Most people believe that the refrigerator is the safest place to preserve any food. However, that habit, while it seems logical, may be slowly damaging your health. Some common foods react negatively to the cold, losing nutrients, altering their chemical composition and, in certain cases, favoring the formation of substances harmful to the body.

The most worrying thing is that these changes are not always noticeable to the naked eye. They don’t smell bad, they don’t taste different right away, but over time they can affect the digestive system, the brain, and the body’s inflammatory processes.

Below you will discover five foods that should never be kept in the fridge and why.

1. Potatoes

When potatoes are stored cold, their starch is converted into sugar. This change may seem harmless, but when cooked at high temperatures, that sugar is transformed into potentially harmful compounds.

In addition, refrigerated potatoes can cause blood glucose spikes, which affects energy and can aggravate metabolic problems. The cold also accelerates the appearance of green spots and breakouts, signs of natural toxic substances.