Microwave ovens are harmful

[Grakkle]

Microwave ovens really are bad for your health. I know from personal experience that after eating microwaved foods, or standing close to a microwave I feel less alert, and sometimes actually ill.

Microwaves also change food - changes in the way it looks, the texture, the smell, the taste. I, for one, can tell the difference between food that's been microwaved and food that's been heated in an oven.

Oh, I know that everyone is bombarded by radio waves of all sorts all the time, but microwaves are a particularly concentrated source.

Check this out and see the evidence for yourself. As for me, I avoid eating microwaved food and being in the vicinity of a microwave. It may be overly cautious, but I'd rather avoid them than learn later, the hard way, that microwaves do actually cause harm.

 

[skunk]

I've always given them a wide berth. Never had one.

 

[spicyapple]

The taste and texture of rubbery chicken hardly appeals to me, but as a way to quickly heat up soup, it's a godsend. I just make sure I don't stand too close to the microwave while it's on, and I wait 20 seconds after it is finished cooking before I take it out.

luv ya bunches! xoxo

 

[OutThere]

Your article mentions the "human life-energy field".

People commonly see microwave energy as dangerous because it makes food warm, but what people don't understand, is that it actually has less energy than light.

Visible light is safe, infrared radiation is safe, radiowaves are safe, so what makes the microwave radiation (right there in the middle) inherently dangerous?

All of the dangerous radiation is more energetic than light: gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet etc.

 

[dcv]

So I shouldn't be doing this then?

 

[poppe]

Microwave ovens really are bad for your health. I know from personal experience that after eating microwaved foods, or standing close to a microwave I feel less alert, and sometimes actually ill.

Microwaves also change food - changes in the way it looks, the texture, the smell, the taste. I, for one, can tell the difference between food that's been microwaved and food that's been heated in an oven.

Oh, I know that everyone is bombarded by radio waves of all sorts all the time, but microwaves are a particularly concentrated source.

Check this out and see the evidence for yourself. As for me, I avoid eating microwaved food and being in the vicinity of a microwave. It may be overly cautious, but I'd rather avoid them than learn later, the hard way, that microwaves do actually cause harm.

Do you have any sources like medical journals or scientific journals?

 

[lexus]

Yep, also never microwave water.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Do you have any sources like medical journals or scientific journals?

Why would you need studies like that when you can link to a site on the internet that has a disclaimer reading Neither Robert or Kerrie Broe nor Tuberose.com necessarily adhere to, or endorse, any or all of the links, stories, articles, editorials, or products offered on this site.?


Lethal

 

[spicyapple]

Anybody else do this? Put a damp sponge in the microwave, set on high for 30 seconds to disinfect it?

 

[someguy]

*reads this thread while waiting for microwavable TV dinner to finish cooking*

Meh. All things considered, I'm not too concerned.

 

[Macmadant]

i've read in a credible magazine that everything that is electrical gives out 'waves' as do computers, that can cause illness, and even known to cause Alzheimer's, short term memory loss or was it long term, well i can't remember, but anyway i have a computer in my room, and many other electrical things and i certainly have a poor short term memory, and no i can't remember what the magazine was.

i Can't eat anything made in a microwave, all the foods just seems to lack something, i hate soup from the microwave, i have to have it done on the cooker, and onions from the microwave make me sick, i have to have them fried

 

[LethalWolfe]

Your article mentions the "human life-energy field".

People commonly see microwave energy as dangerous because it makes food warm, but what people don't understand, is that it actually has less energy than light.

Visible light is safe, infrared radiation is safe, radiowaves are safe, so what makes the microwave radiation (right there in the middle) inherently dangerous?

All of the dangerous radiation is more energetic than light: gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet etc.

While an interesting theory, I think should read up on microwaves and re-evaluate your position. I mean, there is a reason microwave ovens are designed to keep the microwaves from leaving the oven and why microwave-based weapons are being tested by the military.


Lethal

 

[mduser63]

It's true that high power microwave radiation is dangerous, but it's dangerous in the same way that putting yourself in a giant microwave would be dangerous. They heat you up and cook you, which is obviously not a good for you. However, microwaves are not ionizing radiation, they don't change the structure of food other than through heating the food up and cooking it just like an oven. Microwaved food can taste different, but the differences are due to the specific way it's cooked (more quickly, hot and cold spots, etc), not something inherently characteristic of microwave radiation.

While there may be non-heating effects due to electromagnetic energy being absorbed by human flesh, there isn't a lot of evidence for it. Some studies have suggested that there are harmful non-thermal effects, others have actually even suggested that there may be beneficial non-thermal effects of EM radiation. The jury is out on this one, but the evidence that's out there so far seems to suggest that any non-thermal effects of EM radiation are not major if they exist at all.

Your article mentions the "human life-energy field".

People commonly see microwave energy as dangerous because it makes food warm, but what people don't understand, is that it actually has less energy than light.

Visible light is safe, infrared radiation is safe, radiowaves are safe, so what makes the microwave radiation (right there in the middle) inherently dangerous?

All of the dangerous radiation is more energetic than light: gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet etc.

