<p>One of the most common concerns in South Indian kitchens is leftover rice, and whether it is alright to refrigerate it, for later use. There are many homes where leftover rice is binned because of a long-held belief that it’s not good for reusing. However, refrigerated rice is perfectly good to be consumed later. </p><p>You can cool cooked rice and put it right back in the refrigerator, and if saved in an airtight container, the food can last for at least two to three days. However, if rice is not refrigerated, then in humid and very warm conditions, there is a high probability that it goes bad, and shouldn’t be consumed. If leftover rice has a slimy feel to it or smells sour, then it’s best to discard it. Food left at room temperature, especially in tropical conditions, for an extended period of time can cause food poisoning, because of the bacterium called bacillus cereus, which produces spores that resist heat.</p>.<p>An advantage of cooling cooked rice and consuming it once it’s back to room temperature or reheating it is that refrigerated rice lowers glycemic response – it is good for diabetics to eat refrigerated and reheated rice. A 2015 study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition tested resistant starch content in three varieties of rice: freshly cooked white rice, cooked white rice that was cooled for ten hours at room temperature, and cooked white rice that was cooked for a day at 4 degrees C.</p>.<p>The results showed that resistant starch content in the third group was the highest (1.65 g/100 g as compared to 0.64 g and 1.30 g, respectively for the first two groups).</p>.<p>Starch in rice retrogrades and hardens when it is cooked, and more so in a fridge – this is called resistant starch, wherein the molecules of starch turn into crystal form and resist the digestion process. This is why it lowers the response of your blood glucose and also acts as a prebiotic, that aids good bacteria to grow and is useful for your gut health. </p>.<p>In effect, the leftover rice in your fridge is good to be consumed, and it is a myth that it is unhealthy. The caveat, of course, is that it needs to be stored properly, once it is cooled at room temperature. </p>.<p><em>(Mythbuster is a column that picks up a popular wellness belief and examines if it is true, false, or maybe lies somewhere in between.)</em></p>
<p>One of the most common concerns in South Indian kitchens is leftover rice, and whether it is alright to refrigerate it, for later use. There are many homes where leftover rice is binned because of a long-held belief that it’s not good for reusing. However, refrigerated rice is perfectly good to be consumed later. </p><p>You can cool cooked rice and put it right back in the refrigerator, and if saved in an airtight container, the food can last for at least two to three days. However, if rice is not refrigerated, then in humid and very warm conditions, there is a high probability that it goes bad, and shouldn’t be consumed. If leftover rice has a slimy feel to it or smells sour, then it’s best to discard it. Food left at room temperature, especially in tropical conditions, for an extended period of time can cause food poisoning, because of the bacterium called bacillus cereus, which produces spores that resist heat.</p>.<p>An advantage of cooling cooked rice and consuming it once it’s back to room temperature or reheating it is that refrigerated rice lowers glycemic response – it is good for diabetics to eat refrigerated and reheated rice. A 2015 study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition tested resistant starch content in three varieties of rice: freshly cooked white rice, cooked white rice that was cooled for ten hours at room temperature, and cooked white rice that was cooked for a day at 4 degrees C.</p>.<p>The results showed that resistant starch content in the third group was the highest (1.65 g/100 g as compared to 0.64 g and 1.30 g, respectively for the first two groups).</p>.<p>Starch in rice retrogrades and hardens when it is cooked, and more so in a fridge – this is called resistant starch, wherein the molecules of starch turn into crystal form and resist the digestion process. This is why it lowers the response of your blood glucose and also acts as a prebiotic, that aids good bacteria to grow and is useful for your gut health. </p>.<p>In effect, the leftover rice in your fridge is good to be consumed, and it is a myth that it is unhealthy. The caveat, of course, is that it needs to be stored properly, once it is cooled at room temperature. </p>.<p><em>(Mythbuster is a column that picks up a popular wellness belief and examines if it is true, false, or maybe lies somewhere in between.)</em></p>