The Dangers of Microwave
Ovens Everyone Needs to Know
Do you stand in front of your microwave while it's heating food?
Or do you turn it on and run for cover, worried about the potential microwave
dangers?
Microwaves, a common appliance found in just about every household, may be
convenient, but they harm your health.
Did you know that your microwave might be a health hazard? Microwaves'
quick cooking radiation robs your food of nutrients and causes toxic
chemicals to leach out of plastic containers.
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Microwaves: Killer Convenience
Microwave ovens, originally sold as "Radaranges," use technology
that passes electromagnetic waves through food, exciting the molecules and
causing them to move and heat up as they respond to the microwave radiation.
Most people don't think twice about heating up leftovers, defrosting meat,
or popping popcorn in the microwave. Many new mothers even heat up breast
milk or formula in the microwave.
But are we paying for this convenience with our health?
Studies on the effects of microwaves have been quite controversial as microwave
technology has evolved over the years. In 1976 Russia even banned the use
of microwaves!1
Here in the US, microwaves are ubiquitous, but recent research shows that
microwaves significantly decrease the nutritional
value of food.
Microwaves have been shown to affect foods in these ways:2
- Reduce levels of vitamin B 12
Vitamin B 12 is essential for red blood cell formation, preventing anemia,
and a healthy nervous system.
- Decrease flavonoids by 97%!
Flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial properties.
- Break down bacteria-digesting enzymes in breast milk
Babies rely on enzymes from breast milk to establish a healthy inner ecosystem
that digests food, absorbs nutrients and protects against pathogens.
- Lower levels of sinapic acid derivatives
Sinapic acids scavenge for and neutralize free radicals, cancer-causing
agents in your body.
- Decrease antibody levels in breast milk
Antibodies in mother's milk protect babies from infections.
Microwaving foods may preserve more vitamins than boiling, for example, but
that does not make it a safe and nutritious cooking choice.
Microwaving can significantly alter levels of vitamins and nutrients that
you need for a healthy body.
Plastic in the Microwave
Another risk when using microwaves is that cancer-causing compounds from
plastic containers and plastic wrap can leach into your food.3
FDA science policy analyst Catherine Bailey says "When you microwave,
it's a good idea not to have the plastic touch the food."4
This is especially important advice for mothers who are currently heating
their baby's bottle in the microwave.
Many mothers already know that microwaves heat liquids unevenly, so milk
heated in the microwave could have hot spots that scald your baby. But the
greater risk is that hormone-disrupting chemicals from plastic bottles heated
in the microwave leach into the milk.
Bisphenol A, a chemical toxin that affects neural and reproductive development,
is present in some popular plastic baby bottles and low doses of the chemical
are linked to cancers, early puberty, obesity, and diabetes.
Avoid the possibility of toxins contaminating your food by not microwaving
in plastic at all.
Baby bottles heated in the microwave can leach dangerous toxins into
breast milk or formula. Your best bet? Avoid microwaves altogether when
heating liquids for your baby.
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Minimize Damage from Microwaves
The easiest way to avoid the damaging effects of microwaves is not to use
them, but here are some ways to help you lessen your dependence on microwaves:
- Foods, especially fruits and vegetables, are best eaten raw, parboiled
quickly or lightly steamed to retain nutrients.
- To heat water for hot drinks, our favorite alternative is fast and effective,
without microwave dangers: Chef's
Choice cordless electric kettle.
This
stainless steel kettle heats your water so fast that you won't even miss
your microwave!
- If you must use plastic from time to time find ones that do not leach
Bisphenol A. A far better choice is to use glass
baby bottles, which we think is the best baby bottle option for supervised
use. You may want to switch to a safer plastic option for unsupervised use.
- If you must use plastics, do not heat them in the microwave. Look for
polypropylene and polyethylene plastic containers if you do use plastics.
- Get a Turbo
Oven ( a small convection oven) to cook quickly and healthfully! A convection
oven. With a Turbo Oven, you cook faster and more evenly in half the time
of a regular oven, without microwave dangers!
You do not have to subject yourself to microwave dangers. By choosing other
methods to cook and store your food, you can be sure that your food will retain
nutrients and be toxin-free.
Sources:
1 Kopp, William, "Microwave Madness," Omega News, 13 Apr 2006.
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/1825144/
2
Lee, Lita, "Microwaves and Microwave Ovens," 14 May 2001. http://www.litalee.com/IDY055/FILES/Microwaves%20And%20Microwave%20Ovens.pdf
Raloff, Janet, "Microwaving can lower breast milk benefits," Science
News, 25 Apr 1992.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_n17_v141/ai_12100730
Vellejo, F, et al, "Phenolic compound contents in edible parts of broccoli
inflorescences after domestic cooking," Journal of the Science of Food
and Agriculture, Vol. 83, no. 14, pp. 1511-1516. Nov 2003.
Watanabe, Fumio, "Effects of Microwave Heating on the Loss of Vitamin
B 12 in Food," J. Agric. Food Chem., 46 (1), 206 -210, 1998.
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/1998/46/i01/abs/jf970670x.html
3 Does Plastic in Microwave Pose Health Problems? Wall Street Journal, 12
Oct 1998. http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Microwave-Health-Problems.htm
4 Does Plastic in Microwave Pose Health Problems? Wall Street Journal, 12
Oct 1998. http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Microwave-Health-Problems.htm
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