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A bowl of egg fried rice overnight that caused an octogenarian couple to die and go into shock sounds strange, but it is real.
Uncle Li and Aunt Wang have been living in their hometown in Nantong for a long time, because their children are busy with work and do not live together, and the old couple has been living alone in the old house.
The daily three meals a day are self-made, because I am old and do not eat much, and the rest of the meals will be kept in the refrigerator.
One night, the old couple made a pot of egg fried rice with leftover rice from noon in order to save trouble, and the two ate half of it, and the rest was put into the refrigerator as usual.
In the next two days, in order to save, the old couple ate the leftover egg fried rice.
Unexpectedly, on the afternoon of the third day, both of them developed symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and did not improve after taking the drug.
What's more frightening is that Aunt Wang suddenly fell unconscious the next morning, and Uncle Li was also physically exhausted, and neighbors helped dial 120 and sent them to the hospital.
The doctor's diagnosis determined that both people developed symptoms of sepsis and shock because of severe gastrointestinal infections.
After rescue treatment, Uncle Li's signs gradually returned to normal, but unfortunately, his wife died of cardiac arrest due to serious illness.
Why does a bowl of overnight egg fried rice lead to such serious consequences?
First, why are overnight dishes so "powerful"
The reason why Uncle Li and his wife's condition is so serious is mainly because they ate overnight egg fried rice for two or three days.
And this egg fried rice has been left for several days, and it cannot be regarded as "overnight".
The so-called "overnight dish" is not strictly speaking, it is not a leftover food left overnight, but refers to a dish that is stored at a temperature above 0 degrees for more than 8-10 hours.
And not all foods are such standards, special and not easy to store ingredients, such as raw food, coleslaw and other foods, they can be stored for a shorter time.
Like Uncle Li and his wife, in order to save the habit of eating leftovers for several days, the harm to the body is very great.
The overnight dish itself is very bacterial, not to mention the leftovers from two or three days ago, and the number of bacteria is doubling.
Even if it is stored in the refrigerator, it can delay the rate of bacterial reproduction, but for such a long time, the bacterial content in the food will definitely exceed the standard.
Coupled with the fact that there are still cryophilic bacteria in the refrigerator, the food is even more insecure.
It was precisely because of eating such food that Uncle Li and his wife caused bacterial infection, resulting in food poisoning, and finally organ failure.
Second, are there other dangers of overnight dishes?
Are there any other hazards besides the risk of bacterial infection from eating overnight meals and dishes?
Of course, nitrite in overnight meals is one of the risk factors.
1. What is nitrite?
Nitrite is a food additive that can play a role in food processing to prevent the growth of bacteria and bacteria.
Many meat manufacturers use nitrite in the production of their products to inhibit botulinum growth.
However, nitrite decomposes into nitrite and nitric oxide under certain conditions.
Both of these substances are harmful to the human body, so there are still certain health risks in the use of nitrite.
Mainland has clear measurement regulations on the dosage standard of nitrite, so in life, there is no need to worry about nitrite poisoning.
Will there be nitrite in our leftovers?
The answer is: yes, but the dose produced is not enough to cause poisoning, so eating leftovers once in a while is not much of a problem.
So why is it said that nitrite in leftovers is harmful and can even cause cancer?
2. Carcinogenic nitrosamine
Nitrite exists in large quantities in life, and it is found in the food you eat and drink daily.
It shows that nitrite does not cause chronic toxicity, and the real harm is nitrosamines derived from it.
When nitrite comes into contact with food containing amino compounds, such as proteins, nitrosamines are produced and are one of the factors that contribute to the development of certain cancers in humans.
The acid-base environment of the human stomach is moderate, which is suitable for the formation of nitrosamines and increases the risk of cancer.
In addition, nitrite also binds to hemoglobin in the human body to produce nitroso hemoglobin, which interferes with the transport and release of oxygen.
Causes symptoms of hypoxia, such as dizziness, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, etc.
If excessive intake of nitrite is consumed for a long time, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and immunosuppression may occur.
Therefore, even if the small amount of nitrite in leftovers is harmless in itself, its derivatives are really powerful, and it is better to stay away.
3. Do not overnight 5 kinds of food
1. Green leafy vegetables
Leafy greens are rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fiber, which play an important role in maintaining good health.
