What happens if you eat mold? Get to know the risks, according to a doctor

Whether it's spoiled milk or expired meat, there might be something inedible lurking in your fridge. In some cases, what you thought would be tasty turned moldy.

Molds are "microscopic fungi that live on plant or animal matter," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Fuzzy strawberries or green-spotted bread can indicate that mold has made its way into your kitchen.

But what happens if you accidentally eat mold? Here's what you need to know, according to a doctor.

What happens if you eat mold?

Past the initial "ick factor" of consuming mold, "not a whole lot happens," said Dr. Christine Lee, a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

"As long as the immune system and the gut system is healthy and intact, and you're not immunocompromised, for that vast majority of people, if they accidentally consume a little bit of mold, really not much happens," she said.

The amount of mold someone eats, however, will impact the body's reaction. If someone were to consume a large amount of mold, they might experience nausea, indigestion, cramping and possibly diarrhea, Lee said.

But these symptoms are not inherently a bad thing, she explained. "It's your body's protective mechanism kicking in and trying to get rid of the agent out of your body."

If you do consume mold accidentally, the best thing to do is take "conservative measures," said Lee. This includes getting rest and hydrating.

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Why is it unsafe to eat mold?

While most will not experience adverse reactions to eating mold, it is unsafe to consume.

"A lot of problems with the mold is that it can harbor other infections or cohabitation, bacterial infections, and those can obviously carry different ramifications," said Lee.

This includes listeria. Consuming the bacteria can lead to a listeria infection, which causes fever, chills, nausea and diarrhea. In the most severe cases, it could be fatal. Eating "improperly processed deli meats and unpasteurized milk products" are common causes of this type of bacterial infection, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Additionally, if someone is immunocompromised, including those with gastrointestinal diseases, eating mold could pose further complications.

"You might be a lot more vulnerable to these agents than under normal circumstances," Lee said. "It's just a good idea to avoid it altogether and not put yourself in harm's way or take unnecessary risks."

How to avoid consuming mold

You can't always stop the food in your kitchen from going bad. But there are measures you can take to prevent it.

"Know where your food is coming from," said Lee, "How many hands have passed through; How long has it been laying out; Was it properly washed, prepared and stored and served, all of those steps can go wrong."

If you're taking home leftovers, make sure they are properly covered and are refrigerated promptly, then eat quickly or disposed of within a day or two, she added.

If you come across something moldy in your pantry or fridge, it's best to throw away the food entirely. It may appear the mold has only reached a few slices of bread or pieces of fruit, but it is probably widespread.

"Spores are extremely hard to detect with the naked eye and they're airborne," said Lee. "Strawberries, only two or three may look like visible mold is growing on it, but the rest look fine. It's tempting to salvage those, but to be on the safest side, you really do need to throw away the entire container. The spores are spread through air, so they may not have overt mold, but they most likely have spores on them that you cannot see."

It is also a good habit to routinely clean your fridge every few months, she added.

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