Microwave: harm or benefit, expert opinion

Content:

Harm or benefit?
Common myths
Microwave device
Scientifically
What are the consequences?
Tips for using the microwave
Fatal case in medicine
Conclusion

Before buying a microwave oven, few people think about how dangerous the use of the device can be to health. Comfort and the ability to spend as little time as possible preparing food is much more important. Nevertheless, there is a certain category of people who put the principles of healthy eating in the first place. This is where doubts begin. Is microwave food harmful?

It is rather difficult to unequivocally answer this question. Opinions of experts vary widely. Let's see: the harm of microwaves - myth or reality? How does a microwave oven work? How much harm can she do and is it worth letting this "helper" into your kitchen?

Harm or benefit?

A microwave oven in a modern kitchen is a mundane, necessary and very convenient thing. It will be difficult to find a mistress who believes otherwise. Thanks to this device, you can warm up lunch in a matter of minutes or prepare delicious and “quick” hot sandwiches for breakfast. But is such food harmful to health?

If we consider the issue from the point of view of the “correctness” of nutrition, then the point here is not at all the harmful effects of ultrashort waves, but the problem is in the products. Hot dogs, hamburgers, semi-finished products from the nearest store, popcorn and other “snacks” in themselves are difficult to attribute to healthy food. And the microwave has nothing to do with it. The regular use of such dishes leads to disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, digestion problems, obesity and other troubles.

Let's look at the situation from a different point of view. In the microwave, you can cook without using oil. This will cook the food evenly and will not burn anything if the settings are correct. In this case, the microwave, on the contrary, helps to reduce the calorie content of dishes and significantly reduce the amount of fat in the diet.

So what does the microwave bring to us? Harm or benefit? What arguments outweigh? Let's figure it out.

Common myths

Almost every person, when they say "wave radiation", imagines radiation, radiation, Chernobyl and cancerous tumors. On this score, there are many different "horror stories". But are they so real or is this myth?

All microwaves are radioactive. In fact, this is a rather strong misconception. Microwave units generate non-ionizing waves. They do not affect either people or the food itself.

Microwaves change cell structure and food becomes carcinogenic. There is no scientific confirmation of this statement either. Such changes can only occur as a result of exposure to radioactive waves. In addition, heating in the microwave is much faster than on a conventional stove, and it takes less time to cook. And carcinogens can be obtained simply as a result of frying the product in a regular pan with oil.

Microwave radiation damages the human body. Even if this is true, humanity should immediately give up TV, mobile phone or Wi-Fi. Microwaves are also present there. Moreover, these devices are much more dangerous, because the radiation goes out. In the case of a microwave oven, all waves remain inside the unit. So if the case is intact and the glass on the door is not damaged, you risk much less. It has been proven that microwaves do not accumulate in objects, they disappear immediately after the device is turned off.

Microwave destroys vitamins. Another controversial statement. Vitamins and other nutrients are destroyed by exposure to high temperatures. It doesn't matter if you cook in the microwave or cook the dish on a regular stove. It will be possible to preserve vitamins only if you start to eat foods raw.

Under the influence of microwaves, the molecular structure of the products disintegrates. This theory also did not find scientific confirmation. Until now, scientists have not been able to prove this fact.

Regular use of the device leads to a variety of diseases. To date, there is not a single doctor’s opinion indicating that a person died as a result of eating food cooked in a microwave.

See also:

Microwave device

Let's look at the design of microwave ovens in order to get to the bottom of the truth and minimize debate about their beneficial and harmful properties.

The main structural element in this device is a magnetron. It is this node that generates microwaves, under the influence of which the water molecules contained in food begin to vibrate strongly. As a result, the food heats up. That is why wet foods heat up faster and faster than dry foods. They just contain more water.

Interesting fact! Microwave radiation penetrates the product to a depth of about 2-3 mm. Further, a chain reaction occurs and the heating process gradually goes inside.

In order for the heating of the products to occur evenly in the lower part of the oven, there is a support disc made of heat-resistant glass. It slowly rotates with the dish, exposing all sides of the product to the radiation of the magnetron. The furnace body "dampens" the residual waves, and they do not go beyond its limits. Therefore, studies show that it is quite safe to be near a working microwave.

Scientifically

So is the microwave good or bad for human health? What do scientists say about this?

Everyone knows that most of the nutrients in food are lost during heat treatment. This process is significantly influenced by:

temperature at which cooking takes place;
the time it takes to cook or fry a product.

Based on this, it can be argued that food cooked in the microwave contains more nutrients than the one that is cooked in the usual way. First, the time of heat exposure in this case is significantly reduced.Secondly, the temperature in the microwave does not exceed one hundred degrees, which is much lower than when using a conventional stove.

