Microwave ovens: progress or pandemic?
Microwave 鈥渙vens鈥� appeared for the first time when I was somewhere around 10 years, if memory serves me. They were such a source of excitement, just like cordless phones, and calculators that fit in my hand and ran on batteries. The promise of 鈥渕ore for less鈥� 鈥� food served from frozen to hot in Star Trek time 鈥� seemed so exciting.
Perhaps even more than us kids, the parents were even more thrilled, especially parents of teenagers. Now they could buy or make frozen portions, and just let the kids magically heat up a 鈥渕eal鈥� 鈥� all this at the promise that it蘑菇视频 safe by our fabulous 鈥渦nbiased鈥� FDA. But alas, time has a funny way of letting the truth flow through the cracks.
It makes sense to state quickly what a microwave is, and how it works for those who may not be aware. According to one definition, microwave ovens cook or reheat food by emitting microwaves. Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation that are on the low energy end of the spectrum, second to radio waves. The waves are generated by something called a magnetron 鈥� something found within every microwave oven.
In order for something to heat in a microwave oven, water must be present within the substance. If water is not present, heating will not occur and it would remain cool. The reason for this is that water molecules within the food vibrate at incredible speeds, creating molecular friction which is responsible for the heating of the food. The structure of the water molecules are torn apart and deformed. This is much different than any other method of cooking, as other methods such as convection ovens heat up food by transferring heat by convection from the outside inward.
One would have thought the government agencies approving this device would have tested and evaluated it for safety, since it affected something as vital as our food, so people welcomed the coveted super-oven with open arms. Not surprisingly for those of us who have been around for a while, there have been numerous unambiguous studies and conclusions about the absolute dangers and contraindications of microwave oven use.
One such conclusion is from Swiss scientist Hans Hertel:
鈥淭here are no atoms, molecules or cells of any organic system able to withstand such a violent, destructive power for any extended period of time, not even in the low energy range of milliwatts 鈥� This is how microwave cooking heat is generated 鈥� friction from this violence in water molecules. Structures of molecules are torn apart, molecules are forcefully deformed (called structural isomerism) and thus become impaired in quality.鈥�
An interesting side note is to understand that the reason why microwave food is often heated unevenly is that water is distributed unevenly in foods, and so since the microwaves need water to heat, they only affect hydrated areas of the food. Also note that when you use microwave cooking, you are exposing yourself to microwave radiation. A good example of radiation similar to the microwave is damage caused to skin and eyes from the sun.
The effects of radiation are well documented. This includes radiation from microwaves, from cell phones, and from radio frequencies such as Internet WiFi. Long term studies are few because they are expensive, and not in the interest of companies profiting millions off of radiation technologies. However, plenty of real evidence does exist to give us good reason to minimize our exposure. We will leave the dangers of cell phone radiation for another day, but let us recognize that all radiation has a particular affinity for the brain: microwave frequencies are very similar to the frequencies of the brain. The effects microwaves have on the brain are greater than those same waves on any other part of the body. And parents, hear this: children are many times more affected than adults. So feeding microwaved food to children and young adults is simply an act of negligence.
In her book 鈥淗ealth Effects of Microwave Radiation,鈥� Dr. Lita Lee expressed concern over the use of microwaves. Dr. Lee observed the following:
n An elevated rate of cancer cell formation was observed in the blood;
n Increased rates of stomach and intestinal cancers were observed;
n Higher rates of digestive disorders and gradual breakdown of the systems of elimination were observed; and
n Lymphatic disorders were observed, leading to decreased ability to prevent certain types of cancers.
There are numerous other books and studies to support these and similar findings. In fact, after Russia did the kind of research our government should have done, they banned microwaves altogether! Among the conclusions drawn from the Russian scientists were the following:
n Microwaving milk and grains resulted in carcinogenic substances being formed through the conversion of amino acids;
n Carcinogenic substances were formed from the microwaving of nearly all foods tested;
n Microwaving prepared meats caused cancer-causing agents such as d-Nitrosodienthanolamines to form;
n Microwaving fruits as a method of thawing resulted in the conversion of glucoside and galactoside fractions into carcinogenic substances;
n Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked, or frozen vegetables converted their plant alkaloids into carcinogens;
n Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants, especially root vegetables; and
n Structural degradation leading to decreased food value was found to be 60 to 90 percent overall for all foods tested, with significant decreases in bioavailability of B complex vitamins, vitamins C and E, essential minerals, and lipotropics.
The Russians pointed out this radiation is similar to cell phone radiation that adults and children place up against their skull. At the very least, people are advised to be more than 3 feet from a microwave when it is running.
Multiple studies show that nutritional value is greatly reduced in microwaved food. There is no sensible argument for microwaves. So are there any alternatives? Yes, and plenty. For one, hot water heating. There are home water dispensers with instant hot water. Safer and even more convenient than a microwave. Convection, conduction, and infrared ovens are quick, and lots safer than microwaves. There are units such as the NuWave sold on Amazon that do all three. Toaster ovens are also a great way to quickly reheat small portions without the hassle and expense of heating up a large oven. Many items can be briefly heated in a pan or pot with a small amount of water.
Even with all the above alternatives and arguments, some people will still feel the time-saving 鈥渧alue鈥� of the microwave makes it a worthy appliance. I wonder if those same people would feel that way when attached to the chemotherapy machine. This might be worth some serious rethinking. I leave it to you, dear reader.