Student Article High School Science Journal Author: Arjun Patel

Using Microwave Ovens: Healthy or Not?

July 19, 2007

A microwave oven works by passing microwave radiation through the water, usually at a frequency of 2450MHz. The process of water molecules absorbing energy from the microwave beam is called dielectric heating. Water molecules are electric dipoles, which means that they have a positive charge at one end and a negative charge at the other end. The molecules of water try to align themselves with the alternating electric field, which creates heat.

      There are very few studies on the effects of microwaves. But most of those few studies have bad news for microwaving. The magazine called “Health & Healing Wisdom” reports that Russian research relating to neurological effects of altered magnetic states of microwaved foods caused the Russian Government to outlaw all food microwave equipment in 1976. Another study about breast milk showed depletion of antibodies and breakdown of enzymes and breast milk was shown to contain a much lower level of the chemicals that make it a natural immune booster for babies when breast milk is microwaved. Two Swiss researchers found after randomly eating food that was either microwaved or conventionally cooked:

a) Blood hemoglobin levels decreased significantly after ingesting microwaved foods, both total levels and the amount contained in each red blood cell.

b) White blood cell levels tended to increase because the foods were microwaved.

c) Microwaves altered protein molecules.

d) LDL cholesterol increased comparative to HDL cholesterol.  

The researchers were immediately sued and fined the equivalent of $65,000. A study published in the journal “Science of Food and Agriculture” found that broccoli “zapped” with a microwave with a little water lost up to 97 percent of the beneficial antioxidant chemicals it contains compared to steamed broccoli; which lost 11 percent or fewer of its antioxidants.

      Studies shown above as well some others show that our digestive system, lymphatic systems, blood, and brain are affected by the use of microwaves. Microwaves reduce food values and they are harmful to us. When anyone microwaves food, the oven exerts a power input of about 1,000 watts or more. This radiation results in destruction and deformation of molecules of food, and causes the formation of new compounds (called radiolytic compounds) unknown to man and nature. We should reduce our usage of microwaves.

 
Back to the Apple Blossom