Microwave ovens have been in
use for a while, in fact since the 1960s. These little machines are highly
energy efficient, convenient to use and less time-consuming. Researchers have
been experimenting since its discovery about the safety of the food cooked or
heated in the microwave ovens. It has been found that vegetables, sometimes
lose Vitamin C after being heated because this Vitamin is extremely volatile.
But since other raw vegetables and fruits contain Vitamin C it gets easily
compensated. Otherwise, all food materials retain their food value and remain
unchanged.
Microwave
utensils and radiation
The containers in which the
food is heated may pose health hazards if they have chemicals which can be
leaked into the food. According to Harvard scientists, tests have to be
conducted on a regular basis to see that the containers pass the tests for
approved quality before being released into the market. However, fresh
questions are being raised regarding the effect of radiation on the food
compounds. The radiation released by the microwave is of the non-ionizing type
which means that it can move food molecules, while heating, but cannot change
the chemical structure of the components.
How
does the radiation work?
When a microwave works the
radiation occurs within the machine itself and does not come out. The waves
stop the moment the door is opened. The machines are manufactured following the
federal standards in the US which make sure that the radiation level is way
below the level where it can affect people. Laboratory tests have shown that
the non-ionizing rays are not harmful enough to cause changes in the human DNA
and hence can be safely used for now.
Is
the radiation harmful?
The radiation from the
microwave ovens has been thought to damage the human genetic structure or cause
cancer. But in actuality, very little evidence has been found to support the
fear. The non-ionizing wave can make the water molecules move, but is not
strong enough to transfer radiation into the edible particles. So, it cannot
change its molecular structure. Ionizing radiations are, undoubtedly, harmful
and can damage the cell structure and cause cancer. But, that, of course,
depends on the amount of exposure to the rays. The human body is capable of
repairing any kind of cell damage provided the body has not been exposed to the
harmful rays for a long duration. Extreme exposure to radiation can cause
sickness and death in a few hours. But such acute radiation is scarce to come
by. It can have both long and short term results. Chronic exposure is likely to
result in tumors, genetic changes, and cataracts. In the case of short-term exposure,
cancer may also result, but it is not possible to say which cancer triggers
from it.
How
radiation directly affects Human’s health?
From the above, it is clear
that the the radiation from the microwave ovens have very least adverse effects
on human’s health. Let’s check out what are the adverse effects of the
radiation on Human’s health?
·
It is not recommended to heat a baby’s bottle
of milk in microwave ovens. The radiation can cause loss of some vitamins in
the milk, and can make it toxic for babies.
·
The intake of microwaved food can result in
the decrement of hemoglobin and cholesterol values in human’s body.
Conclusion
Microwave ovens are safe as
long as used by the instruction manual. Microwave cooked food does not
compromise on the nutritional quality till you are careful about the quality of
containers and the extent of heat while taking use of microwave ovens. It
simply reduces the cooking time because the heat penetrates the food which
drops the overall food preparation time.
