Can You Live Without Your Microwave?

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http://healthyherbs.about.com/od/preparationmethods/a/microwave.htm

 

Can You Live Without Your Microwave?

From Juli Kight,

 

I grew up with microwaves, I still remember the awe when they were

first released and my mom had her cup of coffee in two minutes. I

remember early warnings involved pacemakers and other issues which

were not valid enough at the time to override my need for heating

speed and convenience. I had not thought of it again until I began

researching home cooked food for my pets, I noticed the resources

mentioned to not reheat the food in the microwave. You learn something

new every day. We all understand that regular heating alters or breaks

down many constituents and nutrients and even makes some more

accessible, we have learned to work with that. What catches my eye for

our purposes here are:

 

Damage to many plant substances, such as alkaloids, glucosides,

galactosides and nitrilosides.

 

Microwaved milk and cereal grains converted some of their amino acids

into carcinogens.

 

Thawing frozen fruits converted their glucoside and galactoside

containing fractions into carcinogenic substances.

 

Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked or frozen vegetables converted

their plant alkaloids into carcinogens.

 

Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants,

especially root vegetables.

 

Does anyone really know?

 

Looking into this I discovered what seems to be a controversy. The

Russians began researching microwaves in the 1970's. In searching for

this documentation I ran across several other studies as well. A

PubMed search turned up several studies of the impact of microwaves on

specific foods however " no abstract " had been published and of course

I did find some that simply overturned previous studies, stating

microwaving did not such thing and how beneficial it is. I've read

enough to at least make me cut back quite a bit on the microwaving.

And I do know that things do differ in texture and taste when cooked

in the microwave verses the oven or stove. So something must be

altered someway.

 

Maybe a microwave meal or re-heat every now and then is ok, but if you

work long hours and cook or re-heat two or more meals plus drinks and

snack in the " zapper " per day, read the articles below and imagine how

it might build up.

 

Don't have time to reheat in a stove or toaster oven? Can't wait for

the cup of tea? Need to make too many herb oils for gifts? Make the

time. Read, meditate, visit with your family, love on your pets.

 

Nutrients

 

Effects of microwave cooking/reheating on nutrients and food systems:

a review of recent studies. - Favors low powered ovens.

 

The influence of heating on the anticancer properties of garlic - 60

sec. of microwave heating or 45 min. of oven heating can block

garlic's ability to inhibit in vivo binding of mammary carcinogen.

That is why it is added last to a recipe.

 

Carcinogens from meat - there are many studies on PubMed (about 132

documents) stating that all meat produces this the longer it is cooked

and higher the temperature (fried, broiled, baked, microwaved etc.)

 

Myth - Microwaves kill food pathogens. Truth - Not always. Lots of

variability here especially inconsistencies between microwaves.

 

Survival of Salmonella species in eggs poached using a microwave oven

Protective effect of conventional cooking versus use of microwave

ovens in an outbreak of salmonellosis.

 

Myth - Human milk

 

Against microwaves

 

Effects of microwave radiation on anti-infective factors in human milk

- Microwaving appears to be contraindicated at high temperatures, and

questions regarding its safety exist even at low temperatures.

 

For microwaves

 

Free amino acid concentrations in milk: effects of microwave versus

conventional heating. - Microwave heating appears to be an appropriate

method to heat milk.

 

The effect of microwave heating on vitamins B1 and E, and linoleic and

linolenic acids, and immunoglobulins in human milk. - The study shows

that microwave heating of human milk can be performed without

significant losses of examined immunoglobulins and nutrients, provided

that final temperatures are below 60 degrees C.

 

Resources:

 

The Hidden Hazards of Microwave Cooking - by Anthony Wayne and

Lawrence Newell - The purpose of this report is to show proof -

evidence - that microwave cooking is not natural, nor healthy, and is

far more dangerous to the human body than anyone could imagine.

 

Microwaving — Dangers to Your Food and You? - June Russell's Health Facts.