlmx91221 said:


> Does anyone have any tips for avioding getting sick from food or water in Mexico?
> 
> Thank you!


Hi,

One way to boost your gut is by taking probiotics 2X daily between meals. Read the directions on the package and don't worry-it's hard to overdose... if you do, you'll know because you may get a very slight case of the runns....and then just don't take so much, Eh? However, it will be nothing like Montezumas revenge! It's not uncommon for any one of different origon to feel a bit ill when getting used to a differentt place... it'll may take a bit for you to acclimate.. but you will-so hang in there!

Best!

By the way... you can also do this by eating kimchee or what ever the traditional fermented food is from your area.


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## Lunik

Wash your hands before you eat something lol


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## jlms

Water: drink bottled water. If you go to a restaurant ensure that they open the bottle of water in front of you (ask them to bring the bottle closed).

Or you could do as I did when I lived there: drink the tap water, which is perfectly safe to drink in most places.

Food: use common sense. Mexicans know which places to avoid using common sense, I am sure you can do as much by looking for basic hygiene in the places where you are eating. Something to keep in mind is that the smaller the place where you are eating, the less likely it is being regulated in any way, so you may need to beware specially there (this is a rule of thumb, there are small restaurants that are superb, but I would only go to those after a recommendation of regular clients).


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## gdlmx91221

jlms said:


> Water: drink bottled water. If you go to a restaurant ensure that they open the bottle of water in front of you (ask them to bring the bottle closed).
> 
> Or you could do as I did when I lived there: drink the tap water, which is perfectly safe to drink in most places.
> 
> Food: use common sense. Mexicans know which places to avoid using common sense, I am sure you can do as much by looking for basic hygiene in the places where you are eating. Something to keep in mind is that the smaller the place where you are eating, the less likely it is being regulated in any way, so you may need to beware specially there (this is a rule of thumb, there are small restaurants that are superb, but I would only go to those after a recommendation of regular clients).


Do you think that it is safe to drink the tap water in Guadalajara?


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## Redsierra

*Water safety*

In doing some research today regarding water in Barra de Navidad at our new condo (new to us - but 20 years old or so), I was told that the problem is that most water systems are gravity feed. So the water, sits in the holding tanks. The holding tanks can develop algae and what not. I know that ours are cleaned every so often, but they are still by no means "sanitary". I am thinking about getting a reverse osmosis system with UV, as they are not terribly expensive. If anyone has any experience with them please feel free to chime in. By no means am I saying that what I have been told is correct, but it seems logical to me.


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## sbrimer

*plasil For the revenge*

There is a product (Natural) that you can buy over the counter in MX. Plasil it the item. There are 2 versions, one for the stomich (white) and another for both involved areas (Brown Tablet) They are inexpencive and work very well. A matter of 20 minutes. I was traveling in MX in the 70's got very sick in PV. After 3 days I saw the hotel doctor he gave me these items Since then, I have never traveled anywhere with out them. Living at the border for most of my adult life, made it easy to get them. Of course it is not availble in the US. What else is news. Try it you will like it, A few dollars for 20 tablets. They are small and easy to take. /any Pharmacy will help you. The locals use them too. I have traveled all over MX. They seem to have them everywhere.
sb


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## RVGRINGO

I have never heard of Plasil, so I looked it up. Here's a reference:

Plasil& - NextBio


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## Redsierra

Thanks for the info on plasil. We will pick some up!

Sincerely,

Dwight


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## RVGRINGO

What puzzles me is all this fear of getting sick.


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## conklinwh

I've been in about 40 countries across Asia, Africa, South & North America and Europe.
I try not to do stupid things like drink tap water that I don't know about or eat street foods that just don't look right. Mexico is about the safest of all the countries and most restaurants are paranoid about cleanliness. We have a purifier/softener but I still buy and use bottled water. At 19 pesos per 17L, it just tastes better. 
The only thing that we have added is Vermox Plus for "Amibas + Lombrices". A number of our friends actually take them periodically just in case but people rarely have problems.


