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How many years there are microwave ovens, as many years in the press there are articles about the terrible harm of microwave. At the same time, a whole sea of ​​frightening terms like "molecular rot "molecular rupture" and other pseudoscientific horror stories, which, in fact, no, can not be delivered to the reader.

Of course, because many of us have forgotten even the information about physics that was obtained from the school textbook, not to mention deeper knowledge.

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It is easy to manipulate consciousness in conditions of insufficient awareness of the audience, referring to some research, it is not known where and by whom conducted, and to declare that a microwave oven causes great and undeniable harm, that its use is unacceptable for human health and that the food cooked in it is not very useful. Continuous "no."

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No, we can not talk about the full and absolute safety of the microwave oven. But the word "harm" is inappropriate here, otherwise nobody would have cooked it. Everything in life has both positive and negative qualities, a microwave oven is no exception. A reasonable person finds the most rational way, taking into account real facts and not thinking that household appliances (in particular a microwave oven) can cause irreparable harm to his health.

Unfortunately, in reality, studies of the microwave oven, figuring out whether there is any benefit or harm from the microwave oven, have been carried out little and long ago. But one thing is clear, it is not harmful and not dangerous to cook with a microwave oven.

Let's look at how real the harm of the microwave oven is to human health and whether it exists at all, whether there is a benefit from this device, whether it is possible to cook in an oven. For this, we need to recall something from physics.

How the microwave oven works

A magnetron is built into the microwave housing, emitting electromagnetic waves of a certain frequency. Certain, because electromagnetic radiation with a different wavelength is used in many industries, and some devices should not interfere with the work of others. In particular, mobile phones, radar, etc.

The world is permeated with electromagnetic radiation, and, nevertheless, there is still no information that someone has suffered from it.

Means, the harm is not so essential, and the food warmed up by means of a microwave, does not become a poison (it is harmful as well as cooked on a kitchen stove). Studies aimed at elucidating the effect of electromagnetic radiation on humans are conducted, but their results rarely become sensations.

Since the wavelength of the waves produced by the magnetron of the microwave oven is large enough, the radiation does not penetrate outside through the insulated walls of the device and does no harm. Food in such conditions is prepared perfectly. Of course, if the insulating layer of the microwave oven is not damaged (otherwise, harm to human health can be, but it is not the device itself that is to blame, but the fact that the furnace has expired).

When cooking in modern models, perfectly protected, you can at least nuzzle into the glass door during the process, and no harm will be done. And it's time to get rid of old stoves, and not only because they are obsolete morally.

In older models, the protection was not so perfect, as described in the instructions to each of them: not it was recommended to be near the operating microwave oven at a distance closer than, meter, when there food was prepared. Damage to health was, and the producers did not hide it.

Concerning horror stories about whether the microwave is harmful as a way of processing food, we can say the following. When you cook food on an electric stove or on a fire, the process is as follows:

• First, the bottom and walls of the dishes are heated, and then the temperature rises in the products in the dishes (food starts to be prepared). When heated, the water molecules begin to move more actively, the higher the temperature, the faster the movement. Movement is chaotic.
• If food is very heated, vitamins are destroyed, proteins are denatured. This is not harmful - denaturation of proteins and is the purpose of heat treatment. To argue about how great the benefits of thermally processed products, or it is worth all polls to go to raw food, is not worth it. Everyone is free to decide for themselves what to eat and how to cook.

If you use a microwave oven, the above process will differ in two ways:

• Heating occurs not from the walls of the dishes, but in the product itself. Microwaves affect the molecules of water contained in any product, causing them to rotate at high speed. Rotation of molecules creates molecular friction, due to which the heating occurs. More rapidly rotating water molecules, which are closer to the surface, transmit energy to molecules located in the depth. Thus, the products are heated throughout the volume, not only at the walls of the dishes. The same movement of molecules takes place, only it is more ordered.
• Heating is extremely rarely above 100 ° C, since only water is heated. That's why without the additional function of the grill on the surface of the product in the microwave can not get a crusty crust. But due to the fact that the products are heated at once throughout the entire volume, much less time is consumed for cooking. This is an undeniable benefit: many more vitamins are preserved in an easily digestible form.

However, without negativity can not do: with short-term exposure to temperature, not all bacteria perish. For example, studies have shown: Salmonella easily survives after processing the products in the microwave.

Is it possible that the microwave oven is harmful to health? No. On a conventional stove, you can just as badly cook food and get infected with salmonella or other pathogens. The benefits and harms of the microwave oven in this case are determined not by the way of processing the products, but by the correctness of the culinary process.

Although there are published studies in which, on the contrary, it is said that many bacteria die faster when processed with a microwave oven than with simple boiling.

Myths and Reality

In articles wandering the network from the resource to the resource, the results of a study in different countries are shown as evidence of undoubted harm. In the vast majority of cases, the original results can not be found, as well as information about those who conducted the research.

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Doubts cause all the articles in which science-like terms are used and impossible processes are described. For example, science does not know the process called "molecular rot" in horror stories. Namely, this most mysterious rot is given as an argument in disputes about whether the microwave oven is harmful to health.

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Some mysterious "scientists" report that as a result of the action of microwaves, "water molecules break". This is, to put it mildly, a nonsense. When the water molecule breaks up, it decomposes into two elements: oxygen and hydrogen, rather than some molecular debris. To remind that both these gases are present in the atmosphere constantly and do not cause harm, it is hardly necessary. Destroy the water molecule is not as simple as it is presented in the articles.

Mention is made of studies that the structure of water is disturbed when treated in a microwave oven. And as evidence is given reports that the water after the microwave becomes "dead in contrast to natural, "living" water. And the "dead" water, of course, does harm, destroying subtle structures throughout the body.

But readers should remember that the water in their cup of tea right now can be exposed to electromagnetic radiation from the underlying near a mobile phone or Wi-Fi. Is it worth it to be afraid of microwave, if you are not going to refuse either wireless Internet, or mobile communication? If there is harm from electromagnetic radiation, then from these devices it also emanates.

But there are absolutely real recommendations that can reduce the harm caused to health by using a microwave oven. This applies to cookware used for cooking. Studies have shown that it is better not to put plastic containers in the oven. Even those on which there is an icon indicating the permissibility of use in a microwave oven. It is better to avoid any plastic. Under the influence of temperature, many of them release into the environment substances that can cause actual, rather than hypothetical harm.

But the glass is almost safe, as well as high-quality ceramics. Use microwave glass for quality glass and ceramics, and harm to health will decrease.

Use a microwave or throw it in the trash, it's up to you. Perhaps, for impressionable people who react vividly to terrible stories from the press, the microwave oven is indeed can be harmful to health, solely because of auto-suggestion, since there is no significant harm! But then it is also worth noting other inventions using electromagnetic waves to work to be consistent. No means no! Without any exceptions. And even about such medical procedures as UHF, for example, will have to be forgotten.

More on the topic: what kind of dishes is suitable for microwave

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