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A microwave oven is an indispensable tool in the household for most of us. We use it not only to heat food but also to defrost and for many other tasks we want to carry out quickly. Nevertheless, there is a certain percentage of people who are decidedly against it and prefer daily cooking of fresh food. It is likely that after reading this article you will be one of them.
How a microwave oven works
A microwave oven consists of the so-called magnetron, which is a generator of electromagnetic waves distributed throughout the appliance. These waves then penetrate the food about 3 cm below the surface and act on the water molecules that form there. This disturbs the water molecules and causes them to mix. In lay terms this physical process could be compared to rubbing your hands in winter to warm up.
Impact on our health
According to data, there are approximately 2.45 billion hertz in a microwave oven. The maximum frequency of the human body is 10 hertz; higher frequencies are dangerous for humans. It is possible that this radiation can be emitted if the microwave oven door is not properly closed. Although many sources claim that microwave ovens can cause birth defects, cancer, poor immunity and more, another theory refutes this claim.
Modern microwave ovens have metal casings and metal shields that prevent radiation leakage, so the risk of radiation escape is practically zero. If you are still concerned about your health, keep a safe distance of about 30 cm from the microwave oven. Radiation weakens with increasing distance.
Effect of microwave ovens on food
Swiss scientist Hansen Hertel stated in his study that using a microwave oven reduces the nutrient content of foods. Molecules contained in foods are deformed by radiation and dangerous radioactive components are released.
Another study was conducted in 1992 on participants who consumed vegetables prepared in a microwave oven. These people were found to have increased levels of cholesterol and leukocytes and decreased hemoglobin levels. They also discovered that breast milk heated in a microwave oven changed its composition and lost some vitamins.
On the other hand, it has been shown again that any form of heat treatment affects nutrients in food. The main factors that influence nutrient breakdown are temperature, cooking time and cooking method. During cooking, water-soluble nutrients may be removed, so the longer you cook the food, the more nutrients are removed from it. As for microwave ovens, preparation time is generally short and temperatures are relatively low, which is very advantageous for preserving nutrients.
In summary
So let’s decide and imagine whether using a microwave oven is so harmful that we would rather get rid of it and switch to another method of heating food, or remain faithful to this faster and more practical way of heating.
Source: kreativnija.cz
