Friday, March 11, 2016

These foods should not be re-heated. You might be poisoned

In your daily life you always find leftovers in your fridge. Reheating has become very common and is found in every household; it not only saves money but time and effort of making a new dish altogether as well. Consuming leftover is a great idea, but you should take into account the consequences of reheating some foods as it could put your families’ health at risk. There are several foods that become toxic when reheated. Some of them are mentioned below.

Chicken 

Chicken is the most commonly reheated foods found in every household. It is known that chicken is highly rich in proteins, but when reheated it can cause digestive problems. When it is reheated, the protein content present in chicken will change and this not only changes the flavour of the ingredient but also sheds all the health benefits. As their structure changes when reheated, our body becomes unfamiliar and indigestible. It is recommended not to heat meat at high temperatures especially chicken as it has more proteins than red meat.

Mushroom

The same change in protein synthesis is observed in the case of mushrooms. Mushrooms are also a good source of protein. It should be immediately consumed right after cooking. If allowed to rest, it will change its composition and make it difficult to digest. It can be slightly warmed to 70 degrees at low flame for a longer time. You must ensure that it is heated all the way through.

Beets and greens 


Beets have a high nitrate level, and are considered to be good for your body. In addition to this, spinach, turnips and celery also have high level of nutritional value. However, these foods when reheated can be very dangerous for your body, as the whole amount of spinach can become completely nitrate. Under the action of microorganisms when heating is performed, it transforms nitrate compounds into nitrosamines. They are carcinogenic to human body. Spinach is the most harmful in this group and is recommended to be consumed when fresh.

Potatoes

Potatoes are extremely good for ones’ health when cooked well. When they are cooled down, potatoes lead to an increase in the percentage of starch, which has probiotic effect. It loses its nutritional value if kept in refrigerator for a longer time. Reheating these highly nutritional food items eventually turns toxic.

Eggs 

Another food that belongs to this category is eggs. Eggs are high-risk food products as they become toxic when exposed to high temperature. Reheating scrambled eggs and boiled eggs can upset your stomach.

Rice

Reheated rice can make you ill. It is not the reheating that ruins the health but the way it is kept after cooking. Most of the people tend to keep the rice at room temperature for more than an hour. It happens in case of parties where rice is kept in the room temperature for longer time than recommended. Unknown to many, uncooked rice may have spores of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that causes food poisoning. When the rice is cooked, the spores survive. These spores convert into bacteria when left at room temperature. These bacteria multiply and produce toxins that lead to vomiting for a short period of time. These bacteria make the rice unsafe to eat. It is recommended to store your rice promptly and consume it quickly.

Next time you head towards the refrigerator to reheat or reuse any of the above food products; you should keep in mind the consequences they have on your health. You should either immediately consume once these food items are made or consume them cold. Few food items carry ingredients that can be reheated to a very low temperature and consumed immediately. Still, it is wise to cook limited portions of food everyday and consume fresh and good ones. Indeed, health is always wealth.