Is it harmful to be near a microwave? Common myths about the dangers of microwave ovens and real facts

At the end of the twentieth century, scientists at the University of Lausanne conducted experiments using microwave ovens. As a result, they found that the composition of those people who constantly use microwaves changes. Currently, experts claim that food cooked in it is life-threatening because it causes irreparable harm to health by causing the development of cancer cells in the body.

What some studies have shown

Immunologists say that if people eat cooked vegetables and many other foods, cholesterol in their body rises and falls. The experiments were carried out as follows. A group of volunteers were given certain ingredients to eat, cooked and heated in a microwave oven, for several days.

After some time, these people had their blood tested, and the results were not the best.

It has been proven that the person who constantly consumes ingredients cooked in a microwave oven is more susceptible to microwave radiation than everyone else, thus causing irreparable harm to his health. To avoid unpleasant consequences, it is better to prepare food in the traditional way, using all the knowledge of culinary art.

Manufacturers claim that there is no difference between the food that modern housewives make on stoves and the food that is cooked. Many people are writing about this now.

But despite all the information voiced by the manufacturers, new research is currently being conducted in the United States.

How to cook in the microwave

It has recently been found that when some types of food are cooked in a microwave oven, glycosinates in food are reduced by about 85%, while only a small portion is lost in steamed food.

It is thanks to the microwave that life-threatening diseases have decreased abroad. This happens because housewives simply do not add oil to the ingredients they prepare, because when cooking they do not fry or cook food, but do everything using microwave energy.

Scientists still have one opinion on whether it is worth cooking food in the microwave or not. No one has yet proven with certainty that such food is safe for people, so it’s better to cook tasty and healthy food on the stove. Defrost food, meat, bread and reheat it in the microwave if possible. However, when it is turned on, move away as much as possible. Under no circumstances should minors be allowed closer than 2.5 meters to it.

This heated article is author's personal opinion.
BRIEFLY, its contents can be summarized as follows:

1. Much has been said about the dangers of food heated in the microwave, but you need to correctly distinguish what is true in these horror stories, and what - pseudoscientific conclusions sucked out of thin air.

2. If you have doubts about the quality of such food, you can prefer microwave ovens more traditional heating methods. It’s easier than puzzling over the opuses of journalists and Internet babbles.

3. In addition to the issue of influence on food, there is another question electromagnetic field Microwave ovens. It is quite intense, but there are ways to avoid its harmful effects– see the link at the end of the article.

4. See the comments for the most “juicy”. But you must read the article!

Recently, there have been many reports in the electronic media that food heated in a microwave oven can be hazardous to health. Is this really true? Let's try to figure it out.

A microwave oven (or microwave oven) is named according to its operating principle. Heating occurs due to the effect of microwave radiation on the heated product.

Microwaves are ultra-high-frequency electromagnetic radiation (2450 Megahertz - a frequency designated by the US Federal Communications Commission in 1945 specifically for household appliances). Frequencies close in range are used for cell phones, Bluetooth, digital television transmission, and other means of communication and information transfer.

The microwave oven is quite simple. Each microwave oven contains a high-voltage transformer that produces high voltage. A magnetron that converts electrical energy into a microwave electromagnetic field. Control system (buttons, knobs, timers, display, etc.). These are the basic elements of every modern microwave oven.

Heating of food in the stove occurs for the following reason. Microwaves primarily affect molecules of water, sugar and fat. Thus, water molecules consist, as everyone knows from school years, of two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom. These atoms in the normal state are at absolute rest, since they have the opposite charge. Microwaves act directly on atoms, causing them to spin. As a result, the water heats up.

