Is Microwaved Food Harmful? Is it possible for children to heat food in the microwave: how to decide? Is it bad for your health to heat food in the microwave? What diseases can it lead to?

Rumors have long been circulating among the people about the harm that microwave ovens cause to the human body. Sellers household appliances claim that they are harmless, some claim that only expensive ovens are able to cook oud without negative effects. Where is the truth we decided to tell in today's article.

Due to the lack of information, all electronics, microwaves including, managed to acquire dozens of myths about whether the microwave is harmful. Fortunately, scientists have dealt with this issue quite responsibly and we can know the whole truth and scientific evidence about the negative qualities of this device.

Negative impact

Back in the days of the USSR, scientists were forced to give an answer to the emerging question of whether the myth or reality is harmful to the microwave oven. Back in 1976, researchers firmly declared the exceptional harm of such a technique. Authorities Soviet Union they did not even give permission for the sale of such devices in the country.

Since the creation of this technology and to this day, the problem of ignition of devices for unknown reasons does not disappear. Thus, the technique can be dangerous for humans. It is not safe to be near a working device, at the same time, its operation must be observed.

Does it spoil the products

Inside the microwave oven, all dishes are exposed to microwave radiation. It has been proven that after such exposure, carcinogens were detected in most products. The nutritional value food is reduced by 55-65%, in simple words after processing, any most useful vegetable becomes a dummy.

Food from the microwave can lead to such consequences for a person who consumes it too often:

Possible metabolic disorders and disorders of the digestive system.
The work of the immune system is disrupted.
The risk of oncological neoplasms increases.

Microwave rays affect food so that its structure simply disintegrates. In food, the wrong ones begin to pass chemical processes. The benefit of cooking in a microwave oven is only from its practicality, but in fact it is an exceptional harm to the dishes you have prepared.

For the human body

If you use microwave ovens too often, then think about the fact that your headaches, jumps in blood pressure, depression, nervousness, and even oncology can arise precisely from this external factor. The damage from a microwave to food is instantaneous, but according to scientists, for such an impact on a person, it will take about 10 years to use the equipment regularly. Let's look at the possible health effects of frequent microwave use:

The rays affect the lens of the eye, thereby causing vision problems. The risk of cataracts increases, of course the microwave is dangerous under such circumstances.
Insomnia, depression, nervousness, irritability - negative impact stoves on the human nervous system.
Radiation radiation can damage skin, hair and nails. True or fiction, we cannot say with accuracy, there is no official confirmation of this information. There are only reviews on the forums of ordinary users and doctors.
Whether food from the microwave is harmful, we have already told above, but we did not say that such food can provoke gastritis and stomach ulcers.
Through excessive exposure to radiation, reproductive problems can occur.
Changing the structure of food can provoke the oncology.

Of course, it all depends on the frequency of microwave exposure, think about how often you heat up food and stand next to the microwave. Scientists say that the microwave can be used without harm for up to 10 years. Food from the microwave is not as harmful as useless, the body may not receive enough useful elements.

Some sources report that the harm of microwave ovens is that it is able to change the composition of the blood. People who often use this technique have noticed an underestimated amount of hemoglobin in the blood. Plus, food from microwave devices increases the amount of cholesterol, which threatens the occurrence of cholesterol plaques and blood clots.

Scientific confirmation of the negative impact

Back in 1989, Swiss scientists conducted research on whether a microwave oven is harmful to health, is it a myth or reality. The funds for the experiments were not enough to conduct full-scale studies, they were able to find only one volunteer to study the dangers of heating food in a microwave oven.

The volunteer had to take food alternately: on the 1st day cooked on a conventional stove, on the 2nd day in a microwave oven. Scientists conducted tests at every stage of the life of the test subject. The conclusion shocked scientists: food from the microwave was not only harmful but also dangerous to health. The subject began to change the structure of the blood, which could lead to cancer.

The World Health Organization (WHO) immediately denied such data. WHO experts declared the harmlessness of microwave rays on the human body and food prepared with their help. Then the speakers only stated about the danger of such radiation for people taking pacemakers, for the same reasons such people were recommended to give up cell phones.

American scientists in 1992 conducted separate studies on whether it is harmful to heat food in the microwave. Experts were able to provide scientific evidence of harmfulness. They stated that food from microwave ovens retains microwaves, which naturally enter the digestive system of the body, thus irradiating a person from the inside is possible. No such changes were observed in products prepared in the classical way: scientific evidence proves the words that it is impossible to use a microwave.