However, there is another opinion. Many scientists do not tire of repeating that the constant use of food cooked in a microwave oven can cause irreparable harm to health. For example, people with a pacemaker are not advised to use microwave ovens. Doctors recommend such people to refuse not only microwave ovens, but even mobile phones and any other devices that emit any waves.

The constant exposure to microwaves, according to scientists, can lead to disappointing consequences even when a person is healthy and does not need to use a pacemaker.

What are the consequences?

Long-term and regular exposure to waves on the human body leads to the following consequences:

sleep disturbance;
often for no apparent reason dizzy;
increased sweating;
impaired memory, reduced learning ability;
decreased appetite, nausea is observed;
vision problems intensify;
the lymphatic system suffers, the lymph nodes increase in volume;
immunity decreases, the general condition of the body worsens;
there is thirst, frequent headaches.

All these symptoms are typical for people who are constantly exposed to waves. This happens when a cell tower or other powerful generator is located in the immediate vicinity of the home or place of work.

In the case of a microwave oven, the radiation will be intermittent and short-lived, so most likely, a person simply will not notice a clear deterioration in health. What else can be dangerous microwave ovens? According to many experts, in people who have been exposed to such rays for a long time, the composition of the blood changes, and disturbances in the nervous system and cerebral cortex are possible. It is believed that people who eat foods cooked in the microwave are more at risk of developing cancerous tumors. There are a number of studies that tell us about such violations:

Digestive system. Food processed by microwaves is not perceived by our body as food. As a result, the gastrointestinal tract tries to quickly remove the "foreign object", completely not assimilating useful substances.
The hormonal system. It is believed that frequent use of food from the microwave leads to the fact that the body "goes astray" and begins to produce the wrong number of male and female hormones, which in turn entails many problems.
Immunity. Microwave waves affect the functioning of the lymphatic system. The oppression of the lymph nodes leads to a slowdown in lymph flow and to a general acceleration of processes in the body, which means aging.
Circulatory system. It is believed that as a result of the constant consumption of food processed by microwaves, there is a decrease in blood clotting. This entails slow wound healing and a lot of blood loss in accidents. The risk of blood cancer is also significantly increased.
Concentration and attention. According to Swiss scientists, regular consumption of food processed with microwaves leads to impairment of memory and learning ability, decreased attention and the ability to concentrate on the desired object for a long time, and a decrease in cognitive activity.
Difficulty assimilating minerals and vitamins. We have already spoken about the fact that during heat treatment useful substances are destroyed. However, some scientists argue that under the influence of microwaves, minerals and vitamins are not easily destroyed, but they are modified. Moreover, “changed” substances entering the human body are not only not absorbed, but are not properly removed from it. They accumulate in the human body, gradually creating problems in the joints and blood vessels.
Irreversibility. Due to the fact that medicine has not yet developed a mechanism to deal with the above problems, all negative properties only accumulate in the body and over time do not disappear anywhere, but only worsen.

Tips for using the microwave

While there is no unequivocal answer to the question whether the food cooked in the microwave is harmful. This theory has both opponents and defenders. Both that and others give rather weighty arguments. To use this device or not, everyone can decide for himself. And we just offer a number of tips to minimize possible negative consequences:

install the oven strictly in a horizontal position;
make sure that the device is located so that all ventilation openings in it are free;
do not use metal utensils;
do not turn on the device "empty", without food;
Do not put objects inside, heating of which can provoke an explosion;
try to heat at least 200 grams of product at a time;
do not use faulty appliances;
make sure that the body and door of the microwave oven are not damaged, even small cracks;
do not turn on the appliance with the door open;
try to follow the instructions for use of the device exactly.

Fatal case in medicine

In medical practice, there is even such a case when the patient's blood was exposed to microwave radiation (she was given a transfusion), which the hapless nurse warmed up not in a special apparatus, but in a microwave oven. After such an attack, the transfused blood deteriorated and killed the entire microflora of the patient's body, which was fatal. This is understandable, because the radiation acted directly on the blood, and in home microwave ovens only food is heated. In this case, the benefit would be invaluable if medical professionals knew everything about the microwave oven and their effect on the environment.

Conclusion

Now there are many different opinions about this issue, the number of false and truthful information about the effects of microwaves on living things is growing every day. This convinces some fans of quick cooking to completely switch to using only one MKV-stove, and some - on the contrary, to get rid of it forever. The point has not yet been put on this issue.

For greater safety, it's best to keep microwaves to a minimum in your life. If you have the opportunity to use other cooking appliances, do this more often.