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## RVGRINGO

We must have led parallel lives. I have also lived, worked and traveled all over the world, way back when it was not nearly as 'modern' as it is now. We did not obsess over the water and food as we enjoyed it all and raised healthy children in the process.
Folks must begin to realize that the food and water in the USA isn't all that safe either, and that there are many parts of the world that are even more modern and advanced than most of the USA. Here, in Guadalajara, one will find a truly world class city with culture and facilities to fill any need. Some of our larger shopping malls are absolutely spectacular and very 'up-scale'. One should dress up to visit them.


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## masmgt

*food safety*

In the 11 years I have lived in Mexico, I have gotten sick once - from lunch at a white tablecloth restaurant. My rule is to avoid ant place where it is not clear that they have a sink. That rules out street food and many roadside stands, often in the middle of nowhere along the highway. Even most of these are safe, but I still avoid them.

Otherwise, eat, drink, and be very merry!

Martin


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## Farmer Jo

I read somewhere that one common reason some folks get ill when travelling - especially to sun destinations - is they arrive and all in the first 24-48 hours: take in too much sun, drink too much alcohol, eat a different diet (eg. perhaps not used to so much tropical fruit - or beans?) and don't get enough sleep. It weakens your immune system. It's common sense..you ease into it. And don't eat shrimp or meat sticks on the beach that have been unfridgerated for hours. Again, in Mexico, you use common sense, like anywhere else, including your own home city.


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## 540rpm

i've heard that some mexicans get the trots coming north, a matter of intestinal flora adjusting to new microbes. worst case i ever got was in costa rica where tap water is potable. i had eaten some fried rice in the mercado at the end of the day and, thinking back, i noticed the rag in the cooking area looked haggard, well-used. well, i got it both ends all night and it was the night before flying back north. fellow at the hotel desk said to get some yucca powder at the farmacia, sugar, lime and water. it may have helped a bit. on the plane my guatemalan seatmate said to not drink anything cold. flight attendant said don't drink anything hot. it was a happy moment to have survived "buckle seatbelt" and landing at LAX without a lower GI convulsion. it took more than a week to stabilize. never did go to a doctor.
i have heard iodine can be used in water for washing produce. here in the states we get plenty of offensive microbes in packaged salads. i would rather confront the problem there than here. other benefits to living down there and i hope to join y'all soon. lake chapala or ajicic. gotta sell the place here first.


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## JaneScriv

Well, I was in Cuernavaca last August at a Spanish language immersion school for 3 weeks. The first two weeks all went well (except one-on-one immersion is very, very demanding) - the third week I came down with the most outrageous 'turista' imaginable. And it came on fast - one moment I woke up feeling a bit unwell - next moment - first of several exhausting trips to the bathroom. I really have no idea how I came by it. The food at the school was clean and delicious. I ate a couple of meals out and did not have any problems. The only thing that was questionable was that I occasionally forgot about the do-not-drink-the-tapwater rule and swallowed small amounts after brushing my teeth. And one time, while out with one of the instructors, I had a glass of 'jugo' - the fruit juice which is usually mixed with tap water. The owner of the school obtained some antibiotics for me, but it was a full week before I was well enough to get up. I was just able to make my flight back to San Francisco. Perhaps the change of climate (about 10-15 degrees hotter than the Bay Area, and the stress of the intensive immersion course weakened my resistence. And, perhaps I have a more delicate stomach than many. But I would say, follow the old rules - only bottled water opened at the table, wash and peel fruit, and do not eat fresh salads unless you know how the kitchen handles the vegetables. And maybe obtain a broad spectrum antibiotic before you go just in case. But it is no joke getting that sick - I lost about 15 lbs in less than 2 weeks, and that is very hard on the body.


