Dear Dr. Jeff: Ever since I've come back to campus I've had diarrhea. I've heard rumors that the dining service put laxatives in our food. Is that causing my problem?
-L.B.M.
Dear L.B.M.: Laxatives added to your food would certainly cause diarrhea. There is, however, no reason whatsoever to believe that the dining service serve up anything but wholesome and delicious food! And there are many other reasons you might be having the diarrhea (more on this below.)
Rumors about college dining services adding laxatives to students' meals have circulated nation-wide for a great many years. Googling the topic yields reports and responses from Rutgers, Skidmore, University of Denver, Lafayette, Colby, and Bates, just to name the first few!
Mary Lou Kennedy, Director of our Dining Services, had this to say:
"Simply put, Bowdoin College does not, nor would we ever, add laxatives or any non-food ingredient to your food. Dining Service is committed to providing the highest quality food and service possible to the Bowdoin community."
We have all taken great pride in Bowdoin Dining Services' No. 1 national ranking, and it accurately reflects the enormous care, skill and effort that go into every meal.
You may not be fully aware of some of the health-promoting and disease-preventing efforts that also go into every meal. Planning and overseeing food preparation are certified executive chefs working with a registered dietician. Foods are purchased only from approved vendors. Fresh produce comes from the College's own organic garden, whenever possible. The kitchens grind their own meat (often organic), have their own bakeshop, and cook just about everything from scratch. Oils used in food preparation contain no trans fats.
Food-safety and sanitation guidelines are strictly followed and enforced. Food temperatures are monitored from the time food is received until it is placed on your plate. Ghost trays, which are small samples of prepared food, are collected and saved for 48 hours after every meal. Should there ever be a claim of food-borne illness, food can then be tested.
Trust me (and Mary Lou), L.B.M., no one is adding anything to your food at Bowdoin!
As for your chronic diarrhea, there are many possible explanations. You could have some sort of chronic intestinal infection (viral, parasitic or bacterial) or irritable bowel syndrome. You could have a food allergy or gluten intolerance. You could be loading up on too much fat one meal, or skipping the next one. Your late night snacks might be too high in fat. Is your caffeine intake high? Do you smoke? Drink much? Use sugar-substitute sweeteners? Are you taking over-the-counter or prescription medications or herbal remedies that might cause diarrhea? Are you otherwise well, or might you have an endocrine condition or inflammatory bowel condition that's causing your diarrhea?
Clearly there's a very long list of possible causes of chronic diarrhea, and we'd be happy to look into it if you'll come see us at the Health Center. If we can't figure it out, we can refer you to a specialist who can.
And in the meantime, enjoy those wholesome, health-promoting meals served up by Mary Lou and her staff at Thorne and Moulton. They're No. 1 for good reason!
Be well! And bon appetit!
Jeff Benson, MD
Dudley Coe Health Center