隔夜菜不能丢，它更有助于你的健康
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爱思英语编者按：凝固的咖喱、冰凉的意大利面，你会发现没有什么比打开冰箱后发现满是剩菜更令人沮丧啦。但是科学家们却发现这些隔夜菜对健康有着惊人的益处，这主要得益于它们在过夜时所发生的化学反应。从光滑的皮肤到纤细的腰部，我们就可以知道隔夜饭为什么会对你的身体有好处。
From congealed curry to cold pasta, you may think there’s nothing more dispiriting than a fridge full of leftovers. But scientists are saying these dishes could have surprising health benefits, thanks to the chemical reactions that take place when food is left overnight. From glowing skin to trimmer waists, we reveal why yesterday’s supper could be so good for you. COLD RICE TO STAY SLIM Rice, when chilled overnight can contain up to 60 per cent fewer calories than when freshly cooked — potentially dropping from 130 calories per 100g to just 52. But you need to cook it in the right way, according to research presented to the American Chemical Society. When the water is boiling, before the rice is added, pour a little coconut oil into the pan — about 3 percent of the weight of the rice you’re using. When cooked, leave in the fridge for 12 hours to hugely reduce the calories. This exciting phenomenon is down to the way starch in the rice changes when it is heated then cooled. When cooked rice is eaten, its starch is turned into the sugar — glucose — by the body and converted into fat if not burned off. However, when rice is chilled, its starch becomes what is called ‘resistant starch’, which the body cannot digest. This means it is not included in the calorie count. The coconut oil stops the cold rice from sticking together, and also seems to produce more resistant starch in the rice, further reducing the number of calories. Food scientist Dr Sam Christie explains: ‘The oil may be providing a barrier to the boiling water, slowing down the cooking of the rice. The result appears to be a less digestible form of rice containing more resistant starch.’ These are, she warns, preliminary findings. However, this could be wonderful news for dieters. But don’t forget, reheating rice can lead to food poisoning. Dr Martin Goldberg, microbiology lecturer at Nottingham Trent University warns: ‘The bacterium Bacillus cereus, found on some rice, can survive the cooking process. As rice cools, the spores germinate and produce a neurotoxin that can make you horribly sick. ‘If you wish to eat cold or reheated rice, cook small amounts and put straight into the fridge to cool quickly.’ BEEF SOUP FOR SKIN Bone broth is a big nutritional trend. Low-calorie and rich-tasting, the soup also appears to be packed with ingredients to make your skin glow. As the name suggests, it contains the bones from meat — beef, lamb or chicken — cooked with water and ideally a little cider vinegar to help the process. Collagen from the bones breaks down into gelatin, which is easy to digest and excellent for the skin. Recipes often suggest leaving the broth to simmer for hours. ‘Complex chemical reactions take place — and the more disintegrated the bones, (and, therefore, digestible) the massive protein molecules, which are the cement of the body, become,’ explains Dr Christie. Minerals and nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and cartilage also become easy to digest. The broth is thought to have benefits for bones, teeth and joints and help hair and fingernails to grow. ‘Only re-heatany food once and ensure it’s very hot (over 60 degrees celsius) to kill any bacteria,’ says Dr Goldberg. VEG TO BEAT IBS We all know that cooking vegetables for longer removes vitamin C. But some believe that people with digestive problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome, ought to overcook vegetables containing insoluble fibre, such as onions and garlic, which can cause bloating. Reheating the next day could supposedly soften them further. Dr Christie is unconvinced. ‘Sorry, you aren’t going to make any real difference to the molecular structure,’ she says. ‘This isn’t proven and I don’t recommend it. IBS suffers ought instead to find out which foods to avoid on specialist websites, such as ibsdiet.org.’ ‘GOOD GUT’ POTATOES A 1992 UK study found cooked potatoes contained just 7 percent resistant starch (the indigestible type). But when cooled, it jumped to 13 percent. Separate research has discovered this starch has the same benefits as dietary fibre, that protects against colon cancer, increases the feeling of fullness and might even reduce fat storage. ‘When potatoes are cooled after heating, the starch molecules expand and crystallise,’ says Dr Christie. ‘Once swallowed, this resistant starch is treated like fibre by the digestive system.’ Another brilliant feature of resistant starch is that it can’t be broken down. This means it helps food move through the system, preventing constipation. And it doesn’t turn back into normal starch if the potatoes are then reheated. ‘Raw potato would be ideal, but would be pretty unpalatable,’ says Dr Christie. ‘Cold cooked ones might be a happy compromise.’ Make them into potato salad or simply sauté. HEART-FRIENDLY CURRY Even the fieriest curry is gentler the next day. What’s more, it may be easier to digest and contain more nutrients as the meat tenderises overnight. ‘If you leave a meat curry for a few hours, the animal proteins degrade and become softer,’ says Dr Christie. ‘This is firstly a good way of improving the texture of cheaper cuts of meat. Tenderising for long enough will create a fine melt-in-the-mouth dish.’ If you struggle to eat red meat — and suffer heartburn or bloating — this is a more digestible version. Theoretically it may also release more trace elements such as iron, which can help with anaemia. Vocabulary congealed：凝固的 starch：淀粉 glucose：葡萄糖 germinate：发芽 cider vinegar：苹果醋 simmer：用文火熬 constipation：便秘 unpalatable：难吃的 anaemia：贫血 |
