Food is the first necessity of the people; one must eat to live. However, only a reasonable and scientific diet can promote health. Conversely, improper eating habits can harm the body. The following foods should not be eaten overnight.
1. Overnight tea should not be consumed.
In overnight tea, most vitamins have been lost due to the long time, and the proteins, sugars, etc., in the tea will become nutrients for the breeding of bacteria and molds. Therefore, it is generally believed that overnight tea should not be drunk.
2. Overnight boiled water should not be consumed.
Boiling tap water for 3 to 5 minutes minimizes the content of harmful substances such as nitrites and chlorides, making it most suitable for drinking.
Drink less overnight boiled water: Nitrites can form carcinogenic nitrosamines in the human body. Experts have found that the nitrite content in boiled water is higher than in raw water. Moreover, for water that has been boiled repeatedly for too long or for more than 24 hours, the nitrite content is significantly increased. After 24 hours, the nitrite content in boiled water is 1.3 times that of freshly boiled water. Chinese people have a habit of drinking boiled water. It is best to boil and drink it fresh or only drink the boiled water from the same day. Do not drink boiled water that has been boiled for too long.
3. Overnight tremella (silver ear fungus) should not be eaten.
Tremella soup is a high-grade nutritional tonic, but overnight, its nutritional content decreases and harmful substances are produced. This is because both indoor-cultivated and wood-cultivated tremella contain relatively high levels of nitrates. After being cooked, if left for a long time, nitrates are reduced to nitrites under the action of bacterial decomposition. When people drink this soup, nitrites naturally enter the bloodstream. Hemoglobin in red blood cells can carry large amounts of oxygen for the body's needs. However, nitrites have the opposite effect, oxidizing normal hemoglobin in the human body into methemoglobin, which loses its ability to carry oxygen, causing a lack of normal hematopoietic function!
4. Overnight leafy greens should not be eaten.
Because some leafy vegetables contain relatively high levels of nitrates, if cooked and left for too long, nitrates will be reduced to nitrites under the action of bacterial decomposition. Nitrites are carcinogenic and cannot be removed by reheating. Healthy eating method: Generally, stem and leafy vegetables have the highest nitrate content, followed by gourd vegetables, and root and stem vegetables and cauliflower-type vegetables are in the middle. Therefore, if you buy different kinds of vegetables at the same time, you should eat the stem and leafy ones first, such as Chinese cabbage and spinach. If you plan to cook more to reheat the next day, you should try to make less stem and leafy vegetables and choose gourd vegetables instead.
5. What to do with overnight soup?
Cantonese people love to simmer soups. Leftover soup is put in the refrigerator and reheated the next day. Is this overnight soup good for your health? Healthy eating method: The best way to store soup is not to add seasonings like salt. After cooking the soup, use a clean spoon to scoop out the portion for the day. For the leftover soup, it is best to store it in a clay pot in the refrigerator. Because when leftover soup is kept in an aluminum or stainless steel pot for a long time, chemical reactions are likely to occur. It should be stored in glass or ceramic containers.
6. Seafood should not be eaten overnight.
Fish, seafood, leafy vegetables, and cold dishes should not be eaten overnight.
After being left overnight, fish and seafood easily produce protein degradation products that can damage liver and kidney function. Leafy vegetables contain varying amounts of nitrates. If overcooked or left for too long, not only will the vegetables turn yellow and change flavor, but the nitrates will also be reduced by bacteria into toxic nitrites, which have a carcinogenic effect. Cold dishes are more contaminated during processing, and even after refrigeration, they are likely to have spoiled overnight. They should be made and eaten fresh.
7. Family braised and marinated foods should not be eaten overnight.
Braised and marinated foods are seasonal favorites for Shanghai residents. Many people also like to put leftover braised and marinated foods in the refrigerator "overnight," but this practice poses a great food safety hazard. To prevent food poisoning, do not eat braised and marinated foods overnight in spring and summer.
Unpackaged braised foods should be finished on the same day and not left overnight. From a food safety perspective, this is unhygienic. If possible, it is best not to eat leftover marinated foods. Food experts remind that even food stored in the refrigerator is not absolutely "safe." Molds and psychrophilic bacteria can easily grow in the refrigerator.