Reheating Food May Increase Cancer Risk: WHO

Reheating Food May Increase Cancer Risk: If you frequently reheat and consume leftover food, be warned. Experts suggest that repeatedly reheated food becomes less nutritious and potentially more harmful, increasing the risk of cancer.

Reheating Food Can Cause Cancer: In today's fast-paced life, we all try to save time. Because of this, the habit of reheating cooked food repeatedly has become common. But do you know that this habit can severely impact your health? Whether it's our ancient Ayurveda or modern science, both consider this habit dangerous. Experts say that repeatedly reheated food becomes less nutritious and more toxic!

In Ayurveda, such food is called amvardhak and viryahin. This means that such food neither strengthens the body nor digests properly in the stomach. Rather, it gradually weakens the body and becomes a breeding ground for diseases.

Modern science also confirms this. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), when reheating cooked food, its temperature should reach at least 70 degrees Celsius to kill all bacteria. But this should only be done once. Reheating multiple times not only depletes the nutrients in the food, but in some food and drinks, it can also create cancer-causing chemicals.

Be Careful When Reheating These Items

Protein-rich foods: Reheating protein-rich foods like eggs or chicken repeatedly disrupts their protein balance. Digesting this becomes very difficult for the body, leading to digestive problems.

Cooked rice or pasta: These can produce bacteria that are not completely eliminated even upon reheating. This increases the risk of food poisoning manifold.

Potatoes, bread, and fried dishes (pakoras, samosas, etc.): Reheating these items repeatedly produces a chemical called acrylamide. Consuming it over a long period can lead to serious diseases like cancer. Many researches have shown that high acrylamide consumption increases the risk of cancer.

So, What Should You Do?

The straightforward advice from both Ayurveda and science is to always cook fresh food and only as much as needed. If any food is left over, reheat it a maximum of once, and at the correct temperature. Try to store food properly in the refrigerator to prevent bacteria from growing.