The effect of microwaves
Microwave ovens are present in millions of kitchens across the world and add speed and convenience to our lives, but could they also be damaging our health? "Microwaves", the form of electromagnetic radiation as opposed to the microwave you have in your kitchen, fall at the lower end of the electromagnetic spectrum, just above radio waves.
They are used for a variety of different functions, such as curing rubber and resins, raising bread, sending phone communications, and of course, in our domestic microwave ovens. As they can be reflected by metal, can pass through glass, paper and plastic, and can be absorbed by foods, they are ideal for the cooking and heating of food. Exposure to high levels of "microwaves" can lead to burns, radiation sickness and other health issues, but the levels emitted by microwave ovens are unlikely to reach these dangerous levels.
Dangers of microwave radiation
Although it is unlikely that the levels of "microwaves" we are exposed to from usage of our microwave ovens can cause any serious health issues, here are some of the possible effects of exposure to higher levels of the radiation. Certain areas of the body are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature; for example, exposure to high levels of radiation from "microwaves" can be damaging to the eyes and can lead to cataracts developing.
Male reproductive organs can also be damaged, with high levels of "microwaves" potentially causing a man to become sterile. "Microwaves" can also affect your heart health, causing irregularity in your heart rate. The effects of exposure to "microwaves" at lower levels, such as those emitted by microwave ovens are less clear, although scientific investigations have been conducted around the topic.Carcinogenic containers
There is also potential that the containers of many shop-bought microwaveable foods, can be harmful to those eating food microwaved in them. This packaging often contains carcinogenic compounds such as polyethylene terpthalate, benzene and toluene. Although these containers are marked as safe for microwave use on the packaging, once heated to such high temperatures as they are during microwaving, there is a chance that these carcinogens can leak from the packaging and be absorbed by the food in the container.
Consuming this food then becomes potentially dangerous. Always be careful about the types of materials that you place into a microwave; some plastics are less suitable for microwave cooking as they may begin to melt as a result of the heat, releasing more carcinogens. Metals should always be kept out of microwaves as it can create sparks that can create a fire, and may also damage the inside of your microwave.
Microwave radiation leakage
The "microwaves" emitted by your microwave are a form of non-ionising radiation. This means that they can produce enough energy to cause molecules within the food to move, but not enough to change the chemical structure of cells, unlike ionising radiation which is much more harmful.
However, precautions should still be taken concerning non-ionising radiation; as an example, the suns UV rays are a form of non-ionising radiation and using sun cream is always advised to help reduce the risk of cancer. When microwaves were first invented, the amount of radiation that leaked from them was dangerous. However, as the technology continued to be tested and improved, microwaves today are much safer due to proper insulation. Still, small amounts of radiation can leak out, so it is important to ensure that your microwave is in good condition, as any damage to the door or the seal around it could lead to increased leakage.
Depletes nutrients
More people today are heralding the amazing health benefits of consuming a completely raw diet, filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds, claiming that it improves your health and gives you more energy. One of the reasons this diet could improve your health is that cooking and heating food causes it to lose some of its nutrients, and this has been found to occur to a greater extent when microwaving food as opposed to boiling or grilling it, for example.
Vitamins and minerals within the food will be depleted as the food is heated in the microwave, reducing the number of health benefits that consuming the food has on your body. This also occurs to a greater extent if your food is overcooked, so if you are heating a microwaveable meal, make sure you follow the instructions on the packaging closely, or if you are heating your own food, try not to leave it in the microwave for too long.
Heat unevenly
Microwave ovens work by emitting "microwaves" which are absorbed by water molecules within the food. As a result, these water molecules begin to vibrate at an extremely high frequency. The energy produced by the fast motion of the water within the food causes the food surrounding it to heat up. Because microwaves specifically target water molecules, it may heat some areas of the food more than others, depending on where the water is contained.
So, if water is not distributed evenly throughout the food that you are heating, then the food itself will not be heated evenly. When eating a microwaved meal you may have come across hot spots within the food, areas that have been heated to a higher temperature than the rest of the food. This could be particularly dangerous for infants and children with the risk of them burning the inside of their mouths.
Cooked from the outside
While this method of cooking, heating water molecules inside the food, may make it sound like microwaves cook food from the inside out, the opposite is actually true. Just like other cooking methods such as convection ovens which cook food by emitting heat directly onto the outside of the food, microwaves also cook from the outside.
The heat being conducted by the outside of the food mostly cooks the centre of foods cooked in a microwave, especially thicker foods. Because of this method of cooking, it is important to check that the food has been properly cooked throughout, because although the outside of the food looks well cooked, this may not be true of the inside. For packaged foods, always make sure that you follow the instructions closely and test the food by cutting into it to ensure that it is cooked all the way through.
Reheating food
Preparing food in advance and reheating it in the microwave is a great time-saver, but precautions should always be taken when doing this. Once you have cooked the food the first time, don’t leave it sat out for too long, as bacteria will start to develop. It is advisable to let the food cool down before sealing it up in a container, but try to get it refrigerated as soon as possible.
Make sure you heat the food through thoroughly when reheating, particularly when reheating meats, in order to kill the bacteria that may have developed after the cooking and during the storage of the food as these bacteria could lead to food poisoning. Certain foods such as rice, eggs and chicken are more prone to causing food poisoning when not handled and reheated correctly. In general, foods should not be reheated more than once and should be consumed within a few days after cooking.
Microwaved foods get hot!
This one’s a bit more obvious, but still poses a serious risk that can often be overlooked. Microwaves are used to heat food up and, no matter the method that they do this by, this means that the food is hot once it has been cooked. Always be careful when handling microwaved foods.
You would never take a hot tray out of the oven without oven gloves or at least a towel, yet people often have a more relaxed approach when removing food from the microwave. The food’s container or the plate you have placed food on may be too hot to handle when you remove it, so protect your hands from getting burned by using a towel. Similarly, precautions should be taken when eating the food. Microwaveable meals usually advise to leave the food to stand for a minute or two before serving it, allowing the food to cool.
Quality vs. convenience
Forgetting about the effects of the microwave itself for a moment, microwaveable meals that are sold in supermarkets normally aren’t the best quality foods available. While they look delicious on the packaging, the end result is often far from what is pictured. Plus, the nutritional values regularly display high levels of salt and saturated fat, both of which should not be consumed in high levels.
Also, reheating food in a microwave often degrades the quality; other than the depletion of nutrients that we have already seen, food reheated in the microwave often comes out soggy, as opposed to the crisp coating provided through oven cooking. As we have seen, there are many potential, although not entirely proven, dangerous effects that microwaves could have on our health. Add this to the often-degraded quality of the foods, and it is up to you to decide whether they are worth the convenience they provide.
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