There is an opinion that as a result of such movement, reorientation of molecules occurs, isomerism (isomers appear). This causes the destruction of molecules, the breakdown of the original molecular structure of the products. Again, you just have to turn to your 8th grade school chemistry textbook to find out that isomerism is the phenomenon of the existence in nature of compounds (isomers) with identical composition and molecular weight, but different in structure and properties. This can be illustrated by the example of different words consisting of the same sounds, for example: bar and slave. But it’s easy to swap letters in words, but break a molecule, even something as simple as a water molecule, even after it has warmed up and turned into steam - impossible at home. If you have opposing opinions, write in the comments - only with appropriate justification. (Addition from December 11, 2018, we quote a reader’s comment: “An elementary way to destroy a water molecule into HOH gas is electrolysis. If the author studied the material taught at school, he should know about it. There are plenty of videos on the internet. The energy required for electrolysis is small - 2 volts. There’s simply no point in comparing it with microwave radiation.”

It is also worth noting that any method of preparation leads to a change and breakdown of complex organic compounds into simpler and more convenient for digestion, otherwise a person could easily eat, for example, raw meat. In addition, there is evidence that due to rapid heating in a microwave oven, pathogenic microbes die faster and more reliably, but there are slightly fewer vitamins in food than in raw foods, and much more than in foods prepared in a different way [G.S. Sapunov, 2007].

Those. We can, of course, say that the food you take out of the microwave after heating is no longer what it was before, because it is... hot food.

Now let's delve into history. There is also a story circulating on the Internet that the first microwave ovens came from the Nazis. They were used to heat food for soldiers. During times of hostilities, this was convenient and gave soldiers time to concentrate on other more important tasks. It was also the Nazis who began the first clinical trials of microwave radiation on a heated product. Then the results of these studies came to the USSR, and the research was continued by Soviet specialists ( the sources of all this information are not indicated). As a result, the USSR allegedly banned microwave ovens and published the results of studies reporting the dangers of this radiation. Following us, these stoves were allegedly banned in a number of eastern countries.

For example, other sources claim something completely different: the microwave oven was invented by the American engineer Percy Spencer, who worked for the military-industrial company Raytheon, and on October 8, 1945, he registered a patent for his invention. After which his native company began developing a “peaceful radar for cooking,” which, in fact, was what it needed in the conditions of the end of the war [Vladimir Tuchkov, 2007].

We don’t know what about the ban on microwave ovens in the USSR, but it clearly did not exist in the 80s, when Soviet factories began producing microwave ovens, for example, the “Dnepryanka-1” model from the Dnieper Machine-Building Plant.

“In the USA, experiments were carried out on volunteers. 16 people were selected. For some time, one group (8 people) was given food cooked in a microwave oven. Others were fed food prepared in the traditional way. Then the groups' blood was taken for analysis.
All people who ate microwave food showed changes ( decreased hemoglobin, increased cholesterol). In this regard, a clear conclusion was made about the dangers of food heated in a microwave oven.
– It was discovered that some of the amino acids in milk and cereals turned into carcinogens.
– Defrosting frozen fruit caused the appearance of carcinogens in their composition.
- Even fast exposure of vegetables to microwaves transforms in their composition alkaloids into carcinogens.
– There was a general nutritional reduction all products."

In any case, if you don’t trust the microwave, if you don’t like the taste of the food cooked in it, if you are afraid for your children and yourself, no one is forcing you to use a microwave oven. But you shouldn’t believe everything that ignorant journalists write. It’s better to take the same thing that microwaves have more seriously. Therefore, the oven must be used in compliance with the safety regulations set out in its instructions. Timely replacement of the furnace sealing element and its repair should only be carried out by a professional who has undergone special training.

For your safety, you can read:

There is concern that cooking food using microwaves is harmful to health. This opinion is not without foundation. You need to figure out why microwave ovens are harmful to human health, separate fact from fiction, and learn about the possibilities for neutralizing this effect.

THE ADVENT OF THE MICROWAVE OVEN

The invention of the microwave oven belongs to the Germans. The device was invented during wartime and significantly saved the Germans time on feeding soldiers. Research on the effects of microwave ovens was later discovered and documented by the Germans. After carefully studying this information, the use of microwave ovens was temporarily banned in the USSR. The ban was due to the discovery of hazardous substances resulting from the influence of microwaves. Other countries have introduced serious restrictions on the use of such stoves.