How it works

A microwave oven radiates electromagnetic energy at microwave frequencies. The length of such waves is from 1 mm to 30 cm. The speed of such waves reaches 300 km / h, similar waves are used for cell phones, television and radio stations, as well as the Internet.

The radiation frequency is 2540 MHz, the waves are able to penetrate food to a depth of 3 cm. Food in the microwave becomes dry very quickly.

Checking your equipment for safety

There are many ways to measure the benefits and harms of a microwave oven. Several of them do not inspire confidence, so for greater certainty, we advise you to do a few experiments, so you can follow the trend. Here are a few ways to check your microwave oven for harm:

Wait for the evening, or turn on the microwave in a dark room and put it next to fluorescent lamp. If the lamp starts flashing or shows some signs of “life”, your microwave emits too much radiation. There is little benefit from this - the harm is obvious.
The strong heating of the doors of the device is a sign that microwave waves run away, giving your health a danger.
For the next experiment, the microwave must be turned off! Take two mobile phones, put one of them in the oven chamber, from the second try to get through to the first phone. If you were able to get through, then your equipment does not sufficiently protect you from dangerous radiation, the risk of getting harmful effects increases.
Try boiling a regular glass of water in your microwave. Harm will be proven if after 3 minutes the water does not begin to boil. You will prove that most of the rays are leaking somewhere, most likely to the gun, exposing you to their harm.

A microwave detector will help prove the leakage of radiation from the microwave to the outside. For correct measurements, place a glass in the chamber cold water and turn on the oven. Examine the gaps around the door of the device with a detector, and also pay special attention to the corners and the ventilation grill. If everything is in order with the equipment, then the indicator will remain green, if there is a leak and potential harm, then the indicator will be red.

How to reduce risks

If you are very accustomed to using a microwave oven, or simply circumstances force you to use it regularly, then you should know how to use such equipment without harm. With the following tips, you can reduce the harm to a minimum. There is scientific evidence that the harm to health of a microwave oven is minimal if the dose of radiation received is low.

Scientists say that it is quite safe for a person to be already 2-3 centimeters from the body of the device, the main thing is that the radiation does not exceed 5 milliwatts. It is logical that the farther you are from the device, the less risk of getting harm from the microwave.

Don't play with fire. Opening the chamber door during operation is strictly prohibited. In this way, you release all the waves of radiation into free swimming, including on yourself. Wait 3-5 seconds before opening the appliance door after reheating food.

Manufacturers of household appliances, taking care of the health and safety of their customers, usually give the following recommendations:

The device is best used for heating and defrosting food. Cooking in it is not its main function, although it is not prohibited.
In the kitchen, the stove is best placed away from your permanent place of residence. Place it where you spend little time.
It is forbidden to use metal utensils and utensils that contain metals in their paint. In addition to the fact that the equipment may fail, the radiation in the furnace begins a chaotic movement, increasing the risk of being thrown out.
It is not recommended to use the technique for people who use pacemakers.
Microwaves do not kill bacteria, keep the device chamber hygienically clean.

If you follow these elementary rules, the harm from the microwave oven will be minimal and the body will cope with it.

Komarovsky destroys myths

Dr. Komarovsky in his television program proves a different reality. The doctor's review was criticized by many of his colleagues, but Evgeny Olegovich insists: the harm from the microwave is a myth, not a reality. See the program for more details:

Helpful Hints

For many, the microwave oven is just a lifeline. This is especially true for those who need to quickly have breakfast and go to work, or those who need to quickly heat food in the office.

If you've ever put foil in the microwave, you'll understand in seconds why it's a bad idea.

A microwave oven uses its metal walls to reflect and concentrate microwaves in your food, but thin metal sheets are another matter entirely.

The foil cannot withstand microwaves and begins to absorb them and heat up, and so quickly that a fire occurs.

2. Grapes in the microwave

Of course, hardly anyone wanted to warm the grapes. But even if you have such an idea, it is better not to do it.

Due to their size and shape, grapes quickly absorb and amplify microwaves, which will either cause them to catch fire or cause the grapes to explode.

