Flying and Health — Page 104, Lesson 160

I want to walk you through the final part of the Flying and Health chapter, which covers minerals, trace elements, and the critical topic of incapacitation due to food poisoning. Let's start with principal minerals. Minerals are essential to many vital body processes. The three principal minerals that are critical to the body's functions are calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It helps with building and maintaining bones and teeth. Its sources include milk, milk products, dark green leafy vegetables, and shellfish. Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral. It performs more functions than any other mineral and plays a part in nearly every chemical reaction in the body. Its sources are grains, cheese and milk, nuts, meats, poultry, fish, dried peas and beans, and egg yolks. Iron is necessary for the formation of haemoglobin — that's the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Its sources are meats, beans, green leafy vegetables, grain products, nuts, and shellfish. Now, trace elements. A few elements are present in the body in such small quantities that they are called "trace" elements. However, they are essential to health. The most important of these trace elements are iodine, copper, zinc, cobalt, manganese, and fluorine. Here's an important operational point: trace elements will be obtained from a healthy and balanced diet. Supplementary pills should not be taken unless under the direct supervision of an Aviation Medical Specialist. That's a specific requirement for aircrew — you don't self-medicate with supplements. Now let's move to the most serious operational topic in this section: incapacitation due to food poisoning. The most common cause of in-flight incapacitation is acute Gastroenteritis due to food poisoning or drinking contaminated water. Gastrointestinal disorders represent almost half the causes of incapacitation in flight. That's a striking statistic — nearly 50% of in-flight incapacitation events come from stomach and gut problems. The onset of the disorder is usually abrupt and violent. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and diarrhoea. These symptoms can cause a rapid loss of fluids and lead to dehydration. But there's a particularly dangerous form you need to understand. An insidious onset is the most dangerous form of this incapacitation. With no obvious symptoms, the pilot is slow to become aware of the critical state into which he or she has entered. That means the pilot might not realise how badly dehydrated or incapacitated they are becoming until it's too late. Let's look at the major sources of contaminated foodstuffs. The major sources of food contamination are from unhygienic food preparation and poor storage methods, undercooked or rancid meats, unwashed salads — or salads washed in contaminated water — unpeeled fruit and vegetables, seafood, and locally made ice cream and mayonnaise. Finally, the actions to be taken to avoid food or liquid contamination. When travelling on duty, it is prudent for aircrew to take the following precautions: First, always eat in a clean environment. Second, avoid eating raw vegetables and fruit unless you can peel them yourself. Third, avoid seafoods — these can harbour powerful poisons without impairing the taste. That last point is critical: seafood can contain toxins that you cannot detect by taste, so you have no warning.