THE ESSENCE OF MICROWAVE RADIATION

The process of thermal processing of products is designed to break down complex organic compounds into simpler elements for better absorption by the human body. The microwave oven is very simple. In addition to the control system, it has a high-voltage transformer for generating voltage and a magnetron, which converts electricity into ultra-high frequencies of the magnetic field.

Microwave radiation is one of the types of electromagnetic energy, which, by its effect on the product, causes it to warm up. The wavelength of ultrahigh frequency radiation is about 2450 mg (megahertz). This frequency allows the radiation to penetrate several centimeters inside the body. This is enough to cause internal burns, to which the body is not adapted. The eyes and ovaries are especially affected due to low blood flow in these areas. After all, blood circulation plays a cooling function. The consequences for the eyes are irreversible. This is why it is so important to follow safety precautions.

EFFECT ON FOOD

Microwaves affect the molecular structure of water, fat and sugar. The atoms of these substances, under the influence of microwaves, begin to rotate intensively, developing a frequency of millions of revolutions per second. At the same time, their polarity undergoes changes at a high speed, leading to a change in the structure of the molecules. Molecular friction heats up the food.

The molecular structure of food products is disrupted with the formation of isomers. The DNA is damaged and the body does not recognize this food. A protective reaction occurs in the form of enveloping it with fat cells, eliminating it. The altered amino acids are converted into toxic forms.

For the first time, a clinical study was conducted by Dr. Hertel. Using the example of several volunteers, he obtained evidence of changes in the nutritional value of food after microwave treatment. A blood test was also performed. After the experiment, it was discovered that cooking food in the usual way does not cause negative changes in the blood. Volunteers eating microwave-processed food experienced a decrease in hemoglobin levels in the blood and an increase in cholesterol levels. In addition, the number of leukocytes increased.

The microwave oven forms new, unnatural compounds called radiolytic. They lead to the formation of molecular rot due to exposure to radiation. The human body is electrochemical in nature, so scientists’ concerns are justified.

As a result of research, Russian scientists came to the conclusion that all food products that went through a microwave oven contained carcinogens. Some of the results of their research read:

• carcinogen d Nitrosodienthanolamines has formed in meat;
• several types of amino acids in milk and grain products have become carcinogens;
• when fruits are defrosted, glucoside galactoside transforms into carcinogenic substances;
• Alkaloids from vegetables that have undergone even minor microwave treatment are also converted into carcinogens;
• influence on plant products, in particular root vegetables, forms carcinogenic free radicals;
• the nutritional value of foods was reduced by sixty and even ninety percent from the influence of microwaves.

One of the main consequences of eating food that has been cooked using microwaves is the degeneration of the immune system. The proportion of cancer cells in the blood increases. The appearance of free radicals during microwave processing of vegetables provokes an increase in the risk of cancer. Problems of the digestive organ system, destruction of intestinal and peripheral tissues up to the development of cancer.

Even simply being near a working microwave oven is a significant health hazard. There is a change in the electrical impulses of the brain, destruction of cell membranes, deterioration of the composition of the blood and lymphatic system, weakening of the centers of the autonomic nervous system.

In genetic engineering, to penetrate a cell, it is irradiated with electromagnetic waves to weaken the membranes. Destroyed food cells create conditions for the penetration of fungi and viruses through the membranes. Minerals and vitamins change their structure under the influence of microwave radiation and are not absorbed by the body.

If you conduct a home experiment, you can clearly verify the veracity of the above. It is enough to plant two identical plants in pots and water them with water. One of the plants should receive water boiled in a microwave oven, and the second should receive water boiled on the stove. A week later, the first plant dies. There is also an incident that happened in the hospital with one of the nurses. She simply microwaved blood for one of the patients. The transfusion of such blood led to death.