3. Can I put styrofoam dishes in the microwave?

There is a lot of controversy about this material, and more specifically the foam containers with takeaway food, and their heating in the microwave.

Such containers may not harm the microwave, but this does not mean that they can be heated in it. Styrofoam is a type of plastic that can melt if heated too long.

But even if it doesn't melt quickly, there's another catch - it doesn't handle heat well. Styrofoam consists of materials that are carcinogenic in large quantities.

Drinking from Styrofoam cups won't give you cancer, but if you heat it up in the microwave, some dangerous chemicals that you don't want to ingest can leach out of the material and mix with the contents of the glass.

4. Eggs in the microwave

There are many ways to cook eggs. One of them involves the use of a microwave oven. However, the egg needs to be cracked first if you want to avoid a mess.

The egg inside the shell heats up very quickly when put in the microwave. Steam is created inside the shell. When the shell can no longer handle the pressure, it explodes.

Microwave cooking

In an ideal world, these containers should be designed to be easily and safely used to heat food in the microwave. But, as you may have guessed, this is not the case.

Some containers may have metal handles, which, when heated in the microwave, act in the same way as foil.

At first glance, there is nothing wrong with warming up food in an ordinary paper bag. However, this can have some unpleasant consequences.

Brown paper bags can release toxic smoke when heated - it soaks into food, making it unhealthy. They may also ignite.

food in the microwave

First, milk can heat up unevenly, which can be dangerous for a sensitive mouth. baby. Second, heating in a microwave oven can destroy the immune-stimulating proteins found in breast milk, and this in turn reduces its usefulness.

Such mugs are taken on a hike. They are made of stainless steel and may not allow heat to warm their contents. If you put the mug with the contents in the microwave, then the latter can be spoiled. However, if the thermos mug is made of plastic, then it is worth checking its bottom, which, as a rule, indicates whether it is safe to heat it in the microwave.

Frozen meat is not easy to defrost in the microwave - when its thin edges already begin to bake, the thick middle is still icy. And this applies only to those ovens where there is a rotating stand. But if it is not there, then the heat will be distributed even more unevenly, and this leads to the development of bacteria in the meat. It is best to move the meat from the freezer to the refrigerator - this is the most effective method its defrosting.

10. Gold-plated dishes are not for the microwave

Beautiful plates and cups with gilding used to be very popular, but you should not put them in the microwave to warm something up. And all because the metal parts can reflect microwaves, and they return to the magnetron, thereby heating it. Inside the microwave, you will see only small sparks that will fly off from the gilding.

Bonus:

Do not turn on the microwave if there is nothing in it. The fact is that the magnetron, which produces microwaves, begins to absorb them, since there is nothing else to do (there is no food and water inside the microwave). In addition to damaging the oven, it can also cause a fire. Make sure you don't accidentally press the "Start" button.

You can often hear the question, is a microwave oven harmful to health? To which you always get a different answer. Let's talk about each point of view separately.

Principle of operation

The myth or not that food from the microwave is harmful can only be found out after considering the principle of operation of the device.

The household appliance heats food 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 contained in all food products. This action results in heating. The frequency of microwave radio waves is 2540 MHz.

The radiation in the device is able to penetrate products to a depth of no more than three centimeters. Further, the heating procedure goes gradually inside. Food with a lot of moisture heats up in the device much faster "dry".

Evidence of Microwave Harm

“Microwave: good or bad?” People have been arguing for a long time. Proponents that the device is harmful and only put forward several evidence:

1. Research scientists.

Researchers of the USSR at one time said that the stove was directly harmful to the human body.

In 1976, based on their withdrawal, the government even banned the production and use of microwave devices. The harm of the microwave for them was unambiguous. It wasn't until 1990 that the microwave oven permit came into effect.

Scholars of that time cited the following series of evidence:

under microwave exposure, the structure of food disintegrates;
when heated, carcinogenic substances are produced that are dangerous;
the altered composition causes digestive disorders;
after eating microwave food, oncological cells begin to manifest themselves (growth progresses);
microwaves provoke tumors in the gastrointestinal tract;
contribute to the decomposition of the digestive system and excretory systems;
under their action, the body loses the 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 proceed incorrectly. The use of such food leads to malignant tumors, to malfunctions in the lymph 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: is food from the microwave harmful or useful.