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## Traveler123

I can tell you right now that the food supply in the US is getting worse, not better. I just watched an excellent, but very scary, documentary, "Food, Inc" which reported on the highly risky practices of giant corporations that own and run US food production, not the least of which includes poultry and beef production run by huge agribusinesses. The level of ground water pollution these industries are creating is truly astronomical. It's illegal in the state of Kansas to even take a photograph of these huge beef processing operations, that are miles and miles long. The cows spend their entire lives knee deep in manure, and can't move. The manure is mixed into the ground beef at the slaughterhouses because it can't be completely cleaned off of the animal before slaughter. I haven't eaten ground beef in the US for 10 years. I'd much rather take my chances with beef grown on a small farm in Mexico than with ground beef purchased in a grocery store in the US.


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## chicois8

Guess I'll chime, 
while in Mexico I eat lots of garlic, mojo de ajo is always followed by "extra garlic please"
bottled mineral water with lime, in fact lime on everything from soup to nuts.........

I put a small amount of chlorine in my underground water storage tank, so it is treated before it go to the roof tank........

I have a filter system with UV light, reverse osmosis is unnecessary with a UV light system..

no problem eating off street carts if they are real busy, at least you can see your food prepared before your very eyes and not some restaurant tucked out of site.....just my 2 centavos


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## jlms

JaneScriv said:


> Well, I was in Cuernavaca last August at a Spanish language immersion school for 3 weeks. The first two weeks all went well (except one-on-one immersion is very, very demanding) - the third week I came down with the most outrageous 'turista' imaginable. And it came on fast - one moment I woke up feeling a bit unwell - next moment - first of several exhausting trips to the bathroom. I really have no idea how I came by it. The food at the school was clean and delicious. I ate a couple of meals out and did not have any problems. The only thing that was questionable was that I occasionally forgot about the do-not-drink-the-tapwater rule and swallowed small amounts after brushing my teeth. And one time, while out with one of the instructors, I had a glass of 'jugo' - the fruit juice which is usually mixed with tap water. The owner of the school obtained some antibiotics for me, but it was a full week before I was well enough to get up. I was just able to make my flight back to San Francisco. Perhaps the change of climate (about 10-15 degrees hotter than the Bay Area, and the stress of the intensive immersion course weakened my resistence. And, perhaps I have a more delicate stomach than many. But I would say, follow the old rules - only bottled water opened at the table, wash and peel fruit, and do not eat fresh salads unless you know how the kitchen handles the vegetables. And maybe obtain a broad spectrum antibiotic before you go just in case. But it is no joke getting that sick - I lost about 15 lbs in less than 2 weeks, and that is very hard on the body.




The worst stomach bugs that I have ever got where acquired eating here in the UK.

Two reasons for this: there are bugs everywhere, such is life; but also when you move to a different country you are bound to be hit by bugs your immune system has not fought before, so while most Mexicans will not bay an eyelid when these bugs attack them, foreigners may have to pay "admittance price" in order to gain some immunity.

That is not to say you should be completely unconcerned about what you drink and what you eat, but on occasions bad luck is just that .


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## Mr.Chips

My wife uses a product called Microdyne to soak any vegetables or fruits and then rinses them off with bottled water. We take care in washing hands prior to food handling and are especially careful in preparing any meat/poultry. I have had the odd intestinal adventure in Mexico and it always seems to occur after we have eaten at a restaurant or taco stand.I always try to get a look at the kitchen and if it doesnt appear sanitary-we move on to somewhere else. This theory never seems to work as I have eaten at high end(appeared safe) restaurants and suffered later.I prefer to eat at home and to know everything has been prepared properly.My wife who has a cast iron gut never seems to have a problem regardless of where or what she eats.


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## RVGRINGO

The fact of the matter is that those who are overly fastidious are sometimes the ones who get sick most often. In order to develop immunities and that "cast iron stomach", we must eat a certain amount of 'dirt'. Once your body becomes accustomed to the local 'bugs', you may find that you could experience an 'upset' when you return to your home territory after a long absence.


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## Salto_jorge

Suggestions for living in other places and your own home town !!!!