DANGER TO CHILDREN

Mother's milk and infant formula contain some of the amino acids L-proline. Microwave irradiation converts them into d-isomers, which have neurotoxic and nephrotoxic effects. They can destroy the nervous system and kidneys. Modern children are increasingly fed with artificial mother's milk substitutes, which do not benefit the child. And under the influence of a microwave oven, such food acquires completely toxic properties.

PRECAUTIONS

If getting rid of the microwave oven is problematic, then you need to try to protect yourself in any possible way. After all, the quality of furnace protection may be questionable, as well as compliance with established standards. When the microwave oven is operating, it is recommended to leave the kitchen and not stand near the appliance. After the signal sounds that the food is ready, you can calmly approach the microwave oven. Using a weak mode will reduce the radiation level.

When the door is opened, a protection is usually triggered, turning off the magnetron. But if there is a failure in the protection, then the radiation from the generator will cause significant harm to health. However, microwaves can also leak through any gap formed, for example, due to carbon deposits on the door. Therefore, the microwave oven requires attention and caution.

Microwave oven manufacturers claim that their products are safe. Therefore, there is no general consensus on the dangers of exposure to microwave radiation. However, scientific evidence has actual evidence that microwaves are harmful to health. The human body is electrochemical in nature, so scientists’ concerns are justified. What to choose, convenience or health, everyone has the right to decide for themselves. But we should not forget that the health of children depends on the decisions of adults.

Harmful microwave oven. Research

The Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Sciences conducted an examination of food prepared in a microwave oven. The level of vitamin retention during the preparation of vegetable and meat dishes was checked. And the result exceeded all expectations - even the most valuable vitamin C was preserved after processing in the oven by 75-98%. And with traditional cooking methods, the preservation of this vitamin does not exceed 30-60%.

However, think for yourself, if we cook food in a microwave oven faster than usual and at a temperature no higher than the boiling point of water, then the danger of preserving all kinds of bacteria and chlorine-containing organic matter is not small.
If we simply heat up food or ready-made dishes in a microwave oven at a low temperature, then this is always a loss of the original taste properties, and may also provoke the proliferation of any microflora in long-term or improperly stored products. Well, if we cook food without water or in small quantities of water, then where do all the heavy metals, nitrates and nitrites go?
You just need to imagine what happens when you use one or another method of cooking.
Soviet research on the dangers of microwave ovens
In the USSR, microwave ovens were banned in 1976 due to their harmful effects on health, as many studies had been conducted on them. The ban was lifted in the early 90s after Perestroika.
Here are some of the research results
Microwave:
1. Accelerate the structural breakdown of products.
2. Carcinogenic substances are created in milk and grain crops.
3. They change the elemental composition of food products, causing digestive disorders.
4. They change the chemistry of food, which can lead to malfunctions of the lymphatic system and the destruction of the body’s ability to protect itself from malignant tumors.
5. Lead to an increase in the percentage of cancer cells in the blood.
6. Lead to malignant tumors of the stomach and intestines, general degeneration of peripheral fiber, as well as the gradual destruction of the digestive and excretory systems in a statistically high percentage of people.
7. Reduces the body's ability to absorb B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotropics (substances that help accelerate the breakdown of fats in the body).
8. Microwaves near the oven also cause health problems.
9. Heating cooked meat in the microwave causes the appearance of d-nitrosodiethanolamine (a widely known carcinogen), destabilization of biomolecular compounds of the active protein,
creation of carcinogenic agents in protein hydrolyzate compounds in milk and cereals.
10. Microwave radiation also causes a change (decay) in the catabolic behavior of glucoside and galactoside elements in frozen fruits if they are thawed in a microwave oven.
11. Cause changes in the behavior of catabolic plant alkaloids in raw, cooked or frozen vegetables that have been exposed to radiation even for a short time.
12. Cancer-causing free radicals were formed in certain molecular structures of trace elements in plant matter, especially raw root vegetables.
13. Those who consumed microwaved food showed statistically higher rates of gastrointestinal cancers, as well as general degeneration of peripheral fiber with gradual destruction of digestive and excretory functions.
“The rise of widespread nutritional deficiencies in the Western world correlates almost perfectly with the advent of microwave ovens. This is no coincidence. Microwave ovens heat food by creating a process of molecular friction, but it is this same friction that quickly destroys the fragile molecules of vitamins and phytonutrients (herbal remedies) naturally found in food. One study shows that microwave heating destroys up to 97 percent of nutritional value (vitamins and other plant nutrients that prevent disease, boost immunity, and promote health).”
There is a lot of research into microwave ovens and the effects they can have on the human body. Conclusive studies have not yet been published, but if any of the above shows signs of negative effects on food, one can only imagine what effects these effects would have on the human body. So if you can do without using a microwave, do so. Even if it's just to maintain the nutritional value and quality of your food.

