Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : December 14, 2023 9:01 AM IST
Image credits by: Do not put peeled garlic in the fridge. (Photo: Freepik)
Most food items found in an Indian kitchen can boost the health and overall well-being of a person. But, the same foods, when refrigerated for long, become poisonous. Not many people are aware that while putting food in the fridge can increase its shelf-life, it may also be damaging to one's health. You need to be extra cautious when preserving certain foods and may have to ensure you consume them within 24 hours, if not less.
Taking to Instagram, Dr Dimple Jangda, an Ayurveda and gut health coach listed four food items in particular that can turn super toxic when they are kept inside the fridge. These are foods that otherwise are celebrated for their immunity-boosting properties. Take a look.
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The first one is garlic. According to the expert, you must never buy peeled garlic and refrigerate it, because it starts catching mold very quickly. Garlic mold, she states, is linked with cancer. "Have you seen what a terrible odour it has? Always buy fresh garlic with a peel. Unpeel it only when you are about to cook it and keep it outside the refrigerator always," she said.
The next food is onion. Dr Jangda explained that onion is a crop that is resistant to low temperatures, and when you refrigerate it, the starch converts into sugar and catches mold. "Lots of people do this mistake of cutting half an onion, cooking it, and keeping the other half in the fridge. Never do that," she cautioned, adding that it starts collecting all the unhealthy bacteria in the environment and catches mold.
"When someone is ill, we take a slice of onion and keep it in the corner of the room to collect all the unhealthy bacteria in the environment," she said.
The third food is ginger. A must-add to the desi tea especially in winters, ginger has many health benefits. It has immunity-boosting properties and may also help one recover quickly from cold. But, the expert said that it also starts to catch mold quickly when you refrigerate it. "And that has been linked with kidney and liver failures. Do not refrigerate it."
The fourth food is rice. According to the gut health coach, many people keep cooked rice in the refrigerator because of the resistance to starch, and think it is helping keep cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. "But, in fact, rice is one of the ingredients that catches mold the fastest. If you are going to refrigerate it, [do it for] not more than 24 hours."
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