Are microwave ovens safe?

[l0cke]

Originally posted by: zinfamous


In theory, if one was to agree to leave their head, hand, wang, whatever, within the microwave oven for a prolonged period of time, then that person just might develop cancer (sometime down the road) and could possibly die from that cancer. Was his death ray successful? Well, could be....

Are microwave ovens dangerous? Possibly.

Actually, if you put your wang there you would loose the ability to successfully reproduce, which I might recommend the OP tries.

 

[Paperdoc]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
Here's what a microwave oven does to your food (in a nutshell). A strong EM field is created in the oven and the field oscillates rapidly. Water molecules are like little dipoles that change orientation depending on the polarization of the EM field. Because the field rapidly changes orientation the water molecules are jiggled around which results in heat. There is nothing sinister happening here. Relax and chill out, microwave food may taste like shit but there's nothing unhealthy about it.

Pretty good explanation, but I think it excites a vibrational mode in the water molecule itself (think of the atoms as little massive balls and the bonds between them as springs). There are a number of different modes it can excite, and the expensive commercial microwaves work faster because they operate at a different frequency and excite a more efficient mode.

No, not VIBRATIONAL modes in water. Those are all at much higher frequencies in the infrared range. But microwaves do increase ROTATIONAL motion of many molecules, including water. They also increase rotational motion of dipolar parts of many molecules with respect to the rest of the molecule, although this is not so for water - its structure is so simple there is no small part to rotate independently.

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: OVERKILL
Here's an interesting article about microwave ovens.

It turns out it was the Nazis who actually invented these ovens. They were used in their mobile support calling them the ?radiomissor?. These ovens were to be used for the invasion of Russia. By using electronic equipment for preparation of meals on a mass scale, the logistical problem of cooking fuels would have been eliminated, as well as the convenience of producing edible products in a greatly reduced time-factor.

After the war, the Allies discovered medical research done by the Germans on microwave ovens. These documents, along with some working microwave ovens, were transferred to the United States War Department and classified for reference and "further scientific investigation". The Russians had also retrieved some microwave ovens and now have thorough research on their biological effects. As a result, their use was outlawed in the Soviet Union (for a year or two). The Soviets issued an international warning on the health hazards, both biological and environmental, of microwave ovens and similar frequency electronic devices.

After the war, Dr. Percy Spencer, a self-taught engineer with the Raytheon Corporation, claimed to have ?invented? the microwave oven in 1946. The Raytheon Corporation did actually file the first U.S. patent on one. The first ones were called Radar Ranges in 1954. Thank You Raytheon, but I like your missiles much better!

The following is a summary of the Russian investigations published by the Atlantis Rising Educational Center in Portland, Oregon.

Carcinogens were formed in virtually all foods tested. No test food was subjected to more microwaving than necessary to accomplish the purpose, i.e., cooking, thawing, or heating to ensure sanitary ingestion.

Here's a summary of some of the results:

Microwaving prepared meats sufficiently to ensure sanitary ingestion caused formation of d-Nitrosodiethanolamines, a well-known carcinogen.

* Microwaving milk and cereal grains converted some of their amino acids into carcinogens.

* Thawing frozen fruits converted their glucoside and galactoside containing fractions into carcinogenic substances.

* Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked or frozen vegetables converted their plant alkaloids into carcinogens.

* Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants, especially root vegetables.


The rest of the article can be found here http://www.naturalnews.com/023011.html

"It makes absolutely no sense to me that our FDA is ?looking out for us? and yet has not banned perhaps the worst cancer producing machines in history."

ROFL

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: OVERKILL
Here's an interesting article about microwave ovens.

It turns out it was the Nazis who actually invented these ovens. They were used in their mobile support calling them the ?radiomissor?. These ovens were to be used for the invasion of Russia. By using electronic equipment for preparation of meals on a mass scale, the logistical problem of cooking fuels would have been eliminated, as well as the convenience of producing edible products in a greatly reduced time-factor.

After the war, the Allies discovered medical research done by the Germans on microwave ovens. These documents, along with some working microwave ovens, were transferred to the United States War Department and classified for reference and "further scientific investigation". The Russians had also retrieved some microwave ovens and now have thorough research on their biological effects. As a result, their use was outlawed in the Soviet Union (for a year or two). The Soviets issued an international warning on the health hazards, both biological and environmental, of microwave ovens and similar frequency electronic devices.

After the war, Dr. Percy Spencer, a self-taught engineer with the Raytheon Corporation, claimed to have ?invented? the microwave oven in 1946. The Raytheon Corporation did actually file the first U.S. patent on one. The first ones were called Radar Ranges in 1954. Thank You Raytheon, but I like your missiles much better!

The following is a summary of the Russian investigations published by the Atlantis Rising Educational Center in Portland, Oregon.