How does a microwave oven work?
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic energy, just like light waves or radio waves. These are very short electromagnetic waves that travel at the speed of light (299.79 km per second). In modern technology, microwaves are used in microwave ovens, for long-distance and international telephone communications, transmission of television programs, and operation of the Internet on Earth and via satellites. But microwaves are best known to us as a source of energy for cooking - the microwave oven.
Each microwave oven contains a magnetron, in which electrons are charged by electromagnetic fields so as to produce microwave radiation equal to 2450 Megahertz (MHz) or 2.45 Gigahertz (GHz). This microwave radiation interacts with food molecules.
The magnetron in a microwave oven is the most important component. It is the source of microwave heating in a microwave oven. Food molecules - especially water molecules - have positively and negatively charged particles, similar to the south and north poles of the Earth.
Microwaves “bomb” food molecules, causing polar molecules to spin at millions of times per second, creating molecular friction that heats the food. This friction causes significant damage to food molecules, breaking or deforming them. In the scientific world, this process is called structural isomerism.
Simply put, microwaves cause breakdown and changes in the molecular structure of food through the process of radiation.
Who invented microwave ovens
The Nazis, for their military operations, invented a microwave stove - "radiomissor", for cooking, which they were going to use in the war with Russia. The time spent on cooking in this case was sharply reduced, which made it possible to concentrate on other tasks.
After the war, the Allies discovered documents of medical research conducted by the Germans with microwave ovens. These documents, as well as some working models, were transferred to the United States for "further scientific research." The Russians also obtained a number of such models and conducted extensive studies of their biological effects. As a result, the use of microwave ovens in the USSR was strictly prohibited. The Soviets have issued an international warning about harmful substances, biological and environmental, from exposure to microwaves.
Other Eastern European scientists also identified the harmful effects of microwave radiation and created strict environmental restrictions on their use.
Microwaves are not safe for children
Some of the amino acids L - proline, which are part of mother's milk, as well as in infant formula, are converted under the influence of microwaves into d-isomers, which are considered neurotoxic (deform the nervous system) and nephrotoxic (toxic to the kidneys). It is a tragedy that many children are fed on artificial milk substitutes (baby formula), which are made even more toxic by microwave ovens.
Scientific data and facts
A comparative study on Microwave Cooking published in 1992 in the United States states:
“From a medical point of view, it is believed that introducing microwave-exposed molecules into the human body has a much greater chance of causing harm than benefit. Microwave food contains microwave energy in molecules that is not present in traditionally prepared foods."
Microwave waves created artificially in a microwave oven, based on alternating current, produce about a billion polarity changes in each molecule per second. Deformation of molecules in this case is inevitable. It has been noted that amino acids contained in food undergo isomeric changes and are also converted into toxic forms under the influence of microwaves produced in a microwave oven. A short-term study raised significant concerns about changes in the blood composition of people who consumed microwaved milk and vegetables. Eight other volunteers ate the same foods, but prepared in traditional ways. All foods that were processed in microwave ovens led to changes in the blood of volunteers. Hemoglobin levels decreased and cholesterol levels increased.

