Microwave Ovens. Millions Use Them, But Should They?

By Theodora Filis

An estimated 90% of American families have microwave ovens and use them daily for everything from heating their baby’s bottle to meal preparation. Marketed as a safe, efficient, and more convenient way of preparing food, compared to conventional ovens, daily millions use them. Indeed, most could not imagine life without one.

Researchers though found harmful side effects of consuming microwaved food:

o Toxic chemicals contained in the packaging of microwave dinners, pizzas, chips, and popcorn can leak into the food.

o One of the worst contaminants – BPA (Bisphenol A) – can leak out of plastic products that are put in microwave ovens together with food.

o Minerals in vegetables are changed into cancerous free radicals when exposed to microwaves.

The process of microwave cooking was 1st patented in 1945. The first commercially available microwave oven (the Radarange) was produced in 1947, and the percentage of microwave ovens in households has increased ever since.

Russian scientists have been researching microwaves since 1957. As a result of their findings, the use of microwave ovens was banned in Russia in 1976. Unfortunately, the ban was lifted after Perestroika. Other Eastern European scientists reported on the harmful effects of microwave radiation and set up strict environmental limits for their usage.

The EPA states on its website: “Heating up leftovers, popping popcorn for a movie, and making a steaming cup of hot chocolate are all made easy by using a microwave oven. Not only does food cook fast, but cooking with microwave ovens can be more energy efficient than conventional cooking because the energy heats only the food, not the whole oven compartment. Microwave ovens are electrically operated ovens using high-frequency electromagnetic waves that penetrate food, causing its molecules to vibrate and generate heat within the food to cook it very quickly.”

A study published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that broccoli cooked in the microwave lost up to 97% of its beneficial antioxidants. By comparison, steamed broccoli lost 11% or fewer of its anti-oxidants.

Indeed with so many potential dangers, here are the benefits of skipping the microwave altogether:

• Eating fresh, uncooked, or minimally heated fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices are the basis of a healthy meal plan. Whole grains and legumes, should be cooked on a stovetop by cooking, boiling, and simmering them until tender.

• Meat, poultry, and fish are best steamed, sauteed, baked, or slow-cooked in crock pot soups and stews.

• Dairy products, such as raw milk cheese, from goats, cows, or sheep, are most nutrient-rich when unheated.

• You can heat food quickly in a convection oven. It’s just an ordinary oven with a fan.

• You can also easily and quickly heat up food, even frozen pasta, by using a saucepan with a lid and a little water, to moisten it with steam.

• If someone is coming home late, and you want to give them warm food when they arrive, put a saucepan lid over the food while it is on a plate. Put the plate of food in a simmering saucepan of water. It will stay warm without drying up.

A periodic microwaved meal won’t kill you, but you should be careful how often you consume microwaved food. The catch? The food industry uses microwaves for drying, cooking, and thawing. Although you might cut back on preparing microwaved food in your home you may still end up eating microwaved food bought in stores without even knowing it.

The EPA offers this advice to protect yourself from microwave oven radiation:

o   Follow the manufacturer’s instruction manual for recommended operating procedures and safety precautions for your oven model.

o Don’t operate an oven if the door does not close firmly or is bent, warped, or otherwise damaged.

o   Never operate an oven if you have reason to believe it will continue to operate with the door open.

o   As an added safety precaution, don’t stand directly against an oven (and don’t allow children to do this) for long periods while it is operating.

o   Users should not heat water or liquids in the microwave oven for excessive amounts of time.