2. The harm of a microwave oven to human health is due to radiation from the device. They say it can come out.

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

3. When heated in the device, food loses its beneficial properties for the body.

Is it safe to heat food in the oven for children? Harmful and dangerous. If you give a baby milk from the device, then his nervous system will be disturbed. Amino acids of milk and infant formula under the influence of microwave radiation are converted into isomers. These substances are highly toxic. They cause disturbances in the proper functioning of the nervous system. Also, isomers become especially dangerous for the kidneys. If children receive milk from artificial mixtures, then after microwave radiation it will certainly become toxic.

4. The microwave is radioactive.

5. Explosion may occur due to metal objects inside, which will hurt the user of the device. It turns out that the device can cause physical harm to a person.

Scientific evidence of harm

1992 - the beginning of research in the United States on the topic of cooking in the "enemy" oven. Scientists tried to find out whether the device is harmful or beneficial. The findings of the researchers said that oven microwaves can do more harm than good. Food “comes out” from the device containing 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 obtained: in people who ate food from the microwave, cholesterol jumped up and hemoglobin dropped. The harm of the microwave has been proven.

A little earlier in 1989, Swiss scientists tried to find out whether the microwave is harmful to the body and how, in general, it affects a person. There was no money to conduct large-scale exercises, and the researchers decided to take on a person who would be subjected to an experiment that was important for people. Its essence was the order of eating.

The subject had to take the radiated food every other time: first cooked by heat on the stove, then in the microwave. After each stage, scientists carried out the necessary analyzes. As a result, they received a conclusion: food from the microwave is harmful. After such food, the subject experienced negative changes in the blood, which can lead to oncology.

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

The microwave is not harmful! Destroying myths

Let's try to prove that there is no harm to human health from a microwave oven. Let's debunk the above myths. The microwave device has a use or benefit of use.

Microwave food harms children

Reality is different. The famous 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:

According to the doctor, a microwave oven can harm a child only in a single case: the baby can get burned due to too hot and unevenly heated food. To prevent this from happening, warm up the food should be adults. If, however, the child himself heats the food, then he must know the rules for using the device and be careful.

Microwave heating causes loss of vitamins and essential substances.

The second myth has not been substantiated either. Rebuttal: heating, as a process, will necessarily lead to a loss in the value of products. Therefore, the harm from the microwave in this case is absolutely equal to the harm from the stove and oven.

Formation of carcinogens under the influence of microwave radiation.

It is also an invention. The reality is that carcinogens and trans fats appear in food after heating it in oil. Rapid heating, on the contrary, kills various microorganisms (for example, E. coli), because they do not tolerate such high-speed heating. Food after the household appliance gets the effect of sterilization.

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

The structure of the products falls apart

Science has confirmed that microwave energy is simply not capable of making the molecular disintegration of molecules. For this reason, there can be no harm from a microwave either.

Being near a microwave oven is unsafe due to radiation

Not true! The share of radiation from the device is negligible. Its size is equal to the radiation from cell phones and medical devices. It cannot do any harm. The devices are equipped with good protective screens. There is no danger if the appliance is not used 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 the gas. In our case, metal objects in the microwave will only give sparks. And the resulting sparks 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. Not a single person died due to the microwave oven.

The benefits and harms of a microwave oven are a rather controversial issue. It is impossible to answer unequivocally to use it or not.

But if you use it, then follow these recommendations:

Follow all requirements for proper installation.
Do not block ventilation openings.
Do not turn on the device at idle.
Try to warm up at least 200 grams of food.
Do not put foodstuffs that can explode (e.g. eggs) inside.
Do not put metal utensils inside.
Choose the right dishes for heating: heat-resistant plastic or thick glass.
If there is another method of heating (stove, toaster), use them. Make the presence of the microwave oven in Everyday life minimal.
Do not use the microwave if it is out of order.

As we found out, harm and Negative influence the device cannot bring. What can? Microwaves can provide the following benefits:

you can cook food without fats and oils;
Much less time spent on cooking
You can quickly defrost and reheat food.

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

In contact with

It is already difficult for a modern person to imagine his life without a microwave oven. A microwave oven is a quick and easy assistant for preparing and heating ready meals or semi-finished products. For many decades, the debate about the dangers of heated food in the microwave and the possibility of preparing a full meal in the microwave has not subsided. But before abandoning this assistant, it is important to find out how harmful it is to heat food in the microwave and whether such fears are real.