Swiss clinical trials
Dr. Hans Ulrich Hertel, participated in a similar study, and worked for many years in one of the large Swiss companies. Several years ago, she was fired from her position for disclosing the results of these experiments. In 1991, she and a professor at the University of Lausanne published a study showing that food cooked in microwave ovens may pose a health risk compared to food prepared in traditional ways. An article was also presented in the magazine Franz Weber No. 19, which stated that consumption of food cooked in microwave ovens has a malignant effect on the blood.
Dr. Hertel was the first scientist to conduct a clinical study on the effects of microwaved food on the blood and physiology of the human body. This small study reveals the degenerative forces that occur in microwave ovens and food processed in them. Scientific findings have shown that cooking food in a microwave oven changes the nutritional composition of food. This research was carried out together with Dr. Bernard H. Blanc from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the Institute of Biochemistry.
At intervals of two to five days, volunteers received one of the following meals on an empty stomach: (1) raw milk; (2) the same milk, heated in the traditional way; (3) pasteurized milk; (4) the same milk heated in the microwave; (5) fresh vegetables; (6) the same vegetables prepared traditionally; (7) traditionally thawed frozen vegetables; and (8) the same vegetables cooked in the microwave.
Blood samples were taken from volunteers immediately before each meal. Then blood tests were performed at certain intervals after taking milk and plant products.
Significant changes were found in the blood during meal intervals exposed to microwave ovens. These changes included a reduction in hemoglobin and changes in cholesterol composition, especially the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol). The number of Lymphocytes (white blood cells) increased. All these indicators indicate degeneration. In addition, part of the microwave energy remains in food, consuming which a person is exposed to microwave radiation.
Radiation leads to the destruction and deformation of food molecules. Microwaves create new compounds that do not exist in nature, called radiolytics. Radiolytic compounds create molecular rot - as a direct consequence of radiation.
Microwave manufacturers claim that microwaved food does not have much difference in composition compared to traditionally processed food. The scientific clinical evidence presented here suggests that this is simply false.
Not a single public university in the United States has conducted a single study on the effects of altered microwaved food on the human body. Isn't this a little strange? But there is a lot of research about what happens if the microwave door is not closed. Once again, common sense tells us that their attention should be paid to what happens to food cooked in a microwave oven. We can only guess how molecular rot from the microwave will affect your health in the future!
Microwave carcinogens
In an Earthletter article in March and September 1991, Dr. Lita Lee provides some facts about the operation of microwave ovens. In particular, she stated that all microwave ovens leak electromagnetic radiation, and also degrade the quality of food, converting its substances into toxic and carcinogenic compounds. The research summary summarized in this article shows that microwave ovens are much more harmful than previously thought.
The following is a summary of Russian Studies published by the Atlantis Raising Educational Center in Portland, Oregon. They say that carcinogens were formed in almost all food products exposed to microwave irradiation. Here is a summary of some of these results:
Cooking meat in a microwave oven creates the known carcinogen Nitrosodienthanolamines.
Some of the amino acids found in milk and grain products have been transformed into carcinogens.
Thawing some frozen fruits converts glucoside to galactoside into carcinogenic substances.
Even a short exposure of fresh, cooked or frozen vegetables to microwaves converts alkaloids into carcinogens.
Carcinogenic free radicals were formed by exposure to plant foods, especially root vegetables. Their nutritional value was also reduced.
Russian scientists also discovered a decrease in the nutritional value of food when exposed to microwaves from 60 to 90%!
Consequences of exposure to carcinogens
Creation of cancer agents in protein compounds - hydrolysate. In milk and cereals, these are natural proteins that, under the influence of the microwave, break down and mix with water molecules, creating carcinogenic formations.
Changes in elementary nutrients result in disorders in the digestive system caused by metabolic disorders.
Due to chemical changes in foods, shifts in the lymphatic system have been noticed, leading to degeneration of the immune system.
The absorption of irradiated food leads to an increase in the percentage of cancer cells in the blood serum.
Defrosting and heating vegetables and fruits leads to the oxidation of the alcoholic compounds they contain.
Exposure of raw vegetables, especially root vegetables, to microwaves promotes the formation of free radicals in mineral compounds that cause cancer.
As a result of eating foods cooked in a microwave oven, there is a predisposition to the development of cancer of intestinal tissues, as well as general degeneration of peripheral tissues with the gradual destruction of the functions of the digestive system.
Direct proximity to a microwave oven. According to Russian scientists, it causes the following problems:
Deformation of the composition of the blood and lymphatic areas;
Degeneration and destabilization of the internal potential of cell membranes;
Disturbance of electrical nerve impulses in the brain;
Degeneration and decay of nerve endings and loss of energy in the area of ​​nerve centers both in the anterior and posterior central and autonomic nervous systems;
In the long term, the cumulative loss of vital energy, animals and plants that are within a radius of 500 meters from the equipment.