You're basically right, and of course I do agree with your conclusion, however it may be worth noting that while light is a higher energy form of radiation than microwaves it's higher frequency gives it a (much) lower skin depth meaning it doesn't penatrate very far into you (in fact it doesn't penetrate past your skin really). Microwaves will penetrate further, and lower frequency radio waves further still. Also, SAR (specific absorption rate) is something that needs to be considered. The specific absorption rate of human flesh is actually maximal somewhere near 900 MHz, a fair bit lower than a microwave oven (which is somewhere around 2450 MHz usually). That means that it may be reasonable to say that 900 MHz energy, while lower in frequency and energy than microwave radiation is actually more dangerous.

While an interesting theory, I think should read up on microwaves and re-evaluate your position. I mean, there is a reason microwave ovens are designed to keep the microwaves from leaving the oven and why microwave-based weapons are being tested by the military.


Lethal

True, but again, these weapons use the fact that microwaes heat human flesh. High frequency microwaves are especially interesting because they heat the surface of the skin without penetrating much further and causing serious damage. This leads to discomfort without lasting damage.

Being exposed to the energy from a microwave oven is dangerous but only because it will cook you just like it will cook food. It doesn't impart any new, harmful properties to the food you cook in it. Microwaves are designed not to leak much energy, both for efficiency and for safety.

(This is actually a particular area of interest to me, and I'm a senior in microwave engineering right now so I feel like I know at least a little about it.)

 

[Keebler]

everything is harmful

everything is harmful.

i agree that some foods don't taste properly, but then again, has everyone really stuck to the individual manufacturer's instruction manual to ensure they are using it properly?

ie. rubber chicken may taste or end up that way if one overcooks it.

as for the harmfulness....everything humans create is harmful one way or another.

a friend works for a hydro company. i posed the question about power towers/hydro lines causing cancer in stuff. he told me about the test he had to do...had to wear a testing device for a few days everywhere. he said that the lowest or safest levels occurred when he was near a hydro line. the worst was inside the house where waves were coming from everything. but even then, the waves weren't a dangerous level.

my 2.5 cents.

 

[livingfortoday]

Any "article" that talks about the Nazis trying to develop something in order to make it seems more sinister really loses credibility in my eyes.

I also love the lumping together of dissimilar things in order to make it seem like the problem is GROWING!:
"the EPA estimates that radio frequency and microwave radiation sources in America are increasing at 15% per year."

Bah. I don't even own a microwave, and I think that article is silly.

 

[Fearless Leader]

Visible light is safe, infrared radiation is safe, radiowaves are safe, so what makes the microwave radiation (right there in the middle) inherently dangerous?

their is just so much power in a small space that makes it dangerous. Radio waves come out of the tower at 50,000watts radiating outward at 7 miles, decreasing exponentially. That microwave pumps out 1,000 watts at 7" to the food resulting in more energy. If your food was 7" away from the tower it would start cooking too.

So I shouldn't be doing this then?

probably not, but hey what do I know?

 

[LethalWolfe]

True, but again, these weapons use the fact that microwaes heat human flesh. High frequency microwaves are especially interesting because they heat the surface of the skin without penetrating much further and causing serious damage. This leads to discomfort without lasting damage.

As you can see by my first post I think the link in the OP is complete crap. I also think that OutThere's attempt a deducing the safety of microwave's is a bit lacking as well, which was the motivation for my second post.

Being exposed to the energy from a microwave oven is dangerous but only because it will cook you just like it will cook food.

So, besides being cooked alive I have nothing to fear? Good to know.


Lethal

 

[kretzy]

I don't worry about microwaves. There's so many other forms of radiation everywhere that it just doesn't bother me.

I think microwaves are great for reheating things, but actually cooking with them is pretty bad. Microwaved eggs = rubbery grossness. The only things I will use it to cook are rice and steamed vegetables.

 

[Frisco]

The taste and texture of rubbery chicken hardly appeals to me, but as a way to quickly heat up soup, it's a godsend. I just make sure I don't stand too close to the microwave while it's on, and I wait 20 seconds after it is finished cooking before I take it out.

luv ya bunches! xoxo

Sorry to get off topic.

Spicyapple you look just like Katie Melua Any chance you are her?

 

[Leareth]

I use the microwave for three things:


1)heating up water < usually for hot water bottle

2)Heating up my Magicbag

3) In the lab to destroy the growth cultures, and CD/DVD's < seriously best way to destroy data.

 

[Fearless Leader]

3) In the lab to destroy the growth cultures, and CD/DVD's < seriously best way to destroy data.

yes, also quite entertaining.

 

[EricNau]

Your article mentions the "human life-energy field".

People commonly see microwave energy as dangerous because it makes food warm, but what people don't understand, is that it actually has less energy than light.

Visible light is safe, infrared radiation is safe, radiowaves are safe, so what makes the microwave radiation (right there in the middle) inherently dangerous?

All of the dangerous radiation is more energetic than light: gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet etc.

Actually, the particular types of microwaves microwave ovens use can be harmful, but it's contained within the unit itself, posing no health risk.

The only potential problem could be if your microwave oven was leaking.

 

[worriedmac]

I was taught that microwaves don't as such cook food. Instead they break down membranes within the food and the food with its own stored energy ends up cooking itself from the energy release. I wouldn't say there dangerous really, but they aren't good for you just like sticking your head in the oven isn't either. They most definitly kill a lot of the nutritional value in food though. I'm not concerned too much with them but I will not stand near one that is on until its finished.

 

[backsidetailsli]

i dont own one, thier no good

 

[dornoforpyros]

and the sun causes skin cancer! we're all going to die some day, regardless of what technologies we avoid.