But green leafy vegetables are best eaten as soon as possible after cooking and not eaten overnight.
Because, leaving cooked leafy vegetables in the refrigerator overnight will breed bacteria and produce harmful toxins, and long-term consumption can easily cause food poisoning.
Moreover, the nitrite produced during storage of cooked leafy greens is higher than that of meat foods, especially spinach and celery.
From the perspective of nutritional value, the vitamins and minerals rich in overnight leafy greens are damaged by heat and oxidized.
Over time, the nutrients in it are gradually lost.
If exposed to air, it is exposed to oxygen in the air, further oxidizing and causing the vitamins and antioxidants in it to be lost faster.
Therefore, in daily life, you can cook as much as you can eat green leafy vegetables, and if you really can't eat it, you would rather have more leftover meat than more leftovers.
2. Seafood
Seafood has a unique flavor and is rich in protein and nutrients.
And after cooking, the protein rich in seafood will be denatured during the heating process, making the protein more easily absorbed by the body.
However, when left overnight, proteins degrade rapidly, producing toxic substances that can cause damage to our liver, kidneys and other organs.
In addition, eating seafood overnight may cause food poisoning.
The protein in seafood is prone to bacteria and parasites.
Cook seafood at room temperature, and bacteria and parasites multiply rapidly overnight.
These bacteria and parasites may produce toxins that can cause symptoms of food poisoning, especially in summer or in hot environments, where overnight seafood is more risky.
3. Half-boiled eggs
Half-boiled eggs are common in both home cooking and restaurant meals.
However, although eggs are rich in nutrients, eggs in a half-cooked state are susceptible to bacterial infection if they are not thoroughly sterilized.
Salmonella, for example, can lead to serious health problems including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and even shock.
If half-boiled eggs are left overnight, it will allow the bacteria to persist and continue to multiply, increasing the risk of contracting the bacteria.
So try not to eat half-cooked loose eggs, and in terms of nutritional value, there is not much difference between fully cooked eggs and half-cooked eggs.
Some people say that fully boiled eggs will lose some nutrients and vitamins due to prolonged heating.
But this loss is really too small and basically negligible.
On the other hand, although the heating time of loose eggs is short, it is not conducive to the body's digestion and absorption of protein.
4. Cold mixed vegetables, marinated vegetables
In the daily diet, cold dressing, marinated taste is a very popular food, they are not only delicious, but also have a lot of nutrients.
However, if you leave the coleslaw and marinade for 24 hours before eating, there may be health risks.
Because cold mix and marinade flavor may have been contaminated during processing, it is difficult to completely exclude the microorganisms and bacteria present in the ingredients themselves.
Although heat treatment is performed, this only kills some bacteria, not completely.
In addition, even if cold dresses and marinades are refrigerated, there is no guarantee that they are safe and mold may grow.
The cold mix and brine flavor itself carries a lot of moisture, and the high humidity further promotes the growth of bacteria.
Moreover, some of the cold bacteria in the refrigerator, even if they live at low temperatures, will still cause pollution to cold mix and brine taste.
5. Starchy foods
Starchy foods are an important part of people's daily diet, providing most of the energy needed by the human body.
However, these starchy foods should not be eaten overnight after cooking.
Because starchy foods are easy to breed bacteria after being cooked, these bacteria may cause a variety of food poisoning, such as salmonella, proteus and so on.
Cooked starchy foods are rich in protein and are easy to decompose after long-term storage, providing conditions for bacteria to grow.
For example, the protein in rice is easily broken down into methylene urea during refrigeration, which is a source of nutrition for bacteria.
When these bacteria enter the body, they can cause diarrhea, vomiting and other symptoms.
Therefore, try to avoid eating starchy foods overnight.
summary
The harm of overnight dishes cannot be ignored, especially vegetables, seafood, coleslaw and various starchy foods.
These foods are prone to spoilage and bacteria after overnight, which can pose a threat to your health.
Although some experts pointed out that occasional consumption of overnight food is not a big deal, there can still be no luck in life.
Especially the elderly who are elderly and have underlying diseases, they should pay more attention to dietary problems, and do not ignore the safety of ingredients in order to save.
In order to protect your health, you should reasonably plan ingredients in life, pay attention to storage temperature, and heat and disinfection before consumption.
Only by choosing and storing ingredients rationally can we ensure food safety and healthy eating.