In some busy days, leftover food always comes in handy. But, have you ever thought that leftovers can be harmful too?
Studies show that there are certain foods and ingredients, when reheated, release harmful compounds or reactivate certain compounds that can cause health threats. Below are some of such leftover food that are harmful to your health;
Chicken
Raw chicken often lasts in the fridge for 1–2 days, while cooked chicken lasts 3–4 days. Raw chicken also tends to be contaminated with bacteria like Campylobacter, Salmonella and more. Although re-heating or cooking can kill surface bacteria, but it won’t eliminate some of the toxins produced by bacteria salmonella.
Beetroot
Beetroot is one vegetable that is rich in nitric oxide, and when foods rich in this compound are reheated, they get converted into nitrites and then to nitrosamines, some of which are known to be carcinogenic which can increase the risk of cancer to the body.
Egg
Eggs and egg based meal that are cooked should not be left out for more than 2 hours. They always contain salmonella, and the gentle heat used to cook eggs often fails to kill the bacteria. Hence, if you eat them later, they might cause some internal harm.
Cold-pressed oils
Reaction such as oxidation, polymerization or hydrolysis occur when you heat your cold-pressed oils like flaxseed, olive oil, and canola oils are rich in omega-3 fats, and this reactions can render them unstable and rancid, and therefore, they are not safe for consumption
