Are Microwave Ovens Harmful or Not? I recently received an Urgent e-mail from a business associate who wanted to warn everyone he knew of the dangers of heating water or other liquid in the microwave and having it explode in his face, causing second degree burns to his face, neck and upper torso. Apparently, if water is heated for too long in a new cup that has never been stirred or become worn in the inside, it will look like it hasn’t even boiled because it’s completely still…until a cool object touches it (like a spoon!) Then it can explode in all directions because the molecules have been so “re-arranged” that the little bubbles have nowhere to go but out. I’d never heard of this phenomenon, but I don’t usually heat water for coffee, nor do I use new cups as I have so many old ones, I’ll be fine for years! This little anecdote is not the point of the article. It’s what we don’t know and aren’t told...about the workings of microwaves. I’ve been hearing for years that microwaves are bad for the health, and that foods cooked in them are “ruined” and don’t have nearly the nutrients left that we’re led to believe they have. All this seemed to be kind of “old school” trying to keep the “new agers” down. It smacked of “old wives tales” from the sixties and seventies when microwave ovens first came into commercial and home use. I remember a friend who bought one of the first microwaves and she said theirs had no door on it…simply an opening where one put the hand in, any old time, to take the food out…the microwave could still have been on, because there seemed to be no consequences of the waves on living body parts. Now we definitely know better, and Microwave Ovens are hermetically sealed and should be monitored for leakage if they are more than a year old. Hold a fluorescent bulb to the front and sides of the oven and if it lights up by itself or even flickers, there is a leakage problem. It’s a known fact that microwaves are very dangerous to our health. And gene-splicing geneticists today know that they can use microwaves to weaken the walls of cells in order to “inject” new genes. They know, but don’t tell us, that microwaves actually damage our cell walls. They know that this suppresses our immune systems, making us open to any virus, fungus or bacteria that may be lurking in our kitchens and homes. And they know that microwaves can cook human flesh as well as vegetables and meat. As far back as 1992, scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology were doing extensive testing on Microwave Ovens and came to the conclusion that microwaves (which are actually electromagnetic energy) have made bacteria glow and have altered the bloodstream of the people eating the “cooked” substance from the Microwave Ovens. On top of that, they found a remarkable increase in cholesterol counts in people simply eating microwaved vegetables. Apparently the stress (millions of molecules rearranging themselves and becoming stressed) on the veggies was translated directly into equal stress on the body of the “eater.” This might explain the increase in heart attacks and strokes, but no conclusive studies have been done on this phenomenon. The two scientists involved in these studies, Hans Hertel and Bernard Blanc wanted to make their findings known when their extensive studies were completed. They wanted to reduce illness and suffering in the world. This was not to be, though, as a court order was slapped on them not to divulge any of their findings on the subject. Apparently, the microwave manufacturers had more power than the scientific community. Eventually, the court battle ceased (1998) and they were able to publish their findings, but by then nobody was listening anymore. There's even a report that the large manufacturers bought all the books in print on this subject. Lord only knows why. Another interesting finding in Hertel and Blanc’s studies was that bacteria multiplied much faster in microwaved food than in fried or braised food. That gives cause for concern because nowadays many people just zap a meal of any kind and believe it to be bacteria free. In fact, most people, me included, thought that we would be safer from bacteria with microwaved food simply because the microwave seemed to “kill everything.” Heating in Microwave ovens occurs from the centre out and the molecules are actually ripped apart and deformed by the action of the microwaves but there are hot spots and cold spots (which remain untouched.) In, fact, in most hospitals, practically everything is heated by microwaves, even mother’s milk. They either didn’t listen or thought it didn't matter, when a report in the April '92 PEDIATRICS JOURNAL (Stanford Universtity findings) told the world that most of the nutrition was lost in microwaving. The mothers collect the milk to be used during the night or in emergencies, but don’t realize that there’s very little nutrition left after microwaving it. The heating process also damages proteins in the milk, enlarges fat cells and wipes out folic acid (which keeps babies from getting Spina Bifida.) Tests on milk done with e-coli bacteria determined that 18% more bacteria grew after microwaving than when heating in a pan. Hertel saw that blood chemistry changed so much during their trials that he was actually able to see the beginnings of cancerous conditions, which could have been prevented, according to his findings. Salmonella, too, was targeted, and was found to be able to survive microwaving. On top of that, the cooked food gives off carbon dioxide (a known carcinogen,) as well as hydrogen peroxide and carbon monoxide. No wonder so many people can’t understand why they are ill even though they seem to be living a healthy lifestyle and are not abusing their bodies in any way! Corporate censorship aside, I find the microwave to be a handy appliance but have tried to cut down my use of it. My resolve is strong for a time, and I faithfully heat my soymilk on the stove. Then gradually, the microwave comes into play again. At one time I was actually cooking food in it, including baking things like muffins. Now I just use it to heat things to a very minimal degree. The big point in all this, I feel, is to have modern equipment! If you have a ten-year-old microwave, please consider replacing it with a new model which has better health safeguards. Make sure that the seal around the door is intact and that there’s no food stuck to the rubber sealer. Hertel and Blanc also checked the levels of microwave emission and were astounded to find that the back of the unit was beaming microwaves into the next room, through all the layers of the two walls! Make sure your bedroom doesn’t back onto the kitchen and the microwave. Make sure the microwave has finished all its beeps when it’s ended, for obvious reasons, and don’t open the door during the cooking cycle. It’s disconcerting that most of our microwaves are at eye, or brain level and can have an effect on a level that we never even dreamed of. However, I think the monsters are here to stay, so we might as well make ourselves aware and be as diligent in keeping those hazardous rays away from our bodies as we can. It only makes sense. In 1998 the “gag order” against Hertel and Blanc was lifted. It had taken six years of fighting in the courts, and was hailed as an end to Judicial Censorship. So, maybe, the next time there is a major, life-altering breakthrough, there won’t be a judge saying…no, you can’t tell the public about that! What a great victory! Back to the Writing Index