It's autumn, the weather is getting colder and colder, and food is relatively easy to preserve. In order not to waste food, many people habitually save leftovers for the next meal. There are also some office workers who will prepare meals before going to work in the morning and take them to the unit for lunch at noon. In fact, the remarks about the harmful effects of overnight meals never seem to stop. So, is it really impossible to eat overnight dishes? What are the health risks of eating overnight dishes? Yang Zhigang, Director of Imaging Function Department and Deputy Director of Gastroenterology Department of Yinchuan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, sat in Yinchuan Famous Medical Hall to answer your questions.

A dish cooked for more than 8 hours is called an overnight dish.

In our traditional concept, food left overnight is called overnight dish. "In fact, the overnight food referred to in medicine is a dish cooked for more than 8 hours, not necessarily overnight. For example, some office workers get up at 5 am to cook. The food is ready, and we won't eat until after 1 pm. Actually, it's been seven or eight hours. This is actually an overnight dish. " Director Yang explained.

Eating overnight food may cause poisoning, which is not alarmist. In fact, in addition to the nutrients will be greatly reduced, if the food is eaten overnight, if it is not heated properly, it will easily lead to symptoms of acute gastroenteritis such as vomiting and diarrhea; People who eat too much or are weak may even cause food poisoning. Director Yang cited a case. "Two weeks ago, a couple came to the emergency department of the hospital. After eating overnight dishes, they vomited and diarrhea, their body temperature increased and their electrolytes were disordered. The husband showed symptoms of acute poisoning. Fortunately, the doctor was more timely and did not cause more serious consequences. "

Why does eating overnight food have such serious consequences? "Green leafy vegetables themselves contain some nitrates. Cooked vegetables, left for a long time, the nitrite content will increase, even if heated, it can not be removed. After eating, it may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and other symptoms similar to food poisoning, and may even cause acute renal failure. "

The refrigerator is not a "safe".

Some people will ask, all my overnight dishes are kept fresh in the refrigerator, so there should be no nitrate, right?

"This understanding is incorrect. The refrigerator is not everything, nor is it a' safe'. Generally, the temperature of the freezer is between 4℃ and 6℃, and the reproduction of bacteria cannot be completely eliminated at this temperature. The leftovers in the refrigerator will still produce nitrite, and the longer they are kept, the more nitrite will be produced. Especially the seafood rich in protein is the favorite of bacteria. The longer it is left, the easier it is to breed bacteria. If you don't heat it enough when you eat it again, it is easy to get gastroenteritis and even food poisoning. " Director Yang's suggestion is that you can continue to eat leftovers at home if they are not more than four hours, but if they are more than eight hours, it is better to throw them away for safety reasons. In addition, we should advocate thrift and try not to produce leftovers.

Overnight meals in autumn are even more unsuitable.

Autumn is the high season of gastrointestinal diseases, and bacteria and viruses are active. If you eat improper overnight dishes, it is more likely to cause gastrointestinal discomfort. What should I do at this time?

"For some elderly people who are used to frugality, eating overnight meals may be more harmful, because the elderly are weak and easy to induce some basic diseases." Director Yang reminded. Once you eat overnight meals, you will have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. If the symptoms are mild, you can supplement sugar and salt water at home and take Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquid. Once these gastrointestinal reactions occur in the elderly, it is recommended to seek medical advice in time to avoid inducing cardiovascular diseases.

skill

Beginning of autumn nourishes the spleen and stomach.

In troubled times, if you want to stay away from gastrointestinal diseases, you should not only add more accidents in food hygiene, but also take good care of your spleen and stomach.

"People with digestive tract diseases can start taking some stomach-nourishing ingredients at this time, such as yam and barley. Autumn radish is also a very good ingredient after it is listed. People with weak physique can appropriately supplement high-quality protein such as mutton. " Director Yang suggested.

Most people with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold are afraid of cold, afraid to touch cold food, and the upper abdomen is pantothenic. Such people can also make up some good food in autumn and make some reserves for winter, such as drinking mutton soup and eating yam millet porridge.

For patients with gastric diseases, some discomfort is more likely to occur in different seasons, so you can take Xiangsha Yangwei Pills in advance. "It is suitable for people with spleen and stomach weakness, long-term epigastric pain, pantothenic acid, belching and indigestion."