Whether or not to cook food in the microwave is something everyone decides for themselves. A microwave oven significantly reduces the time of cooking, heating and defrosting food, which is important in our lives today. One way or another, many of us will cook or eat food cooked in a microwave oven. You may find some tips and recipes for cooking in the microwave helpful.

As many years as microwave ovens have existed, articles about the terrible harm of microwaves have appeared in the press for the same number of years. At the same time, the reader is bombarded with a whole sea of ​​frightening terms like “molecular rot”, “rupture of molecules” and other pseudoscientific horror stories, which in fact do not exist and cannot exist.

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

It is easy to manipulate the consciousness in conditions of insufficient awareness of the audience, while referring to certain studies conducted unknown where or by whom, and declare that a microwave causes great and undeniable harm, that its use is unacceptable for human health and that food cooked in it is not very good. useful. Solid "no".

No, we can’t talk about the complete and absolute safety of a microwave oven either. But the word “harm” is inappropriate here, otherwise no one would cook in it. Everything in life has both positive and negative qualities, the microwave oven is no exception. A reasonable person finds the most rational way, taking into account the real facts and not thinking that household appliances (in particular a microwave oven) can cause irreparable harm to his health.

Unfortunately, in reality, microwave research into whether there is any benefit or harm from microwave ovens has been few and far between. But one thing is clear: cooking with a microwave oven is neither harmful nor dangerous.

Let's look at how real the harm of a microwave oven is to human health and whether it exists at all, whether there is any benefit from this device, and whether it is possible to cook in the oven. To do this, you will have to remember something from physics.

How does a microwave oven work?

A magnetron is built into the microwave body, 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 operation of others. In particular, mobile phones, radars, etc.

The world is permeated with electromagnetic radiation, and yet there is still no evidence that anyone has suffered from it.

This means that the harm is not so significant, and food heated in a microwave does not become poisonous (it is just as harmful as food cooked on a stove). Research aimed at clarifying the influence of electromagnetic radiation on humans is being carried out, but their results rarely become sensations.

Since the wavelength produced by the magnetron of a microwave oven is quite long, the radiation does not penetrate outward through the insulated walls of the device and does not cause harm. Food is prepared beautifully in such conditions. Of course, if the insulating layer of the microwave oven is not damaged (otherwise there may be harm to human health, but it is not the device as such that is to blame, but the fact that the oven’s service life has expired).

When cooking in modern models, which are well protected, you can even bury your nose in the glass of the door during the process, and no harm will be done. But it’s time to get rid of old stoves, and not only because they are morally outdated.

In older models, the protection was not so perfect, as stated in the instructions for each of them: it was not recommended to be near a working microwave oven at a distance closer than 1.5 meters when food was being prepared there. There was harm to health, and the manufacturers did not hide it.