Microwave myths

Manufacturers of household appliances, in particular microwave ovens, assure their customers of the safety of these devices. These data are supported by many studies conducted in the manufacturer's laboratories.

In addition, advocates of microwave heating refer to the fact that microwaves are emitted not only by microwave ovens, but also by mobile phones, computers and even the sun. And if the celestial body has not been dangerous to humans for millions of years, then why did microwaves fall out of favor? Moreover, progress does not stand still, and new models of microwave ovens are regularly released. with improved safety features. In addition, before giving up the microwave oven, it is important to be completely sure whether the food heated in the microwave is really harmful.

There is a version according to which numerous studies were conducted, where 8 volunteers participated, half of the group was fed three times a day from a microwave oven, and the second half consumed habitually heated dishes.

The results of blood tests indicated the presence of high cholesterol in the first group of subjects. This was due to changes in the polarity of the molecules in the process of exposure to microwaves on products and the release of carcinogens that a person should not consume.

How microwaves work

For many, a safe alternative to the microwave is the traditional heating of food over a fire or heating element. In order to understand whether food from the microwave is so harmful and whether it is better to return to heating on the stove, you should study the mechanism in more detail. heating food in the microwave and in the traditional way:

Benefits and harms for children

Of particular concern and a lot of controversy is the heating of children's food. For many mothers, a microwave oven becomes a salvation when the child is hungry and urgently needs to serve warm food. But Is it bad for a baby to heat food in the microwave?

It should be borne in mind that baby food and mixtures for children contain a lot of water, which, according to scientists, changes its natural structure in a microwave oven.

In addition, the heating of the nutrient mixture often occurs in baby bottles that are not suitable for this, which also affects the change in the structure of the food. Based on these findings, many pediatricians do not recommend heating baby food with microwaves.

According to the manufacturer's recommendations, high-frequency ovens are capable of reheating food instantly, but many consumers have gone much further in the use of microwaves, suggesting that microwaves will help not only reheat, but also cook food from scratch.

Universal Assistant and its features

Of course, many housewives would like to have a universal appliance in their kitchen that is capable of both heating and cooking, but, unfortunately, a microwave machine is not suitable for these purposes. In general, many professional chefs and ordinary people around the world use microwave ovens and regularly take blood tests, getting good results, so it can be assumed that it is not harmful to cook in the microwave.

True, it must be borne in mind that not all products can be fully prepared in this way. Exist cooking rules to follow Keep in mind when working with a microwave:

So, the opinions of manufacturers and the scientific community are divided, unfortunately, there is still no clear answer about the dangers of heated food in the microwave.

The choice to continue to use such equipment or not is a purely personal matter. And, perhaps, nevertheless, the methods of heating food that have been tested for centuries will not lose their relevance and popularity for a long time to come.

Attention, only TODAY!

When you are too busy to prepare a fresh meal, it is better to replace it with fresh fruits or vegetables. Scientists with particular insistence recommend eating only freshly prepared food, and there are arguments for this. It was recently.

Tested by experiments

Not so long ago, a special experiment was conducted on animals. During a certain period of time in the first group, mice were fed only freshly cooked food. In the second group, the rodents ate food reheated immediately after being cooled down; in the third group, they ate food that was reheated five hours after it was cooked. Curiously, the rodents from the third group died within a month. Some test subjects lost their entire hairline, some had their ears and tails withered.

Some individuals died without obvious external causes. But after the anatomy, it turned out that their esophagus had almost completely collapsed, and the kidneys had stopped developing. Mice, representing the second group, were able to live longer - up to three months. During the autopsy, it turned out that decay processes occurred in the organisms of animals. Meanwhile, mice that ate only freshly prepared food lived for at least three years and remained practically healthy. Did you know, ?

How to explain it

It must be said that stale food has a detrimental effect not only on animals, but also on humans. Although for the most part, a person rarely associates his ailments with the fact that he has to eat warm food. Quite often, housewives cook food for two days, or even a week. Sometimes you have to buy products in stores with a shelf life of one week to several years. As a rule, such food does not bring benefits. The thing is that food is nothing more than a material for the renewal of body cells. Only fresh food contains the necessary components for this. These elements are quickly destroyed and are almost not preserved in those dishes that have been standing for several hours. By the way,