Carcinogens were formed in virtually all foods tested. No test food was subjected to more microwaving than necessary to accomplish the purpose, i.e., cooking, thawing, or heating to ensure sanitary ingestion.

Here's a summary of some of the results:

Microwaving prepared meats sufficiently to ensure sanitary ingestion caused formation of d-Nitrosodiethanolamines, a well-known carcinogen.

* Microwaving milk and cereal grains converted some of their amino acids into carcinogens.

* Thawing frozen fruits converted their glucoside and galactoside containing fractions into carcinogenic substances.

* Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked or frozen vegetables converted their plant alkaloids into carcinogens.

* Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants, especially root vegetables.


The rest of the article can be found here http://www.naturalnews.com/023011.html

id like a "reputable" source please.

 

[Paperdoc]

Microwaves CANNOT create ionizing radiation. That high-energy radiation occurs only from processes originating in the nucleus. Microwaves simply have nowhere near the energy to promote nuclear reactions.

Microwaves themselves can be harmful if human body parts are exposed directly to them, through the heat generated. Usually the tissues of greatest concern are those very sensitive to local heating, such as the retina of the eye. Current microwave oven design and construction prevents significant microwave energy from escaping the oven where it could cause such problems. However, it is possible through misuse or damage to the oven structure to create leakage.

Reports that microwaved foods contain carcinogens X, Y, Z, etc. almost always fail to mention these materials may be created by any heating / cooking process. And the quantities involved are always ignored. As a Chemist I can assure you there is NEVER ZERO content of any of these things around us. But the important questions are HOW MUCH, and HOW DO THEY GET IN? Well, in foods, getting into our bodies is pretty clear. But the How Much? point is vital. The existence of minute (but still detectable with modern sophisticated analyses) quantities of something known to be harmful in much larger quantities does not matter. Simple example: we all know that ingesting large doses of table salt will make one quite sick. In fact, it can lead to a complex feedback kind of process that takes good medical intervention to fix before more dangerous damage is done to the person. But does that stop us from sprinkling a few grains on our foods? (Oh, by the way, to follow the alarmists: table salt is a chemical product formed from two of the most dangerous toxic elements we know, Sodium and Chlorine! Just think how dangerous that combination of toxins is!)

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
Here's what a microwave oven does to your food (in a nutshell). A strong EM field is created in the oven and the field oscillates rapidly. Water molecules are like little dipoles that change orientation depending on the polarization of the EM field. Because the field rapidly changes orientation the water molecules are jiggled around which results in heat. There is nothing sinister happening here. Relax and chill out, microwave food may taste like shit but there's nothing unhealthy about it.

Pretty good explanation, but I think it excites a vibrational mode in the water molecule itself (think of the atoms as little massive balls and the bonds between them as springs). There are a number of different modes it can excite, and the expensive commercial microwaves work faster because they operate at a different frequency and excite a more efficient mode.

Oxymoron on aisle 5.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: l0cke

Originally posted by: zinfamous


In theory, if one was to agree to leave their head, hand, wang, whatever, within the microwave oven for a prolonged period of time, then that person just might develop cancer (sometime down the road) and could possibly die from that cancer. Was his death ray successful? Well, could be....

Are microwave ovens dangerous? Possibly.

Actually, if you put your wang there you would loose the ability to successfully reproduce, which I might recommend the OP tries.

Up yours.

 

[SagaLore]

Its not that the food becomes harmful, its that it becomes useless. You're completely obliterating any water soluble vitamins that were in it, and destroying a number of other phytonutrients.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Babbles
Yes, microwaves lead to nothing but insta-death.

Insta-death over a long period of time.


Oh, wait.. what?

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: zinfamous
True story:

Are microwave ovens dangerous? Possibly.

That was one of the most anti-climatic stories I have ever read on here.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Its not that the food becomes harmful, its that it becomes useless. You're completely obliterating any water soluble vitamins that were in it, and destroying a number of other phytonutrients.

Even if you're just reheating leftovers? I don't usually cook food in the microwave.

 

[Eli]

Guys, I'm not wrong about the fact that cooking food reduces nutritional content. That is a fact. I guess it depends on the specific definition of "nutritional content". I realize that cooking can make some things more accessible and digestible by our bodies, but the act of heating food destroys just about every vitamin, enzyme, phytonutrient, etc in the food.

That is why raw is always better when it comes to things like vegetables. Steaming vegetables is the best way of preserving nutritional content, but you still lose a lot even with such a "gentle" process.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: zinfamous
True story:

Are microwave ovens dangerous? Possibly.

That was one of the most anti-climatic stories I have ever read on here.

yep, that's why I included this disclaimer:

Now, this is where the story gets lame...(b/c of the buildup, I admit)

and taking full blame for creating the anti-climax.

yes, it was allll intentional

 

[PottedMeat]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: OVERKILL
Here's an interesting article about microwave ovens.

