The Dangerous Truth Behind Microwaves

The Dangerous Truth Behind Microwaves




291 3 16EmailMike Barrett

NaturalSociety

November 16, 2011



America’s most convenient appliance – microwave ovens seem to be an absolute necessity in today’s fast-paced world. They are currently present in at least 90% of homes in America thanks to their ability to cook and reheat foods or beverages in a simple, rapid way.The majority of people use this kitchen appliance without question and often think they are a reasonable alternative to conventional ovens for reheating or cooking. However you may want to think twice before using your microwave, as it could be one of the worst things YOU do to your food.



The way in which microwaves work and affect health

In short, microwave ovens are kitchen appliances which are used to cook or reheat food by emitting microwaves. Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation and are on the low energy end of the energy spectrum, second to radio waves. The waves are generated by something called a magnetron – something found within every microwave oven.



Magnetrons produce an electromagnetic field with a microwave frequency of approximately 2,450 megaHertz (MGz), which is the equivalent to 2.4 gigaHertz (GHz). Microwaves produced within the microwave oven cause dialectric heating – they bounce around the inside of the oven and are absorbed by whatever is placed in the oven.



In order for something to heat in a microwave oven, water must be present within the substance. If water is not present, heating will not occur and it would remain cool. The reason for this is that water molecules within the food vibrate at an incredible speed, creating molecular friction which is responsible for the heating of the food. The structure of the water molecules are torn apart and vigorously deformed. This is much different than any other method of cooking, as other methods such as convection ovens heat up food by transferring heat convectionally from the outside inward.



Hans Hertel, a Swiss scientist, states:



“There are no atoms, molecules or cells of any organic system able to withstand such a violent, destructive power for any extended period of time, not even in the low energy range of milliwatts… This is how microwave cooking heat is generated – friction from this violence in water molecules. Structures of molecules are torn apart, molecules are forcefully deformed (called structural isomerism) and thus become impaired in quality.”



You might wonder why food is often unevenly heated when taken out of the microwave. The uneven heating occurs because microwaves work with whatever water molecules are present, and since not all areas of food contain the same amount of water, heating becomes uneven.



While microwave cooking does begin within the molecules where water is present, they don’t actually cook from “the inside out” like many people believe. They actually start with the outer layers while the inner layers are mostly heated and cooked simply by transference of heat from the outer layers. This is oftentimes why you’ll find that the outside of the food is extremely hot while the inside seems to have been absent during the re-heating or cooking.



The Radiation Effects of Microwaves and Other Forms of Non-Ionizing Radiation

Microwaves are in fact radiation. They are classified as non-ionizing radiation – radiation which can change the position of atoms but is not strong enough to alter their structure, composition, or properties. Even though non-ionizing radiation is not strong enough to alter the structure of atoms, it is still able to cause physical alterations. A clear example of how non-ionizing radiation can harm you is the damage caused to your skin and eyes caused by the sun. When you use microwave cooking, you are exposing yourself to microwave radiation.



Other forms of ionizing radiation are visible light, ultraviolet and infrared waves, and waves emitted from televisions, cell phones, and electric blankets.



To learn more about radiation, click here to view our radiation page.



Today we live in a technologically advanced world. We could label the time we live in as the “technology age” as well as the “radiation age”. People today are bombarded with radiation from almost everything around: radio towers, televisions, cell phones, microwave ovens, computers, satellites, broadcast antennas, and so much more. Unfortunately, radiation doesn’t go away over time, in fact, it just accumulates.



Although researchers and scientists have conducted study after study, concluding that no amount of radiation is safe, we don’t really know what all of this means in the long term. But here is what we do know:



When any radiation waves resonate with a body part, the biological effect is intensified. For example, microwave frequencies are very similar to the frequencies of your brain. The effects microwaves have on your brain are greater than those same waves on any other part of the body.

Although studies are done to view the effects of radiation, most of these studies are done for short exposure periods at higher intensities. There is an immense shortage of studies using long exposure periods with low-level radiation. More research simply needs to be done.

Radiation accumulates over time and never goes away.

Due to the amount of radiation everyone is exposed to every day, it is difficult to conduct studies using control groups. Radiation can’t really be controlled anymore due to the unavoidable invasion.

While this isn’t the absolute worst thing you should be worrying about in today’s world, we simply don’t know the long-term effects of microwave radiation, so why risk your health by watching your food cook in the microwave each day?



Sources:



Relfe



Halexandria



Litalee



Mercola