========================

Wash your hands after using touching anything or before sticking your hand in your mouth or other places. 

Always wash after using the restroom, use a towel to open the door to get out.

Never sit on the toilet seat, Hep A, crabs etc.

Most folks in the USA never wash their hands after using the toilet and just leave the rest room. I always wash and open the door with paper towets or the cuff on my sleeve it needed.

Wash the tops/bottoms of all cans before you open them (rodent fecies and sprays) I use tap water.

Wash you fruits and vegatables.

Only eat meat that looks clean and is not going bad.

Do not eat out unless you can see the food and the kitchen.

You many want to carry your own pillow since most people drip spit at night and it gets past the pillow case.

Do not use your street shoes in the house. they have been in public restrooms and on the dirty streets. 

Use slippers in your house or house shoes.

Use water shoes or flip flops when taking a shower when not at home.

Try only to shake the left hand of strangers since most folks are right handed and that is the "Dirty" one (Finger in the nose, used for cleaning ones self, you get it).

Once you master these things at home traveling is not hard.

I have mastered these things back in the states (USA) most of the time

=============================================

In mexico purchase bottled water for drinking.

Flush the water system on your house, pour bleach into both tanks every now and then.

Then pretend that you are at home and do the same things as in the USA !

If you do not care back in the states (USA or Home) , why would you in the MEXICO


People are the same all ovr the place, the main difference is the local BUGS and pests that may bite you and the version of the flu in the area.


Go for it !!!


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## makaloco

As an expat for more than 30 years and a traveler for longer, I'm strongly with RVGringo on this. Some precautions are plain common sense, but if you're too fastidious, it can backfire when suddenly (for example) you need to open a bathroom door when there are no paper towels and you're wearing a swimsuit. Some folks simply get sick more easily than others and need to be more careful, but in other cases, it seems to be because they haven't allowed themselves to build up any immunities. It's no fun being sick, especially while on vacation, but it's also no fun being so worried that you can't eat out in restaurants or food stands, or can't shake hands in the customary way.


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## RVGRINGO

OK, let's put it this way: We've lived in Mexico since 2001 and have traveled in various parts of the country. Prior to that, I had lived, worked and traveled in over 30 countries but my wife had only traveled in the US, Canada and Mexico. I have never been sick with 'the revenge'.
My wife did, just once, get sick after insisting on milk for her coffee in a tiny desert restaurant in the middle of nowhere. I had used the artificial creamer packet on the table. Before leaving, I went to the 'baño' behind the restaurant and noticed a nanny goat tied there, in the yard. Her udder was full and very dirty. Having to pass through the kitchen to get there, I also noticed the absence of any commercially bottled milk in the cooler. We, therefore, assume that the tiny pitcher of milk for her coffee resulted from a few quick pulls of the goat's teat, without washing. She was quite uncomfortable for the next day or two. Having learned her lesson, she hasn't been sick again.
So, it is plain common sense, mixed with a bit of the luck of the draw. We don't give it any more thought in Mexico than we do in the USA, Canada or anywhere else in the world. We travel, eat & enjoy.


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## Salto_jorge

I agree, some folks have cast iron guts others do not.

I do not have a cast iron gut. I get sick eating out in the states its no different in other countries.

We are all different. If you worry too much you will get the ****s.

Drink bottled water, skip the ice cubes in strange places and bars.


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## tanderson0o

I would tend to agree with this. I think it is the same thing that I see with many children in the US today when the parents are obsessed with germs and smother their kids with anti-bacterial everything. These are the kids that never build up any immunities to anything and are always bothered by some ailment...

When I was a kid, we didn't worry about such things  We played outside, ate dirt, picked up every thing in sight, and never though about washing anything unless we were ordered to do so by our parents, and then only with great reluctance , and most of us are stronger for the wear and tear.

I have traveled throughout Mexico, eaten many local foods, drank the tap water, shaken hands and exchanged various greetings with many people and I am none the worse for wear...


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