<REMOVED IDIOCY>

The rest of the article can be found here http://www.naturalnews.com/023011.html

id like a "reputable" source please.

Holy shit that website is crazy:

http://www.naturalnews.com/023103.html

(NaturalNews) Microwaves are a feature in nearly every American home. Yet their dangers are well documented. You can do your own home experiment to understand the hazards of microwaving. Plant seeds in two pots. Water one pot with microwaved water and the other pot with regular tap water. The seeds that received microwaved water won't sprout. If microwaved water can stop plants from growing, then imagine what microwaved food is doing to your body.

I am stupider for having read those two articles.

 

[DVad3r]

So in conclusion, animals are win because they eat raw. Tatar here I come!

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: PottedMeat

Originally posted by: Muse
I've seen conflicting information online. Wikipedia's article states that there's no evidence that microwaved food is harmful, but a number of websites state otherwise. What's the truth?

What I'm wondering about is talk about ionizing radiation, possibly resulting in carcinogenisis. Do you think that microwave ovens render food less nutritious or in some way unhealthy or toxic?

Where's the ionizing radiation coming from?

Exactly, microwaves are non-ionizing. They are BELOW the frequency of visible spectrum. Ionizing radiation is all ABOVE the frequency of the visible spectrum. It's not like you're cooking with X-Rays.

 

[Modelworks]

Biggest issue with microwave ovens is like someone else said, the plastics that people cook in.
There are some plastics that should never be used to cook anything, yet they are commonly found in the kitchen as storage containers. I trashed all of mine that were harmful.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A

The National Toxicology Panel recommends avoiding microwaving food in plastic containers, putting plastics in the dishwasher, or using harsh detergents, to avoid leaching.

 

[Cogman]

I remember reading one of those web sites about how microwaves kill. The site lost all credit when it started to say that microwaves create new forms of life.. Umm yeah, it either kills or it doesn't, but there is no way on earth it will create new life forms.

Unless you are reading directly from a medical journal (and even then it could be questionable) you really can't trust 50% the information given about technical stuff on the internet. Its a sad truth that 90% of the population knows as much about science as a 1000Ad British town drunk. A small percentage of them learn how to post on the internet and thats where you get 50% of the information being incorrect.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Its not that the food becomes harmful, its that it becomes useless. You're completely obliterating any water soluble vitamins that were in it, and destroying a number of other phytonutrients.

Even if you're just reheating leftovers? I don't usually cook food in the microwave.

So, again, if I'm just reheating leftovers, what? IOW, bring the temperature from 40 F to 120 F. Will that destroy vitamins, etc.? How about heating refrigerated bread? Not cooking, just heating? Heating refrigerated soup?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Its not that the food becomes harmful, its that it becomes useless. You're completely obliterating any water soluble vitamins that were in it, and destroying a number of other phytonutrients.

Even if you're just reheating leftovers? I don't usually cook food in the microwave.

So, again, if I'm just reheating leftovers, what? IOW, bring the temperature from 40 F to 120 F. Will that destroy vitamins, etc.? How about heating refrigerated bread? Not cooking, just heating? Heating refrigerated soup?

I'm not entirely sure how damaging the microwave method is to food compared to a conventional oven.

Logic would dictate that if the food is already cooked, most everything that could be broken down by heat already has been, so microwaving it shouldn't damage it further.

Don't read into this too much. The only way to avoid it is to eat raw fruits, vegetables and nuts. Those are the things that suffer from cooking the most.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Originally posted by: OVERKILL
Here's an interesting article about microwave ovens.

It turns out it was the Nazis who actually invented these ovens. They were used in their mobile support calling them the ?radiomissor?. These ovens were to be used for the invasion of Russia. By using electronic equipment for preparation of meals on a mass scale, the logistical problem of cooking fuels would have been eliminated, as well as the convenience of producing edible products in a greatly reduced time-factor.

After the war, the Allies discovered medical research done by the Germans on microwave ovens. These documents, along with some working microwave ovens, were transferred to the United States War Department and classified for reference and "further scientific investigation". The Russians had also retrieved some microwave ovens and now have thorough research on their biological effects. As a result, their use was outlawed in the Soviet Union (for a year or two). The Soviets issued an international warning on the health hazards, both biological and environmental, of microwave ovens and similar frequency electronic devices.

After the war, Dr. Percy Spencer, a self-taught engineer with the Raytheon Corporation, claimed to have ?invented? the microwave oven in 1946. The Raytheon Corporation did actually file the first U.S. patent on one. The first ones were called Radar Ranges in 1954. Thank You Raytheon, but I like your missiles much better!

The following is a summary of the Russian investigations published by the Atlantis Rising Educational Center in Portland, Oregon.

