From congealed curry to cold pasta, you may think there’s nothing more dispiriting than a fridge full of leftovers.
凝固的咖喱、冰涼的意大利面，你會發現沒有什么比打開冰箱后發現滿是剩菜更令人沮喪啦。

But scientists are saying these dishes could have surprising health benefits, thanks to the chemical reactions that take place when food is left overnight.
但是科學家們卻發現這些隔夜菜對健康有著驚人的益處，這主要得益于它們在過夜時所發生的化學反應。

From glowing skin to trimmer waists, we reveal why yesterday’s supper could be so good for you.
從光滑的皮膚到纖細的腰部，我們就可以知道隔夜飯為什么會對你的身體有好處。

COLD RICE TO STAY SLIM
冷飯保持身體苗條

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.
提交給美國化學學會的一項研究顯示，大米被冷藏一夜后，它的熱量比新鮮烹制時減少達六成，從130卡路里/100克直降到52卡路里/100克。不過，這需要你以正確的方法去烹調。

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.
當水沸騰后，先向鍋里倒入約為大米總重3%的椰子油，然后再倒入大米。煮熟后的大米再放入冰箱12小時會大大減少其所含熱量。

This exciting phenomenon is down to the way starch in the rice changes when it is heated then cooled.
之所以會出現這種令人興奮的現象，是由于大米中所含淀粉的形態在加熱并冷藏后改變了。

When cooked rice is eaten, its starch is turned into the sugar — glucose — by the body and converted into fat if not burned off.
煮熟的大米被吃下去時，它所含的淀粉會轉化為糖，確切的說是葡萄糖，如果它們沒有被消耗，就會轉化成脂肪。

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.
然而，把米飯放入冰箱后，淀粉會轉化成“抗酶解淀粉”，它無法被人體消化吸收，因此也就不會增加人體內的卡路里了。

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.
椰子油能防止冷飯粘在一起，也會促使米飯中產生更多的抗酶解淀粉，從而進一步減少卡路里的數量。

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.’
食品科學家山姆·克里斯蒂博士解釋說：“油可以在沸騰的水中建立起一個屏障，減緩大米被蒸煮的程度，這也會產生更多不易消化的抗酶解淀粉。

These are, she warns, preliminary findings. However, this could be wonderful news for dieters.
她也警告說，這些都只是初步發現。然而，這仍然是節食者的好消息。

But don’t forget, reheating rice can lead to food poisoning.
但不要忘記，重復加熱米飯可能導致食物中毒。

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.
諾丁漢特倫特大學微生物學講師馬丁·哥德堡也警示：“有些米飯中含有細菌性蠟樣芽胞桿菌，蒸煮過程可能無法將它們滅活。大米冷藏后，孢子發芽，產生一種令人嚴重不適的神經毒素。

‘If you wish to eat cold or reheated rice, cook small amounts and put straight into the fridge to cool quickly.’
“如果你想吃冷飯或重復加熱的米飯，可以少量蒸煮，然后直接放入冰箱中迅速冷卻。”

BEEF SOUP FOR SKIN
牛肉湯對皮膚好

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.
骨頭湯已經成為營養圣品。熱量低，味道豐富，湯中也可以加入各種東西，使肌膚煥發光澤。

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.
骨湯，顧名思義，來源于牛羊肉或雞肉等肉類。和水一起烹調，如果能加一點蘋果醋，那就更理想了。

Collagen from the bones breaks down into gelatin, which is easy to digest and excellent for the skin.
骨頭中的骨膠原分解成凝膠，更加易于消化，而且對皮膚極好。

Recipes often suggest leaving the broth to simmer for hours.
肉湯通常需要數小時的小火慢燉。

‘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.
克里斯蒂博士解釋說：“其中發生了許多復雜的化學反應——骨頭分解的越徹底，大的蛋白分子就變得越易消化。而這些蛋白分子是人身體的基石。”

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.
礦物質以及鈣、鎂和軟骨等營養物質也變得容易消化。肉湯據信對骨骼、牙齒和關節很好，而且能促進頭發和指甲的生長。

‘Only re-heatany food once and ensure it’s very hot (over 60 degrees celsius) to kill any bacteria,’ says Dr Goldberg.
哥德堡博士說：“任何食物只能重復加熱一次，而且要保證高溫（60攝氏度以上）滅菌。”