The claim that "overnight food causes cancer" has been all the rage recently, and there is some truth to it. "Overnight food" doesn't just refer to dishes left for a whole night; any food left for more than 8-10 hours should be considered as such. There are two reasons for the increase in toxic components in food. The first is that chemical substances in food produce carcinogens, such as nitrites, which cannot be removed even by reheating. The other reason is secondary contamination from foreign bacteria during storage. In particular, reheating these 4 types of overnight food can increase their toxins and carcinogens by 10 times, so everyone should be highly vigilant.
1. Overnight green leafy vegetables are the most dangerous
Generally, stem and leafy vegetables have the highest nitrate content, followed by gourd vegetables, with root and stem vegetables and cauliflower-type vegetables in the middle. Therefore, if you buy a large quantity of vegetables at once, you should eat the leafy ones first, such as Chinese cabbage and spinach. If you plan to cook extra food to be reheated the next day, you should try to make less of the stem and leafy vegetables and choose gourd vegetables instead.
2. Overnight seafood damages the liver and kidneys
Seafood like crabs, fish, and shrimp produce protein degradation products overnight, which can damage liver and kidney function. If you've bought too much, you can pack the raw seafood in a sealed bag or container and freeze it for cooking later.
3. Semi-cooked eggs can easily cause illness
Many people love soft, semi-cooked eggs with runny yolks. However, these eggs are not thoroughly sterilized. Coupled with the fact that eggs are rich in nutrients, they are particularly prone to bacterial growth, which can be dangerous to eat. If the eggs are fully cooked and properly sealed and stored at a low temperature, it is fine to eat them the next day.
4. Be careful with silver ear mushrooms and other mushrooms
Whether wild or cultivated, silver ear mushrooms and other mushrooms can easily retain a lot of nitrates. If they have been stored for a long time, you may have to discard them.
Don't store soup in metal containers. Making soup is time-consuming and laborious, so people often make a large pot to eat for several days. If leftover soup is kept in an aluminum or iron pot for a long time, harmful substances for the human body will be leached out. The best way to store soup is to not add salt or other seasonings while cooking. Use a clean spoon to scoop out the portion for the day. For the remaining soup, it's best to store it in a clay pot or a sealed container in the refrigerator.