Every day, I have the habit of putting leftover food in the refrigerator to eat later. And sometimes because I'm busy with work, I cook for several days at a time, which is normal. However, if anyone has the same habit as me, it's best to change it. Because recently, I read online a story about a man over 50 years old who had severe diarrhea after eating leftover food at home. Although he was taken to the hospital for treatment, he eventually passed away. Specifically, this man (name hidden) in China was admitted to the hospital for intravenous treatment because he had continuous diarrhea more than ten times a day. However, while receiving intravenous treatment, he suddenly fainted, so he was transferred to the upper hospital for emergency treatment, but when he arrived, his heart stopped beating and he stopped breathing. After nearly 40 minutes of emergency treatment, he still did not survive. Regarding the case of the man mentioned above, the doctor explained that the patient may have had acute enteritis after eating leftover food in the refrigerator for a long time. Enteritis leads to severe diarrhea, so the patient's body's electrolyte balance is lost, eventually causing severe poisoning and hyperkalemia, from here it begins to endanger life and cannot be cured.

How dangerous is leftover food left overnight, can it even cause cancer?

The overnight dishes here are not just dishes that have been left overnight, but dishes that have been left for more than 8-10 hours. Therefore, in daily life, many dishes are not left overnight but are also overnight dishes.

In order to confirm the impact of leftover food on human health, the Ningbo Food Inspection and Testing Research Institute conducted an experiment: Researchers bought common ingredients from the market, including meat, fish, vegetables, etc., and cooked these ingredients into 30 dishes using the cooking methods used in most households. For the study, the researchers divided 30 dishes into meat dishes, half meat and half vegetable dishes, vegetarian dishes and cold dishes, and stored them at 4 ° C and 25 ° C, respectively. The results showed that:

+ For vegetables stored in an environment at 4 ° C for no more than 6 hours: The nitric acid content did not change much, and the number of microorganisms that grew was not much.

+ For vegetables stored in an environment at 25 ° C for more than 6 hours: Although the nitric acid content did not change much, the number of microorganisms that grew was significant.

Generally speaking, as long as it is stored at low temperature + clean packaging or covered with food wrap, and leftover food stored in an environment with a temperature of 4 ° C for no more than 24 hours, there will not be much nitric acid, microorganisms, and there is no risk of exceeding the standard, and it can be eaten. Therefore, the so-called leftover food can only be related to cancer when eaten incorrectly and for a long time. Although vegetables and fruits stored overnight under certain environmental conditions and time are not harmful to human health, it does not mean that they are completely harmless. In theory, although you can eat vegetables that have been left overnight, there is still a risk of losing nutrients and bacteria growth. You should not eat too much and of course it is not a better choice than fresh vegetables.

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Illustration/Source: Internet Among all foods, there are 4 special types that should not be eaten again after being left overnight

+ Mushrooms, wood ear

If you leave dishes made from mushrooms and wood ear overnight, the complex protein components in these foods can be harmful to the digestive system when reheated. Not only that, mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms, whether grown or grown naturally, contain a lot of nira. When mushrooms are processed and left for too long, it can lead to loss of nutrients, and nira produces toxins, causing stomach discomfort. Therefore, the ideal time to consume mushrooms and wood ear is during the day.

+ Green leafy vegetables

Green leafy vegetables have a high nitrogen content. When left at room temperature for a long time, the nitric acid content will increase significantly, causing serious nutrient loss, especially vegetables with stems and leaves that should be eaten fresh. Soybean products

Soybean products such as tofu, soy milk, etc. have a high protein and nutrient content, which is also a rich source of nutrition for microorganisms. Moreover. Tofu and soy milk, if left for a long time, can easily be infected with Closɬridium boɬulium - a type of bacteria that can cause nerve paralysis leading to death.

+ soft-boiled eggs

Soft-boiled eggs are eggs with an undercooked yolk, this type of egg has not been completely sterilized. Because eggs have many nutrients, if left for too long, a large number of microorganisms will grow.

+ Seafood

Some bacteria in seafood have not been completely eliminated under high temperatures. After being refrigerated, bacteria will reproduce again, easily producing protein decomposition products, which can harm liver function, causing indigestion and are not suitable for consumption in the short term. So how can we preserve leftover food more safely?

+ Must be stored at low temperatures, should not be stored at room temperature to avoid bacterial growth