A microwave is a handy kitchen companion. However, some studies show that reheating some foods can be dangerous to your health. Here are 9 foods that can become downright toxic when reheated in the microwave.
1. Hard-Boiled Eggs
You can reheat foods that contain eggs; however, it is risky to re-heat boiled eggs. Eggs could be toxic when they are exposed to high temperatures. Besides, eggs are packed with protein. Heating eggs for the second time could destroy the protein, and this change can become toxic.
Moreover, when cook or reheat a hard-boiled egg is in a microwave, the moisture inside the egg can create an extreme steam buildup, and then the egg might explode. Even, the egg will not burst while it is being heated.
To reduce the risk of getting a steam bomb, cut the egg into some small pieces before you reheat them, or simply, avoid putting hard-boiled eggs in the microwave.
2. Breast Milk
Many new mothers store the breast milk in the fridge for later use. This habit is great as long as you will not reheat it in a microwave. The reason is that microwaves will not warm your breast milk unevenly, causing “hot spots” that can burn the mouth and throat of a baby. Besides, there is a carcinogen hazard that can come with reheating plastic.
Alternatively, you could reheat some water in the microwave and then place the bottle of breast milk in this water to thaw.
3. Leafy Greens
If you want to save your celery, kale, or spinach to eat later as leftovers, plan to reheat them in a conventional oven rather than a microwave. When blasted in the microwave, naturally occurring nitrates (which are very good for you on their own) may convert to nitrosamines, which can be carcinogenic, studies show.
4. Rice
It is so surprising to know that in some cases, microwaving rice can lead to food poisoning. This issue involves the appearance of a bacteria called Bacillus cereus. The heat kills off these bacteria, but it can produce spores that are dangerous for health. Some studies show that when rice is taken from the microwave and is kept at room temperature, spores can multiply and even cause food poisoning, diarrhoea, and vomiting. Also, reheating the rice will not eliminate these spores. To avoid contaminated rice, you should eat your rice in one setting or refrigerate it right away for safer reheating later.
Moreover, according to a study, eating rice that is kept out at room temperature for more than 60 minutes after cooking or placed in the fridge for more than a day can cause digestive distress. Therefore, rice is known as one of the foods to never reheat in a microwave that you should not look down.
5. Foods With A Lot Of Oil
All of the oils can withstand many levels of heat, but if their levels of heat are exceeded, they can produce hazardous substances, which can cause health issues such as cancer. Besides, you should avoid reheating foods with a lot of oil in the microwave because they could burn when getting too hot.
6. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are also another vegetable that you should not reheat in a microwave. It is advised to eat fresh mushrooms right after preparation as the proteins found in mushrooms could rapidly deteriorate. If you store the mushrooms that you have prepared in the refrigerator for no more than a day and then reheat them, these mushrooms can result in stomach upset and additional heart disease. It may be safer to eat these mushrooms after you reheat them to a temperature of 158o.
7. Processed Meat
Processed meats often have preservatives and chemicals and unfortunately, reheating these processed meats in a microwave can make those substances present in processed meats worse for your health. In the process of heating processed meats, we might be exposed to chemical changes. According to a study, reheating processed meats in a microwave may lead to the appearance of cholesterol oxidation products, which have been found to associate with the growth of coronary heart disease.
8. Chicken
The protein composition in chicken changes when frozen chicken reheated in a microwave oven. This can harm your digestive health; therefore, if you want to heat your chicken for the second time, you need to ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked to eliminate all present bacteria and its inside should be piped out before reheating it in a microwave. Also, if you want to reheat leftover chicken in the microwave, reheat it only one time after its original preparation.
9. Beetroot
The same chemical conversion that happens to spinach holds true for reheating nitrate-rich beetroot and turnips! Good thing they’re just as delicious cold.
