Microwave Harm: Scientific Evidence and Myth Destruction

Often you can hear the question, is a microwave oven unhealthy? To which you always get a different answer. We will tell about each point of view separately.

Principle of operation

The myth or not that eating from the microwave is bad can only be determined after consideration. device operating principle.

A household appliance heats products with microwaves. Under their action, the molecules begin to oscillate, and the food heats up. In this case, fluctuations occur in the elements of water, which is found in all food products. Thanks to such actions, heating occurs. Microwave frequency is 2540 MHz.

Microwave Evidence

“Microwave: benefit or harm?” - people argued for a long time. Proponents of the fact that the device is harmful and only put forward some evidence:

1. Research scientists.

Researchers of the USSR at one time said that the furnace is directly harmful to the human body.

In 1976, on the basis of their conclusion, the government even banned the production and use of microwave devices. The harm of the microwave for them was unequivocal. Only in 1990 did the permission for a microwave oven take effect.

Scientists of that time cited the following series of evidence:

• under microwave influence, the structure of food breaks up;
• when heated, carcinogens appear, which are dangerous;
• the changed composition causes digestive disorders;
• after eating microwave food, oncological cells begin to manifest themselves (growth progresses);
• microwaves provoke tumors in the digestive tract;
• contribute to the decomposition of the digestive system and excretory systems;
• under their action, the body loses its ability to absorb minerals, lipotropics, vitamins;
• It is unsafe to be near a household microwave appliance;
• chemical processes in food under the influence of electromagnetic waves do not proceed correctly. The use of such food leads to malignant tumors, to malfunctions in the lymphatic system and to a decrease in the functions of protection against the occurrence of serious pathologies.

In those years, scientists put an end to the question: food from the microwave is harmful or useful.

2. Microwave damage to human health is caused by radiation from the device. They say that it can go outside.

Electromagnetic waves penetrate the walls of a microwave device and adversely affect a person.

3. When heated in a device, food loses its beneficial properties.

Is it harmful for children to heat food in the oven? Harmful and dangerous. If you feed the baby with milk from the device, then its nervous system will be impaired. Amino acids of milk and infant formula under the influence of microwave radiation pass into isomers. These substances are very toxic. They cause disturbances in the proper functioning of the nervous system. Isomers also become especially dangerous for the kidneys. If children get milk from artificial mixtures, then after microwave radiation it will certainly become toxic.

4. The microwave is radioactive.

5. Explosions may occur due to metal objects inside., which will injure the user of the device. It turns out that the device can cause physical harm to humans.

Scientific evidence of harm

1992 - the beginning of research in the United States on the subject of cooking in an “enemy” oven. Scientists tried to find out whether the device is harmful or beneficial. Researchers concluded that microwave ovens can do more harm than good. Food “leaves” the device with microwave energy. This unnecessary energy remains in the molecules. It is absent in products subject to conventional thermal heating. As a result, a conclusion was drawn: in people who ate food from a microwave, cholesterol jumped up and hemoglobin went down. Microwave damage has been proven.

A little earlier in 1989, Swiss scientists tried to find out whether a microwave is harmful to the body and how, in general, it affects a person. There was no money for conducting large-scale exercises, and the researchers decided to take a man who would undergo an experiment important to people. Its essence was the sequence of meals.

Then their opinion was refuted by WHO (World Health Organization), which stated that microwave radiation can not affect people and food. But WHO has noticed that pacemakers implanted in humans can respond to microwaves. Such people should refuse not only microwave ovens, but also cell phones.

Interesting articles in the topic:

•  What microwave convection? What does it give and why is it dangerous?
• The dish does not spin in the microwave: what to do and what is the cause of the breakdown?
• How to get rid of bad smell in the microwave, read here.
• How to use a microwave: rules and recommendations from personal experience.

The microwave is not harmful! Destroying Myths

Let's try to prove that there is no harm to the health of the microwave oven. Refute the above myths. A microwave device has a benefit or a benefit of using.

Microwave Food Harm Kids

The reality is different. Well-known pediatrician O.E. Komarovsky confirms this in his program. The doctor claims that the microwave is absolutely safe for children. Below you can watch a video on the topic:

Microwave heating causes loss of vitaminsand substances necessary for man.

Justification did not find the second myth. Disclaimer: heating, as a process, will necessarily lead to a loss of product value. Therefore, the harm from the microwave in this case is absolutely equal to the harm from the stove and oven.

The formation of carcinogens under the influence of microwave radiation.

It is also a fiction. The reality is that carcinogens and trans fats appear in food after warming it in oil. Rapid heating, on the contrary, kills various microorganisms (for example, E. coli) because they cannot tolerate such rapid heating. Food after the appliance receives the effect of sterilization.

We continue the conversation on the topic of “microwave: benefit or harm”.

Product structure breaks up

Science has confirmed that microwave energy is simply not able to make molecular decay of molecules. For this reason, harm from the microwave can also not be.

Being in the vicinity of a microwave is unsafe due to radiation

Not true! The fraction of radiation from the device is negligible. Its size is equal to radiation from cell phones and medical devices. It cannot be harmful. Devices are equipped with good protective screens. There is no danger if you do not use the appliance with the door open.

Explosion due to metal objects

This is a false opinion. Because the cause of any explosion is the rapid expansion of gas. In our case, metal objects in the microwave will give only sparking. And the sparks received will damage the main element of the magnetron device. By the way, it is not recommended to heat food in metal objects.

The device causes various diseases.

To date, there is no evidence of this fact. No one died through the fault of the microwave.

Recommendations

The benefits and harms of the microwave are a moot point. You can’t answer unambiguously to use it or not.

But if you use it, then adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Follow all installation requirements.
2. Do not block the ventilation openings.
3. Do not turn on the device at idle.
4. Try to heat at least 200 grams of food.
5. Do not put foods that could explode inside (such as eggs).
6. Do not put metal utensils inside.
7. Choose the right cookware for heating: heat-resistant plastic or thick glass.
8. If there is another way of heating (stove, toaster), use them. Keep your microwave in everyday life to a minimum.
9. Do not use the microwave if it is defective.

As we found out, the device cannot bring harm and negative impact. And what can? A microwave can be beneficial, which is that:

• You can cook foods without fats and oils;
• cooking time takes much less;
• You can quickly defrost and heat dishes.

To summarize. What is characteristic of a microwave oven: benefit or harm? Let everyone decide for himself.