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They’re convenient, they’re fast, but are microwave ovens really safe?
This is a frequent question we get on the HSI Forum and through e-mails, such as this one from a member named Jasmine, who asks:
“I do quite a bit of microwave cooking, but would like to know how that affects the food value, especially in vegetables. Does the excessive heat destroy the vitamin content or what? Nobody I’ve asked seems to know and I haven’t been able to find any reference to it in numerous health magazines and books I’ve looked through.”
To address the question of how microwaving affects nutrition, I turned Jasmine’s questions over to HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D.
According to Dr. Spreen…
There are very few studies on microwave cooking and food quality. There’s a reason for that, which I’ll get to in a second. What studies exist are all bad news for microwaving – they universally describe some type of damage. One study showed breakdown of vitamin B-12 to inactive degradation products in microwaved foods. The magazine “Health & Healing Wisdom” reports that Russian research concerning neurological effects of altered magnetic states of microwaved foods caused the Russian government to outlaw all food microwave apparatus in 1976 (I don’t know if that ban still exists). Another study showed depletion of antibodies and breakdown of enzymes when breast milk is microwaved.
There’s also a problem with release of potentially toxic molecules into the food from packaging designed to help brown food during microwaving. This includes items such as pizza, French fries, waffles, popcorn and breaded fish – and these findings were determined by the FDA!
The most controlled (and scary) research was almost stopped from anyone knowing about it before being published. Two Swiss researchers sequestered subjects under close scrutiny and blood tested them after randomly eating food that was either microwaved or conventionally cooked. They found all sorts of potentially nasty stuff: (1) blood hemoglobin levels decreased significantly after ingesting microwaved foods, both total levels and the amount contained in each red blood cell; (2) White blood cell levels tended to increase for no other reason than foods were microwaved; (3) microwaves altered protein molecules; (4) LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad’ type) increased relative to HDL cholesterol (the ‘good’ type).
The problem was, they were immediately sued by the “Swiss Association of Dealers for Electroapparatuses for Households and Industry,” and one of the authors was convicted by the Swiss Federal Court of “interfering with commerce.” The fine was the equivalent of $65,000. So, the message is you think twice before stepping on too many big-money toes.
However you slice it, there appears to be a problem with those high frequency, alternating current (meaning abnormal for the human system) electromagnetic waves…but it’s sure an easy way to fix popcorn!
Good Health, Allan Spreen, M.D.
Wow, this is one scary piece of information! I have to admit that while my wife never uses the microwave for cooking, we often use it to heat up food that’s gone cold. Now, reading this article, it would probably be best to avoid using microwave whenever there’s an alternative.
I also wonder one thing: does microwave affect water? Is it okay to cook water for tea in the microwave? Hmm…I use the microwave at work a lot. This makes me want to plan on doing some alternatives to microwave uses during my day. Something to think about.
Personally…I punted my microwave out the door and instead use an electric kettle to heat my water!My impression is that if microwaves cause damage to vitamins then minerals would also be affected.(however I state that this is solely my own opinion and am advising no one.)
Vitamins are damaged by the heat, but minerals are not sensitive in this way and so are generally not affected – in fact, they are better preserved than in boiling, because there is no water drain-off. If you do choose to use the microwave, remember that it is best not to heat anything in a plastic container, as toxic chemicals can leech into the food.
Okay, then I’ll keep using the microwave to heat up water for tea, but I won’t be heating up milk that way anymore. Since I last posted, I started using microwave less, but I have to admit it’s hard to break the habit. I suppose it won’t be terrible if I use it only occasionally.
Hi Everyone,
Just read this online, thought I’d share:Microwave cooking and nutritionThe Family Health Guide
Almost every American home has a microwave oven. The convenience they offer is undeniable. But despite the widespread use of microwave ovens and their excellent safety record, some people have lingering doubts that cooking food with microwaves somehow makes food less healthy by zapping away nutrients. Does cooking with microwaves do that?
Understanding how microwave ovens work can help clarify the answer to this common question. Microwave ovens cook food using waves of energy that are similar to radio waves but shorter. These waves are remarkably selective, primarily affecting water and other molecules that are electrically asymmetrical — one end positively charged and the other negatively charged. Microwaves cause these molecules to vibrate and quickly build up thermal (heat) energy.
Some nutrients break down when they’re exposed to heat, whether it is from a microwave or a regular oven. Vitamin C is perhaps the clearest example. But because microwave cooking times are shorter, cooking with a microwave does a better job of preserving vitamin C and other nutrients that break down when heated.
As far as vegetables go, cooking them in water robs them of some of their nutritional value because the nutrients leach out into the cooking water. For example, boiled broccoli loses glucosinolate, the sulfur-containing compound that may give the vegetable its cancer-fighting properties (as well as the taste that many find distinctive and some find disgusting). Is steaming vegetables better? In some respects, yes. For example, steamed broccoli holds on to more glucosinolate than boiled or fried broccoli.
The cooking method that best retains nutrients is one that cooks quickly, heats food for the shortest amount of time, and uses as little liquid as possible. Microwaving meets those criteria. Using the microwave with a small amount of water essentially steams food from the inside out. That keeps more vitamins and minerals than almost any other cooking method.
But let’s not get too lost in the details. Vegetables, pretty much any way you prepare them, are good for you, and most of us don’t eat enough of them. And the microwave oven? A marvel of engineering, a miracle of convenience — and sometimes nutritionally advantageous to boot.
January 2, 2015
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