Regarding the horror stories about whether the microwave is harmful as a method of processing food, the following can be said. When you cook food on an electric stove or over a fire, the process goes like this:

• First, the bottom and walls of the dish heat up, and then the temperature of the food in the dish also rises (the food begins to cook). When heated, water molecules begin to move more actively; the higher the temperature, the faster the movement. The movement is chaotic.
• If food is heated too much, vitamins are destroyed and proteins are denatured. This is not harmful - protein denaturation is the purpose of heat treatment. There is no point in arguing about how great the benefits of thermally processed foods are, or whether everyone should switch to a raw food diet. 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 does not occur from the walls of the cookware, but in the product itself. Microwaves affect the water molecules contained in any product, causing them to rotate at high speed. The rotation of molecules creates molecular friction, due to which heating occurs. Faster spinning water molecules closer to the surface transfer energy to molecules located deeper. Thus, the food is heated throughout the entire volume, and not just at the walls of the dish. The same movement of molecules occurs, only it is more ordered.
• Heating extremely rarely exceeds 100°C, since only water is heated. That is why, without the additional grill function, it is impossible to get a crispy crust on the surface of the product in the microwave. But due to the fact that the products are heated throughout the entire volume at once, significantly less time is spent on cooking. This is an undoubted benefit: much more vitamins are retained in an easily digestible form.

However, you can’t do without the negative: short-term exposure to temperature does not kill all bacteria. For example, studies have shown that salmonella easily survives after food is processed in the microwave.

Is it possible to consider that because of this microwave oven is harmful to health? No. On a regular stove, you can cook food just as poorly and become infected with salmonella or other pathogenic bacteria. The benefits and harms of a microwave in this case are determined not by the method of processing the products, but by the correctness of the culinary process.

Myths and reality

In articles that roam the Internet from resource to resource, the results of this or that study in different countries are cited as evidence of indisputable harm. Moreover, in the vast majority of cases, it is impossible to find the original results, as well as information about those who conducted these studies.

All articles that use scientific terms and describe impossible processes raise doubts. For example, science does not know the process called “molecular rot” in horror stories. Namely, this very mysterious rot is cited as an argument in disputes about whether a microwave oven is harmful to health.

Some mysterious “scientists” report that as a result of exposure to microwaves, “water molecules are torn apart.” This is, to put it mildly, sheer nonsense. When a water molecule breaks down, it breaks down into two elements: oxygen and hydrogen, and not into some molecular fragments. It is hardly necessary to remind that both of these gases are constantly present in the atmosphere and do not cause harm. Destroying a water molecule is not as easy as it is presented in articles.

Studies are mentioned that when processed in a microwave oven, the structure of water is disrupted. And as evidence, reports are given that water after a microwave becomes “dead”, in contrast to natural, “living” water. And “dead” water, of course, causes harm, destroying fine structures throughout the body.

But readers would do well to remember that the water in their cup of tea right now may be exposed to electromagnetic radiation from a nearby mobile phone or Wi-Fi. Should you be afraid of a microwave if you are not going to give up either wireless Internet or mobile communications? If there is harm from electromagnetic radiation, then it also comes from these devices.

But there are also very real recommendations that can reduce the harm caused to health when using a microwave oven. This applies to utensils used for cooking. Research has shown that it is better not to put plastic containers in the oven. Even those that have a symbol indicating that they are suitable for use in a microwave oven. It's best to avoid any plastic. Under the influence of temperature, many of them release substances into the environment that can cause actual, rather than hypothetical, harm.

But glass is practically safe, as are high-quality ceramics. Use high-quality glass and ceramics for your microwave, and the health hazards will be reduced.

Whether you use the microwave or throw it in the trash is up to you. Perhaps for impressionable people who react vividly to scary stories from the press, a microwave oven can actually be harmful to health, solely due to self-hypnosis, since there is no significant harm from it! But then it is worth abandoning other inventions that use electromagnetic waves to work in order to be consistent. No means no! Without any exceptions. And even such medical procedures as UHF, for example, will have to be forgotten.