Carcinogens were formed in virtually all foods tested. No test food was subjected to more microwaving than necessary to accomplish the purpose, i.e., cooking, thawing, or heating to ensure sanitary ingestion.

Here's a summary of some of the results:

Microwaving prepared meats sufficiently to ensure sanitary ingestion caused formation of d-Nitrosodiethanolamines, a well-known carcinogen.

* Microwaving milk and cereal grains converted some of their amino acids into carcinogens.

* Thawing frozen fruits converted their glucoside and galactoside containing fractions into carcinogenic substances.

* Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked or frozen vegetables converted their plant alkaloids into carcinogens.

* Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants, especially root vegetables.


The rest of the article can be found here http://www.naturalnews.com/023011.html

Any form of amino acids can become carcinogens if overcooked.

You can accomplish the same results with any form of cooking but it's most common when grilling.

Now the thawing thing, that's just ridiculous if it's the same study i read, the thawing did release the pestecides already present.

Plant alkaloids don't convert easily, not even after 100 hours plus of overheating, i guess they had to take shifts to make that happen.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Originally posted by: OVERKILL
Here's an interesting article about microwave ovens.

It turns out it was the Nazis who actually invented these ovens. They were used in their mobile support calling them the ?radiomissor?. These ovens were to be used for the invasion of Russia. By using electronic equipment for preparation of meals on a mass scale, the logistical problem of cooking fuels would have been eliminated, as well as the convenience of producing edible products in a greatly reduced time-factor.

After the war, the Allies discovered medical research done by the Germans on microwave ovens. These documents, along with some working microwave ovens, were transferred to the United States War Department and classified for reference and "further scientific investigation". The Russians had also retrieved some microwave ovens and now have thorough research on their biological effects. As a result, their use was outlawed in the Soviet Union (for a year or two). The Soviets issued an international warning on the health hazards, both biological and environmental, of microwave ovens and similar frequency electronic devices.

After the war, Dr. Percy Spencer, a self-taught engineer with the Raytheon Corporation, claimed to have ?invented? the microwave oven in 1946. The Raytheon Corporation did actually file the first U.S. patent on one. The first ones were called Radar Ranges in 1954. Thank You Raytheon, but I like your missiles much better!

The following is a summary of the Russian investigations published by the Atlantis Rising Educational Center in Portland, Oregon.

Carcinogens were formed in virtually all foods tested. No test food was subjected to more microwaving than necessary to accomplish the purpose, i.e., cooking, thawing, or heating to ensure sanitary ingestion.

Here's a summary of some of the results:

Microwaving prepared meats sufficiently to ensure sanitary ingestion caused formation of d-Nitrosodiethanolamines, a well-known carcinogen.

* Microwaving milk and cereal grains converted some of their amino acids into carcinogens.

* Thawing frozen fruits converted their glucoside and galactoside containing fractions into carcinogenic substances.

* Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked or frozen vegetables converted their plant alkaloids into carcinogens.

* Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants, especially root vegetables.


The rest of the article can be found here http://www.naturalnews.com/023011.html

Coffee contains hundreds of carcinogens.

Carrots contain carcinogens.

Lettuce contains carcinogens.

Air contains carcinogens.

Our bodies can handle a few carcinogens.

 

[Itchrelief]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: zinfamous
True story:

Are microwave ovens dangerous? Possibly.

That was one of the most anti-climatic stories I have ever read on here.

Better Dave than microwave?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield

Any form of amino acids can become carcinogens if overcooked.

You can accomplish the same results with any form of cooking but it's most common when grilling.

Now the thawing thing, that's just ridiculous if it's the same study i read, the thawing did release the pestecides already present.

Plant alkaloids don't convert easily, not even after 100 hours plus of overheating, i guess they had to take shifts to make that happen.

I don't know where you came up with this, but it's most certainly not universally true.

Not that I'm trying to defend the quack article or anything.

However, it is only common sense that you should limit your exposure to carcinogens whenever possible.

I don't use the microwave very often anyway, so meh.

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: Eli
Guys, I'm not wrong about the fact that cooking food reduces nutritional content. That is a fact. I guess it depends on the specific definition of "nutritional content". I realize that cooking can make some things more accessible and digestible by our bodies, but the act of heating food destroys just about every vitamin, enzyme, phytonutrient, etc in the food.

That is why raw is always better when it comes to things like vegetables. Steaming vegetables is the best way of preserving nutritional content, but you still lose a lot even with such a "gentle" process.

Raw is not always better with vegetables. The cooking process unlocks much of the nutrients that our bodies cannot get at on its own. We aren't cows. You should take a look at what needs to be done to maize to make it nutritionally viable. When maize was first brought to Europe, it caused malnutrition because the Europeans did not know to treat maize with an alkali. Take a look at maize and pellagra.