Microwaves hazardous to your health?

Molecular structure is modified in conventional forms of cooking as well. Proteins, for example, become denatured when heated (this is likely what happened in the blood example). Also, in conventional ovens and other cooking methods, nutrients are lost from the food, so it's not just microwaving. Microwaves use long wavelength radiation which is absorbed by the water molecules, and causes them to vibrate, and become more energetic (I would think it's the same mechanism as carbon dioxide and methane absorbing IR).

In the bottle case, you can still test milk from the microwave on your arm to see if it's too hot. If you scald yourself, then you know it's too hot (better you than baby). And if you are worried about the steam, remove the lid so the pressure doesn't build up.

I think the main reason we cook food at all is twofold: we have grown accustomed to the taste of cooked food (meats in particular), and prefer it in most cases over raw; and for safety. The dangers of pathogenic bacteria and parasitic organisms is removed because they are killed when the meat is cooked.

All in all, I'm not overly concerned about microwaved food.
 
The main objection to microwaves from food people is that it deystroys most of the antioxidants. The problem is we do not know how much antioxidants are healthy and how much is too little or too much. Also, antioxidants can be obtained by other sources. The only other thing I can think of is that if you have a pacemaker, it will cause a malfunction if you get too close. Otherwise, it is a valuable kitchen aid that saves people a lot of time.
 
I didn't know there was such a thing as too much' antioxidants? They cannot cause any harm right? And we need much more in todays world than we ever needed before!
 
Idle Mind said:
Microwaves use long wavelength radiation which is absorbed by the water molecules, and causes them to vibrate, and become more energetic (I would think it's the same mechanism as carbon dioxide and methane absorbing IR).
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Random nitpick: when CO2 or methane absorb IR, it promotes the atoms in the molecule to higher energy states; they vibrate 'faster' along their individual atom-to-atom bonds. Microwaves typically cause the entire molecule to oscillate, but don't affect atomic motion along the bonds much.

An analogy would be two metal spheres connected by a spring. Ordinarily they would just sit there, but if you were to pull them apart and let them go, they would spring back toward each other, then away from each other, then back together, and so on. This would be analogous to a molecule being hit by an IR photon. Getting hit by a microwave would be more like taking the entire sphere-spring assembly and throwing it across the room.

It takes more energy to transition atoms into a higher vibrational state than it does to cause a molecule to oscillate. Microwaves have less energy than IR, which is why they have their different effects.
 
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immane1 said:
http://www.balancedlives.net/microwave1002.htm

There are many, many articles about this on the internet.

My question is this:
Are you concerned that microwaves may be detrimental to your health, somewhat concerned, or not at all concerned?
I am somewhat embarrassed to say that I seldom use mine these days. :eek:
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I read the article, there is no one named Blanc with that first name who currently works at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Further, at the bottom of the article, if you want to make claims for a dietary, herbal supplement in the USA, no money or research is required, you just write a book, say whatever you want, make a shiny pamphlet and give it out with every bottle sold. This guy is a total liar. I also know nutritional scientists in Swiss food companies, they are highly competent and do good research. Yes, microwaves break down food, its causing a lot of heat. But the author ignores the human digestive system entirely- the body degrades food naturally, and in one sense the microwave actually assists the body. The leukocytes decreased in the blood because the food was already broken down, so this is a good sign, not a bad one. Further, organic foods are grown with synthetic pesticieds, and antibiotics, another blatant lie. Also, macrobiotics is a philosophy with no set rules really, just the greedy guru who says ying and yang a lot. 9 out of the 10 macrobiotics pioneers died long before the US national average of overweight smokers. The reason this guy was fired was probably because he is mentally ill or a crook.
 
Idle Mind said:
I think the main reason we cook food at all is twofold: we have grown accustomed to the taste of cooked food (meats in particular), and prefer it in most cases over raw; and for safety. The dangers of pathogenic bacteria and parasitic organisms is removed because they are killed when the meat is cooked.
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3. food is easier to digest and we can extract more energy from it compared to raw food.
 
i do not use my microwave hardly ever also.

also, a kind word of advice to all:
never microwave something in plastic, never microwave plastic at all. whatsoever.
it has been found that microwaving plastic can actually alter the molecules of the plastic (and food of course) and causes excited plastic molecules to somehow get inside the food. this alteration to the food has been shown to cause cancer.

