Leftovers are something we all have a love/hate relationship with, you either love them or you hate them. If you are a person who loves them, then there are some things that you need to know.
Reheating dinner is a way of life, we have all done it at some point or another. Perhaps you needed to clean out the fridge, or you are too tired after work to prepare something fresh. I mean, there are plenty of things that are so much better the next day, but there are some things that could be toxic if reheated.
Rice
Rice is life, I could eat it every single day! There have been many times that I made double the rice just so I could have some to eat the next day. The problem with eating leftover rice comes from the way it is stored. According to the Foods Standards Agency, uncooked rice might contain spores of harmful bacteria that survive the initial cooking process. If the rice is not kept at the right temperature, these spores will spread and multiply, and might cause digestion problems, vomiting or diarrhea if consumed.
Reheating does not help at all, these spores are able to survive even boiling. It is best to eat all of your rice when you cook it.
Vegetable Oil
Whenever I make something like eggs or potatoes I always put the pan of oil into the oven so that I can use it again. However, I will not be doing this anymore! New research has found that repeatedly heating up polyunsaturated oils that have linoleic acid, such as canola, corn, soybean and sunflower may release toxic compounds that can cause a wide variety of health disorders.
Numerous studies have linked consumption of the compound in question, 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal (HNE), to serious health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, liver ailments and cancer.
Celery, Spinach, and Beets
Heat can cause the nitrates of these vegetables to turn toxic, and release carcinogenic properties, especially when you attempt to heat them up a second time.
If these vegetable are left out at room temperature bacterial action will cause the accumulation of nitrate, which is a metabolite of nitrate.
Nitrate consumption has been known to be harmful to infants and young children; it can cause a blood disorder known as methemoglobinemia. Symptoms for methemoglobinaemia include headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath and seizures.