Modern conveniences are often very good things. I think we can all agree the world is a better place because of refrigeration, for instance. Not all progress, however, is equally good; food preservatives, after dozens of years use, are now known to be related to several kinds of long-term health problems. Today I’d like to share some of the scares and facts of microwave ovens.
Microwaves cook by emitting electromagnetic energy (radio waves and light waves are forms of electromagnetic radiation) in the microwave range (that just means a specific range of frequencies). In particular, the waves are tuned to the resonance frequency of water molecules, causing them to vibrate. More vibration equals more energy, and this is measured as higher temperature. This is basic science.
Everything after that is speculation, so I’ll try to make some sense of it:
Microwaves appear to cause food to change its structure. In a basic analysis, this makes sense: cooking your food by any means breaks apart some of the vitamins and other nutrients if you heat them enough. The claim, though, is that the microwaves aren’t necessarily breaking molecules in the same place or the same way that heat alone would. This means that food that has been heated in the microwave oven could (theoretically) contain molecules that our bodies are completely unable to digest or otherwise handle.
In practice, research is starting to link some health problems to microwave use. According to research in Switzerland , the effects in the blood alone included decreased levels of hemoglobin, cholesterol (the bad and the good), and lymphocytes (white blood cells). Long-term studies are finding increased rates of cancer and degenerative diseases amongst people who use microwaves often. None of this research has yet been peer-reviewed; it was initially quickly placed under a gag-order that appears to have been later rescinded. More research needs to be completed to better understand what’s going on and if the findings are accurate.
There is a suggestion that even water is adversely affected by a microwave. For the record, I have not tried this experiment. Here’s what you do: start with three sets of seeds. Water the first set with water that’s been brought to a boil in a microwave and allowed to cool; water the second set with water that’s been boiled and allowed to cool over the stove; water the third set with water that has not been heated at all. After a short time, the second and third groups will have sprouted. The set being given water that’s been boiled in the microwave will not sprout. Why?
Now, the counter-argument: all a microwave does is heat water, which in turn heats the food the water is part of. If you heat food by any means, you are chemically altering certain nutrients, and using the microwave is no exception to this particular rule. The microwave is just doing the same thing the stove is doing, just in a different way.
Personally, in this case I’m not taking chances. I have no need to use the microwave: I take my time when
preparing food and often eat unheated foods anyway. I understand the theoretical possibility the microwave is changing foods in ways that may be hazardous. I’m not running in fear, however: I will occasionally use a microwave, and I’m sure when others prepare food for me a microwave is sometimes involved. I do think it is a good idea to limit their use as much as possible.
As with anything, moderation is a good starting point.
Resources:
Other news
- Now we can detect heart disease even earlier: Researchers Spot Earliest Signs of Heart Disease
- Can brushing prevent diabetes? Gum Disease Can Harm Much More Than Your Teeth
- I suppose this is progress, if working longer hours is a virtue: More workers do yoga, get massages on the job
- Not every vitamin fixes every problem: Does your heart need more vitamin B?
Healthy thoughts,
Jeff