i am vey concerned about microwaves and the danger to health they present. what worries me even more are HPM, ELF, VLF, and Strong MicroWave towers, each shooting dangerous frequencies into our earth, air, atmosphere, magnetosphere, and not to forget- US !

i have a topic in psuedo about the dangers of these devices. be forewarned- it IS in pseudoscience!

microwaves are without a doubt hazardous, why else would they tell you DO NOT STAND IN FRONT OF MICROWAVE when its in use ?

another side note : too much of anything can be bad
 
Don't buy into healthcare scare tactics.
i do not use my microwave hardly ever also.

also, a kind word of advice to all:
never microwave something in plastic, never microwave plastic at all. whatsoever.
it has been found that microwaving plastic can actually alter the molecules of the plastic (and food of course) and causes excited plastic molecules to somehow get inside the food. this alteration to the food has been shown to cause cancer.
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Let's see what the FDA has to say:

Stories about the dangers of chemicals leaching from plastic into microwaved food have circulated on the Internet for years. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration continues to receive inquiries from concerned consumers.

Consumers can be confident as they heat holiday meals or leftovers in the microwave that the FDA carefully reviews the substances used to make plastics designed for food use. These include microwave-safe plastic coverings that keep food from splattering and microwave-safe containers that hold frozen dinners. Even microwavable popcorn bags, which look like paper, actually contain a metalized plastic film that allows them to reach high temperatures so the corn can fully pop.

Under the food additive provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, new substances used to make plastics for food use are classified as "food contact substances." They must be found safe for their intended use before they can be marketed.

"It's true that substances used to make plastics can leach into food," says Edward Machuga, Ph.D., a consumer safety officer in the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "But as part of the approval process, the FDA considers the amount of a substance expected to migrate into food and the toxicological concerns about the particular chemical." The agency has assessed migration levels of substances added to regulated plastics and has found the levels to be well within the margin of safety based on information available to the agency. The FDA will revisit its safety evaluation if new scientific information raises concerns.
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/602_plastic.html
i am vey concerned about microwaves and the danger to health they present. what worries me even more are HPM, ELF, VLF, and Strong MicroWave towers, each shooting dangerous frequencies into our earth, air, atmosphere, magnetosphere, and not to forget- US !
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Do you have any actual evidence to back this up, or are you just repeating what you read on some nut-job's web page? Check your literature = do you see any references to published scientific articles? Or are they simply asserting facts without backing them up?
microwaves are without a doubt hazardous, why else would they tell you DO NOT STAND IN FRONT OF MICROWAVE when its in use ?
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Who tells you this, exactly?
 
Aren't microwaves, uv and gamma rays dangerous all by themselves? Why wouldn't microwaving food be dangerous?
 
High-energy electromagnetic radiation (UV, x-ray, gamma) is dangerous because it breaks chemical bonds. If it breaks the wrong bond in your DNA, you can develop cancer or other health problems. Microwaves are far too low in energy to cause this sort of cellular damage; they are below infrared in the electromagnetic spectrum. The only danger from microwave ovens is that the microwave might inadvertently heat you up along with your food. Microwave burns are indeed nasty, but they aren't comparable to the dangers of ionizing radiation.
 
Nasor said:
High-energy electromagnetic radiation (UV, x-ray, gamma) is dangerous because it breaks chemical bonds. If it breaks the wrong bond in your DNA, you can develop cancer or other health problems. Microwaves are far too low in energy to cause this sort of cellular damage; they are below infrared in the electromagnetic spectrum. The only danger from microwave ovens is that the microwave might inadvertently heat you up along with your food. Microwave burns are indeed nasty, but they aren't comparable to the dangers of ionizing radiation.
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I thought microwaves were on the blue side of the spectrum... :bugeye:
 
No, microwaves would be on the red side, so to speak. Longer wavelengths than all visible light (and IR), and therefore less energy.
 
yeah... you're right, Idle. *hangs head in shame*. :eek:
I wonder what it is with 400nm and 700nm that makes the two interchangable in my head? (yes of course 700nm is shorter.. um..) ;)
 
My bad. I thought they had faster frequencies and smaller wavelenghts... :/
How many nanometers?
 
zougirl said:
yeah... you're right, Idle. *hangs head in shame*.
I wonder what it is with 400nm and 700nm that makes the two interchangable in my head? (yes of course 700nm is shorter.. um..)
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Visible light.... :rolleyes: :D ;)
Btw, 700nm is longer than 400nm...
 
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