I was mildly annoyed yesterday because my mom threw away a whole bowl of leftover mustard greens she had cooked the day before. It just felt so wasteful to me. It was only a day old and still totally edible, so why toss it?
She said you shouldn’t eat food that’s been left overnight. I get where she’s coming from, and she’s probably just being cautious, but according to Dr. Yen Tsung-hai, it’s not actually a big problem.
Here’s what he said:
“The idea that eating leftovers increases cancer risk is somewhat misleading. People worry about nitrosamines and cancer risks like stomach or colon cancer, which are indeed related to nitrosamines, but the key factor isn’t whether the food is ‘overnight.’
As long as leftovers are stored and reheated properly, eating them does not increase cancer risk. What really deserves attention is processed meat and improper food storage, not ordinary leftover vegetables.”
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