When it comes to using microwave ovens, all the usual suspects line up to attack the appliance. The fountain of misinformation, Joe Mercola warns it kills more people than cigarettes and asbestos. Natural news, which is run by Mike Adams (who makes Mercola seem like Louis Pasteur) claims that everything from obesity to erectile dysfunction is caused by the increase in microwave oven usage. The Food Babe (in a now rescinded post that you can still find here) claims it creates carcinogens and destroys the nutrients in your food. Based on these glowing recommendations by the scientific elites, it begs the question of how these instruments of death are still allowed to be in nearly every American household? Is the microwave lobby really this strong?
All hyperbole aside, Americans probably have some questions about whether microwaves do have some damaging effect on either their food or themselves if they stand close enough. At some point, we have all been told to not stand so close to the microwave but is this a legitimate warning? What do microwaves actually do? Furthermore, do they, as the Food Babe warns, actually damage the quality of our foods?
Thankfully, The American Chemical Society (ACS) has taken to Youtube this week to answer these misconceptions with two videos: one on the real science of microwaves and the other on what affects the nutrient levels in vegetables, particularly frozen ones.
In the microwave video, the ACS describes how the process of microwaving foods works. The explanation goes like this: the microwave radiation targets water molecules, which absorb the waves and makes them start rotating like crazy, this generates heat. This is what cooks your food.
People are inherently afraid of anything with the word radiation in it, but it should be noted that not all radiation is equal. Light, heat, and what makes your radio work are all forms of radiation, but are very different from what goes on in a nuclear power plant.
Microwaved food is not exposed to radiation long enough to actually affect anything other than the water molecules. The specificity and speed at which this happens means that microwaving is actually one of the best ways to maintain the nutritional value of your food.
The other ACS video discusses the differences in frozen vs. fresh vegetables. Most people think that fresh vegetables have the highest nutrient value, however, as the ACS video points out that is not necessarily the case. The video explains how vegetables are at their most nutritious during peak ripening, but after this point, enzymes begin breaking down the nutrients. A vegetable that is selected to be sold frozen is picked at its ripest point and is flash frozen, which stops the enzymatic degradation, leaving the vegetable at prime ripeness when you, the customer, cook it. A fresh vegetable s enzymes will be active as its shipped, stored and eventually bought by the consumer allowing the degradation to persist.
Taken together, these videos highlight that to get the most nutrients out of your vegetables, it is best to buy frozen vegetables and cook them in the microwave. The flash freezing process of the vegetables ensures that all the nutrients are preserved and the short and safe microwave maintains the integrity of the nutrients of the cooking process.
ACSH Nick Staropoli adds: The distrust of microwaves and even frozen veggies is a product of the natural movement, a movement that, as we point out often, is based on feelings and not on science. We hope the ACS video changes some people s minds on microwaves and frozen vegetables, because the real goal when communicating about public health should be to help people eat right and live healthy and not to scare people into living by some lifestyle fad.