This must start with Mr. Li’s daily eating habits. As the breadwinner of the family, he is busy with work and often works overtime until late at night, returning home hungry. To save time, he often buys a large amount of food on the weekend and stuffs it in the refrigerator, relying on this “reserve” to solve the food problem for the next few days.
Vegetables, fruits, meat and even leftovers can be found in Mr. Li’s refrigerator. Few people know that this seemingly convenient but potentially dangerous eating habit is a time bomb for their health.
The doctor explained that although the refrigerator can extend the shelf life of food, it is not “safe” in all cases.
Below are 5 types of food that should not be kept in the refrigerator for a long time because they can become the “father” of poison, an “accomplice” causing cancer.
1. Green leafy vegetables
Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, lettuce, etc. contain a certain amount of nitrate. After being stored in the refrigerator for too long, the nitrate in these vegetables can be converted into nitrite, increasing the risk of cancer.
Especially for fried/sauteed green leafy vegetables with a lot of oil, the nitrite content can increase significantly after being stored in the refrigerator for 16 hours.
2. Meat thawed many times
After meat is thawed many times and left in the refrigerator, it can produce a large amount of bacteria and harmful substances, such as carcinogens such as P-ammonium dinitrate. The concentration of these substances increases significantly with the frequency of freezing and thawing, and can increase the risk of cancer after consumption.
Therefore, you should pack meat into small bags and use the necessary amount to avoid freezing and thawing many times.
3. Leftovers
Leftovers can grow bacteria, fungi and produce harmful substances after a long time of storage in the refrigerator. In particular, protein-rich foods such as meat and soy products are more likely to spoil after a long time of storage.
When these toxic substances enter the human body, they can increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, you should eat leftovers as soon as possible and avoid long-term storage.
4. Opened milk
Milk and dairy products such as yogurt and cheese are rich in protein and fat. If left in the refrigerator for a long time after opening the lid/package, the food will easily spoil and produce many bacteria and microorganisms.
Spoiled dairy products not only reduce the nutritional value but can also cause liver damage. Therefore, it is recommended to consume dairy products as soon as possible after opening the lid.
5. Pickled foods
Pickled foods such as salted fish, bacon and kimchi contain a large amount of salt and preservatives added during the production process.After these foods are stored in the refrigerator for a long time, they can grow bacteria, fungi and produce harmful substances such as nitrite.
Nitrites can be converted into nitrosamines in the human body, a known carcinogen. Long-term consumption can increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancers such as stomach cancer.
