Are microwave ovens safe?

[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?

I know that microwave radiation is an issue, but nowadays I think the door seals on the ovens are pretty decent, although you never know unless you test to see if your oven's leaking.

There's the issue of electromagnetic radiation, but I'm not terribly concerned about that. I believe that MW ovens put out not always insignificant amounts, but you can always step back from the oven while it's on. If you are 4 feet away, you are probably getting 2 milligauss or less EMF's, which is considered a reasonably safe level even over time. I'm not concerned about that, although I don't make a habit of standing still right next to my microwave oven while it's running.

 

[Ronstang]

I have been using them since the late 70s and the little hand that has grown under my right arm is barely noticeable.

 

[IronWing]

Safer than eating raw meat.

 

[CrazyLazy]

The issue with microwaves isn't so much radiation, but chemicals leaking out of plastic containers. I still microwave stuff and eat it every day. Maybe you don't want to turn out like me though.

 

[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?

 

[Babbles]

Yes, microwaves lead to nothing but insta-death.

 

[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.

 

[Eli]

Cooking food reduces nutritional content, period.

 

[Babbles]

Originally posted by: Eli
Cooking food reduces nutritional content, period.

That's not necessarily accurate.

Cooking meats where the fat may be removed can, well in essence, lower the fat content of what one eats. Additionally, cooking items can, and will, denature proteins which can facilitate in digestion and absorption and therefore 'increase' the nutritional value. Even something like rice may increase the nutritional value, albeit primarily low GI calories via the starch, because the body may not necessarily be able to digest and absorb raw uncooked grains of rice.

 

[Baked]

Originally posted by: Eli
Cooking food reduces nutritional content, period.

Mmmmm raw pork chop.

 

[Queasy]

They've been known to cause problems with the space-time continuum when non-microwaveable metal popcorn containers are placed in them.

I wouldn't risk it.

 

[Jeff7]

If microwaved food caused cancer, the population of the US would be about 1.5 million.

The owners of sites saying that microwaves turn food carcinogenic also probably believe that you can pop popcorn with a cellphone.

 

[OverVolt]

Cooking reduces folic acid, which I would imagine is harder to get than protein/starch/insert macro nutrient here.

 

[mcmilljb]

Originally posted by: Baked

Originally posted by: Eli
Cooking food reduces nutritional content, period.

Mmmmm raw pork chop.

My dad baught some awesome pork chops! A couple pounds worth!

 

[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.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

To be 100% safe, I recommend the OP stops eating.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Eli
Cooking food reduces nutritional content, period.

wrong, cooking can make nutritional content accessible by the digestive system.

 

[Born2bwire]

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.

I don't think it is a vibrational mode. The water molecule is polar, giving it a dipole moment. It is this dipole moment that is constantly being aligned with the changing electric field from the EM wave, causing the water molecule to rotate. With a covalent bond, there could be momentary net electric charge on one atom in the molecule as the shared electrons move closer to another atom over the other but I do not think that would be enough for phonons to occur.

 

[Jeff7181]

It's not the microwave that's giving you the runs when you heat up a Hot Pocket...

 

[Leros]

I don't think microwaves are small enough to be ionizing anything.

 

[zinfamous]

True story:

An acquaintance of a very good pal of mine had this plan to make a death ray while in college. Of course, this guy lived in the "nerdiest" dorm on campus--the one you had to "qualify" for based on high school GPA. This dorm also had the only computer lab on that side of campus and not surprisingly, from ~10pm-dawn, the breezeway leading to the lobby (and computer lab) of this dorm was populated by a steady clique of "vampires." You know the type: dark and/or purple hair, black eye makeup, combat boots and trench coats, fishnets, pimply, and more often than not--ugly as hell.

Well, most of that is beside the point...I'm just trying to set the scene.

So this guy living amongst these "premium scholars" hatches this devious plan to build a "death ray." He's not an idiot--a bit of a physicist and budding mechanic, actually--and so his theory brings him towards microwaves. Affordable, easily accessible, potential for "safe" research. Now, this is where the story gets lame...(b/c of the buildup, I admit)

He got as far as rigging a microwave oven to operate while the door was open.

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.

 

[Aluvus]

It is possible that the microwave oven could heat something up until it is hot enough to burn your mouth.

 

[Pacfanweb]

They are pretty unsafe if you are inside them, otherwise, I think they are fine.

 

[ManSnake]

Not safe at all, you will become a mutant!

 

[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