Is Your Microwave Oven A Hidden Health Hazard?

In 1976, the Soviet Union banned the microwave oven declaring it a health risk and causing panic across the world. Since then numerous articles have circulated both on the internet and in print arguing the pitfalls and virtues of the humble microwave. Since the microwave was indeed an invention by accident, its real use was aboard British military radar equipment in World War II, it is no surprise that many people are loathe toacknowledge it as a safe and efficient method of cooking. In fact many believers in natural and pure cooking will not eat anything that is heated or cooked in a microwave and will not purchase one at all. While it is true that microwaves do generate electromagnetic waves and radiation, these are is no conclusive proof that these are damaging to humans in any way. Based on the number of years that microwave ovens have been on the market and the number of studies conducted, it is logical to conclude if these devices truly were harmful to us, the government of several countries including our own would have banned them by now. In fact the radiation levels of all commercially produced microwaves are non-ionizing, hence are not associated with traditional cancer risks, and the exposure rate is considered far below what is harmful to human health. As is it impossible to stick your head into a microwave and cook it or in fact cook at all with the microwave door open, you are unlikely to be directly affected by the radiation generated. While it cannot be argued that microwave cooking is perhaps the least nutritious way of preparing meals, it does not however cause cancer or any other diseases associated with harmful radiation. Cooking with a microwave has found to decrease the amount of cancer causing carcinogenic tar in meat and other foods normally cooked in an oven or grill. However, since the temperatures that microwaves cook at are lower than ovens and stoves, there is a chance that bacteria in the food may not be completely killed which may lead to food poisoning or other sicknesses. It is advisable to avoid putting any metal substances in your microwave while cooking as this can cause your food to become less nutritious or even slightly toxic. There are no conclusive studies proving the harmful effects of microwave ovens. There are many that show the different nutrient levels depending on how a substance is cooked but that is to be expected. The only time significant damage has been found is when a microwave oven door was not properly latched or had been tampered with, in which case it may cause serious burns or damage to the eyes. This however is rare as most ovens have a self locking safety feature which prevents this from occurring. In conclusion, you can sleep easy at night knowing that microwave ovens are not harmful to either you or your families’ health and well-being in any way.