Knowing which foods deteriorate quickly can help you avoid turning yesterday's leftovers into today's health risk.

Chapter 2: Food #1 — Cooked Seafood

Seafood is nutritious and can provide high-quality protein along with nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids.

But seafood is also highly perishable.

Cooked fish, shrimp, squid, crab, mussels, and other seafood should not be treated like foods that can remain in the refrigerator indefinitely.

Once seafood has been cooked, bacteria can begin multiplying if it is improperly cooled or stored. Even when the refrigerator is functioning properly, seafood leftovers should generally be eaten within a few days rather than being forgotten in the back of the fridge.

One major mistake is relying entirely on smell.

Some people believe that seafood is safe as long as it does not smell bad.

Unfortunately, that is not always reliable.

Foodborne pathogens can sometimes be present without producing an obvious unpleasant odor. This means that tasting a small amount “to see if it's still good” is also not a safe testing method.

Another issue is temperature fluctuation.

If cooked seafood is repeatedly removed from the refrigerator and allowed to sit at room temperature before being returned, bacterial growth can accelerate.

The safest strategy is simple.

After cooking seafood, divide leftovers into shallow containers so they can cool more quickly. Refrigerate them promptly and keep them properly covered.

When you decide to eat the leftovers, reheat them thoroughly.

And if you cannot remember when the seafood was cooked, it is better to be cautious rather than gamble with your health.

This is especially important for people with weakened immune systems or other medical vulnerabilities.

There is also a broader lesson here: food poisoning and stroke are not the same medical condition.

A headline may suggest a direct connection between old food and stroke, but foodborne illness more commonly causes symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and dehydration.

Severe illness can place considerable stress on the body and may require medical treatment.

That is why proper food storage matters—even when the original food is nutritious.