Fresh milk, fresh tea leaves—some foods shouldn’t be eaten fresh.
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2014-12-25
Generally speaking, food tastes best when eaten fresh—freshness often correlates with higher nutritional value. But does this principle apply to all foods? To find out, reporters from Life Times interviewed Jia Jianbin, Secretary-General of the Chinese Nutrition Society, and Wang Yi, Director of the Dietary Therapy and Nutrition Department at Beijing Guang'anmen Hospital. Both experts advised readers to exercise caution when consuming the following fresh foods.
Fresh milk. Reports indicate that farmers in a certain city have been leading their cows into the streets to freshly milk and sell the milk on the spot, a practice that has reportedly become quite popular among residents. However, Jia Jianbin points out that this approach is not advisable. Freshly squeezed milk carries harmful bacteria—such as Brucella and Mycobacterium tuberculosis—that can easily lead to zoonotic infectious diseases. Moreover, "fresh milk" produced this way cannot guarantee proper hygiene during milking, adequate sterilization of containers, or even the health status of the milkers themselves. Therefore, consumers are better off purchasing milk from supermarkets, where it’s produced by reputable manufacturers under strict safety standards.
Fresh tea leaves. So-called "new tea" refers to tea leaves harvested less than a month ago, such as the seasonal spring tea. Wang Yi told reporters that freshly picked spring tea contains highly active substances like tannins and alkaloids, which, if consumed in large quantities, can overstimulate the nervous system, leading to symptoms similar to being intoxicated—such as accelerated blood circulation, increased heart rate, and even palpitations. Therefore, it’s important to avoid brewing new tea too strong or drinking it excessively; ideally, the tea should be allowed to sit for a while, allowing some of the polyphenols to partially oxidize before enjoying it.
Fresh daylilies. Jia Jianbin suggests avoiding the consumption of fresh daylilies as much as possible. Fresh daylilies contain colchicine, which, after being absorbed through the intestines, can convert into toxic substances in the body and cause poisoning. In contrast, dried daylilies undergo processes such as steaming with water vapor and sun-drying during production, which remove most of the colchicine, making them safer. Since colchicine is water-soluble, if you eat fresh daylilies, you must first blanch and soak them. It is also best to soak dried daylilies before eating.
Fresh wood ear mushrooms. Wang Yi pointed out that dried wood ear mushrooms are safer than fresh ones, as fresh ones contain a unique compound chemically known as "porphyrin." Porphyrin is a photosensitive substance that, when consumed and subsequently exposed to sunlight, can trigger phytophotodermatitis in humans—leading to itchy skin, redness, swelling, and painful sensations on sun-exposed areas. In contrast, dried wood ear mushrooms are processed through sun-drying, which breaks down most of the porphyrin during this step. Before consumption, they’re soaked in water, further eliminating any residual toxins that may have dissolved into the soaking liquid, ensuring the rehydrated dried mushrooms are completely safe to eat. It’s important to note, however, that when soaking dried wood ear mushrooms, you should change the water several times to remove any lingering impurities.
Freshly pickled vegetables. Fresh vegetables naturally contain some nitrate, which is converted into nitrite during the salting process. After reaching a peak concentration, nitrite is gradually either utilized or broken down by bacteria. However, nitrite does carry a potential carcinogenic risk. Typically, the highest levels of nitrite in pickled vegetables occur between two to ten-plus days after the start of pickling. That’s why it’s best to wait at least 20 days before consuming pickled vegetables.
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