microwaved food

[claire1433]

My daughter-in-law says that food microwaved is harmful to our health.  True?

[gymdandee]

In 1992, researchers at Stanford University reported the effects of microwave heating on anti-infective factors (for the technically inclined, lysozyme activity, total IgA, and
secretory IgA specific to Escherichia coli serotypes 01, 04, and 06) naturally present in human milk .
Microwaving at high temperatures (72 – 98 degrees Centigrade) caused a marked decrease in activity of all the tested anti-infective factors. Critics noted that this might happen with any high-temperature cooking, microwave or conventional, but the
Stanford researchers also reported that even at low temperatures (20 – 25 degrees Centigrade), “microwaving” human milk significantly decreased lysozyme and specific
IgA to E. coli serotype 06. At these temperatures, E. coli growth was five times that of control human milk.
The researchers concluded: “Microwaving appears to be contraindicated at high temperatures, and questions regarding its safety exist even at low temperatures.”

[caregiver222]

One must remember that all flame is in itself an electromagnetic phenomena, and many of the effects attributed to microwaving are also true for meat exposed to a simple gas burner of charcoal fire.

The studies were conducted by an organization that also wants to ban genetically modified seeds. The number of participants were limited. The results are, to say the least, controversial. The alleged scientists had an agenda.

Then study contains much unintelligible scientific gobble-de-gook. The fact is microwaving has been used for seventy of years worldwide, and billions (that is a large number) of people have eaten microwaved meals with not a single solitary example of an illness or adverse effect to anyone. The United States Armed Forces have adopted microwaving after extensive tests regarding safety.

[gymdandee]

A microwave oven decays and changes the molecular structure of the food by the process of radiation.

                                  Scientific evidence and facts

In Comparative Study of Food Prepared Conventionally and in the Microwave Oven, published by Raum & Zelt in 1992, at 3(2): 43, it states

      "A basic hypothesis of natural medicine states that the introduction into the human body of molecules and energies, to which it is not accustomed, is much more likely to cause harm than good. Microwaved food contains both molecules and energies not present in food cooked in the way humans have been cooking food since the discovery of fire. Microwave energy from the sun and other stars is direct current based. Artificially produced microwaves, including those in ovens, are produced from alternating current and force a billion or more polarity reversals per second in every food molecule they hit. Production of unnatural molecules is inevitable. Naturally occurring amino acids have been observed to undergo isomeric changes (changes in shape morphing) as well as transformation into toxic forms, under the impact of microwaves produced in ovens. One short-term study found significant and disturbing changes in the blood of individuals consuming microwaved milk and vegetables. Eight volunteers ate various combinations of the same foods cooked different ways. All foods that were processed through the microwave ovens caused changes in the blood of the volunteers. Hemoglobin levels decreased and over all white cell levels and cholesterol levels increased. Lymphocytes decreased. Luminescent (light-emitting) bacteria were employed to detect energetic changes in the blood. Significant increases were found in the luminescence of these bacteria when exposed to blood serum obtained after the consumption of microwaved food."

Dr. Hertel was the first scientist to conceive and carry out a quality clinical study on the effects microwaved nutrients have on the blood and physiology of the human body. His small but well controlled study showed the degenerative force produced in microwave ovens and the food processed in them. The scientific conclusion showed that microwave cooking changed the nutrients in the food; and, changes took place in the participants' blood that could cause deterioration in the human system. Hertel's scientific study was done along with Dr. Bernard H. Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the University Institute for Biochemistry.

In intervals of two to five days, the volunteers in the study received one of the following food variants on an empty stomach:

   1.

      Raw milk;

   2.

      The same milk conventionally cooked;

   3.

      Pasteurized milk;

   4.

      The same raw milks cooked in a microwave oven;

   5.

      Raw vegetables from an organic farm; (6) the same vegetables cooked conventionally;

   6.

      The same vegetables frozen and defrosted in a microwave oven; and

   7.

      The same vegetables cooked in the microwave oven.


Once the volunteers were isolated, blood samples were taken from every volunteer immediately before eating. Then, blood samples were taken at defined intervals after eating from the above milk or vegetable preparations.

Significant changes were discovered in the blood samples from the intervals following the foods cooked in the microwave oven. These changes included a decrease in all hemoglobin and cholesterol values, especially the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) values. Lymphocytes (white blood cells) showed a more distinct short-term decrease following the intake of microwaved food than after the intake of all the other variants. Each of these indicators pointed to degeneration. Additionally, there was a highly significant association between the amount of microwave energy in the test foods and the luminous power of luminescent bacteria exposed to serum from test persons who ate that food. This led Dr. Hertel to the conclusion that such technically derived energies may, indeed, be passed along to man inductively via eating microwaved food.

According to Dr. Hertel, "Leukocytosis, which cannot be accounted for by normal daily deviations, is taken very seriously by hemotologists. Leukocytes are often signs of pathogenic effects on the living system, such as poisoning and cell damage. The increase of leukocytes with the microwaved foods were more pronounced than with all the other variants. It appears that these marked increases were caused entirely by ingesting the microwaved substances. This process is based on physical principles and has already been confirmed in the literature. The apparent additional energy exhibited by the luminescent bacteria was merely an extra confirmation. There is extensive scientific literature concerning the hazardous effects of direct microwave radiation on living systems. It is astonishing, therefore, to realize how little effort has been taken to replace this detrimental technique of microwaves with technology more in accordance with nature. Technically produced microwaves are based on the principle of alternating current. Atoms, molecules, and cells hit by this hard electromagnetic radiation are forced to reverse polarity 1-100 billion times a second. 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. Of all the natural substances - which are polar - the oxygen of water molecules reacts most sensitively. 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. This is contrary to conventional heating of food where heat transfers convectionally from without to within. Cooking by microwaves begins within the cells and molecules where water is present and where the energy is transformed into frictional heat. In addition to the violent frictional heat effects, called thermic effects, there are also athermic effects which have hardly ever been taken into account. These athermic effects are not presently measurable, but they can also deform the structures of molecules and have qualitative consequences. For example the weakening of cell membranes by microwaves is used in the field of gene altering technology. Because of the force involved, the cells are actually broken, thereby neutralizing the electrical potentials, the very life of the cells, between the outer and inner side of the cell membranes. Impaired cells become easy prey for viruses, fungi and other microorganisms. The natural repair mechanisms are suppressed and cells are forced to adapt to a state of energy emergency - they switch from aerobic to anaerobic respiration. Instead of water and carbon dioxide, the cell poisons hydrogen peroxide and carbon monoxide are produced." The same violent deformations that occur in our bodies, when we are directly exposed to radar or microwaves, also occur in the molecules of foods cooked in a microwave oven. This radiation results in the destruction and deformation of food molecules. Microwaving also creates new compounds, called radiolytic compounds, which are unknown fusions not found in nature. Radiolytic compounds are created by molecular decomposition - decay - as a direct result of radiation.

[caregiver222]

CuteNsweet is correct. This is one of the great urban myths of our time. Microwaved food is in no way harmful to a person's health.

[SassyLassie]

Both above answers can be correct. It all depends on how you use it, how close you are to it, etc.

[CuteNsweeT]

False! Though it depends on what you measure your own health by. Microwaving vegetables can often mean you don't need to add any water or anything to cook them, so you don't dissolve (and then discard) any of the nutrients, therefore making them healthier for you. Same with fish, eggs, etc; you get the whole undiluted food, and it's faster than using an oven, so can encourage you to make healthier food choices. Some people worry over radiation waves, but if you use a cell phone then that's just as "dangerous" to your health. It all depends on how you view the different aspects.

[gymdandee]

True!