Is Microwaving Food Bad for Health?

There are four reasons people say that microwaving food is dangerous

1. Microwaves make your food radioactive and release harmful radiation, which raises your risk of cancer
2. Microwaves destroy the nutrients in your food, increasing your risk of nutrient deficiencies
3. Microwaves cause plastic containers to release harmful chemicals into your food
4. Microwaves “kill” the beneficial properties of “live” food

Myth #1 - Microwaves emit harmful radiation and contaminate your food

When you hear the word "radiation," you usually think of the consequences of a nuclear weapon or a power plant disaster like Chernobyl: terrible burns, cancer, and a long, agonising death

It's understandable that you'd be concerned about heating your meal with the same technology

But therein lays the first flaw in the anti-microwave argument: the technology isn't the same

To comprehend why microwave radiation isn't harmful, you must first comprehend how microwaves and radiation work

Microwave ovens employ a safe form of radiation to heat your food, and it's impossible to make your food "radioactive" by microwaving it

Myth #2 - The Nutrient Content of Your Food Is Reduced by Microwaving

Microwaving is one of the most effective ways to preserve the nutrients in food

Microwaving reduces the nutrient content of some meals by a small amount, but not enough to have a substantial impact on your health

Microwaving foods can make them more nutritious by making them easier to digest and absorb

Microwaving food does not damage as many nutrients as other methods of cooking, It helps the nutrients in meals to be absorbed more easily in some circumstances

Myth #3 - Toxic Chemicals are released when plastic containers are microwaved

The amount of chemicals emitted by plastic bottles is insignificant in comparison to the amount of chemicals released by cigarettes.

More chemicals are released when food is microwaved in plastic containers, but not enough to be dangerous.

Replace your plasticware every few months or when apparent indications of wear and tear appear if you want to be safe.

Microwaving plastic containers releases more toxins into your food, but the amounts are too little to have any effect on your health.

Myth #4 - Food “Kills” When Microwaved

Some argue that food is "alive," and that cooking destroys its health benefits

Regardless of how you store or cook it, everything you eat is dead

Microwaving your food will not make it any "deader" than it already is. It wouldn't be any healthier even if it was

Microwaving food does not “kill” it since practically everything you eat is already dead, and if it isn't, it will be soon when it comes into contact with your stomach acid

Conclusion - is microwaving food bad for health?

Microwaves cook food using radiation, and anything related with the word "radiation" has a bad rep

The truth is that humans are exposed to thousands of different types of radiation on a daily basis, and microwaves are one of the safest