How bad are microwaves really?
I didn’t want to believe it at first. I mean, how was I going to feed myself if I could no longer heat up frozen pies, frozen jam doughnuts, three-minute rice and Lean Cuisine meals in the microwave? This would mean that I would have to wait for the oven to pre-heat, scour through the awful pots and pans draw or, God forbid, learn how to cook from scratch. This was my mentality pre-cancer; before my body gave me the ultimatum I needed to start changing my ways. Before I was introduced to things like brown rice, kale and stove top rolled oats. Before I understood how much damage my laziness and reliance on a microwave was doing.
Most nutritional information is debatable. Depending on who you talk to, you can come away with conflicting information about the same topic, with both sides of the argument being fairly solid. However, debating the safety of a microwave oven is a major exception. It’s safe to say that this one is pretty set in stone.
Here are five reasons to get rid of your microwave
1. Cooking meat in a microwave causes the formation of d-Nitrosodienthanolamines, a well-known carcinogen.
2. Microwaving can cause some amino acids in foods such as milk and cereal grains to be converted into carcinogens.
3. Even very short microwave exposure for cooked, frozen or raw vegetables can turn their plant alkaloids into carcinogenic matter unfit for human consumption – especially root vegetables.
4. Studies have shown that human breast milk heated in a microwave oven is not only depleted of vitamins, but some amino acids are also rendered biologically inactive. Some of the altered amino acids are poisons to both the nervous system and the kidneys.
5. Not only is the food cooked in a microwave dangerous, so is being near the microwave itself. It emits radiation and high levels of EM (electro magnetic) emissions. If you absolutely have to use one, it’s a good idea to stand back from it. At 20 inches the radiation is approximately 100 times less than at 2 inches. Microwaves can pass through walls, so if it’s placed against an adjacent wall, those on the other side will be exposed to higher levels of radiation.
Click here for sources that back up what I’m saying.
What are we supposed to use instead?
Believe it or not, but abstaining from using your microwave will not bring on the end of the world. It might not be quite as convenient, but using a stove top or oven is a much better way to cook and heat your food. These methods are healthier, safer, allow for an even heat, and your food will stay warmer for longer.
Try this experiment at home:
An experiment conducted at home for a high school science fair verified the dangers of microwave ovens not only to humans, but even to plants and other organic matter. The experiment showed that microwaved water given to a plant causes the plant to wither and die within days; however, another identical plant given water that was boiled on a conventional stove grew normally during the same time period. Click here for pictures of that experiment.
Do you use a microwave? Do you care what it does to your food?
Positive affirmation for the day: Being selfish is just as important as being selfless. I balance the two in order to nourish myself and be kind to those around me.
Image credit: Emilie Eagan
Have you bought your copy of The Wellness Warrior Live Well Starter Kit + 10-Day Cleanse? Click here to find out why it’s the best $12 you’ll ever spend.
OMG.
I am going to conduct the microwave experiment myself – and will let you know my personal results… this is a bit freaky, we use the microwave ALL THE TIME… :/
Definitely let me know how it goes Emily!
Nice post Jess… I am trying to avoid microwaves more and more since learning this. But at work, with no kitchen and just a small microwave, there is no other way to heat up my porridge in the morning (I make it at home and bring it in!).
It makes me uncomfortable but I figure eating my healthy porridge heated in a microwave is better than eating sugary cereal and bread… I hope.
C
Thanks Claire! @Keri below has an awesome tip to help you avoid using the microwave to heat up your oats. I also do something similar, either taking my hot food (soup or oats usually) in a flask or I use one of these stainless steel tiffin containers: http://www.greendemon.com.au/togowarestainlesssteeltiffin2tierlunchboxwithsidekickcontainer-p-833.html They keep my food either hot or cold. x
Clair
Have you tried just pouring boiling water on the oats and letting them sit for 5 minutes and bingo beautiful yummy oats ready to eat. They don’t require cooking. In fact the cooking process kills off very valuable enzymes which you can benefit greatly from. I add my chai seeds at the same time then honey just before I eat.
Better late than never xxxx
Veronica
untrue because your sugary cereal and bread does not contain nasty carcinogens
Hi Jess
Funnily enough I have stopped using the microwave 6 weeks ago. When I visited the Kinesologist, this is one of things that was picked up in the report that was affecting me / weakening me. I use to soak my oats overnight in water and almond milk. Then in the morning I would zap them in the microwave for about 2-3mins. I now heat them up on the stove while I am getting ready for work. Just takes a bit more monitoring! There is a few others things I used to use it for like melting coconut oil, rice, quinoa etc. But I now use the stove top instead. My Kinesologist also told me the story about the experiment with microwave water and it made me think if its killing the plants, what is it doing to me!
@ Claire above – I had the same problem with taking stuff to work and avoiding the microwave. What I do is heat the stuff on the stove (my kids take left overs for their lunch every day from the night before) using a bainmarie (sp?) type thing – the food is in a bowl and I simmer it over boiling water until it’s hot. Then I put their food in a mini food thermos which I ordered on line. You can get similar ones from Kmart etc but they are plastic lined and hot food and plastic lining is a big no no for me.
Anyway – just a thought – you could do this with your porridge?? My kids thermos’ are filled up at 8am and my kids tell me the food is still hot at 1pm
Awesome tip Keri! Thanks so much x
When I started raw food eating I stopped using my microwave and when it gave up the ghost I never bothered to buy a new one. I have since been using a pressure cooker,with reduced cooking times the food is just wonderful. Since my eldest son is now living back with us, he purchased a microwave to reheat his prepared meals.I have since been making a “paleo” bread bun which I found to be just FAB! cooked in under 90secs, but I always felt guilty using it. I simply love this recipe as all the bread replacements I have come across just dont cut it. Hmmm I now will have to look at tweaking this and making it in the oven and hope for the same results (texture mostly) I may look into a steam oven. Thanks for the article as it has ‘slapped me on the wrist’ and I will try this experiment with the kids, just to prove my point.
“Studies have shown…” What studies? You’ve made some pretty definite assertions here – what are your sources?
Hi Dee, thanks for pulling me up on this. It was lazy of me to leave the source credit off this story, but I have just added it now: http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/rf/microwaves.asp
Thanks again for reading and commenting!
It is people like you that choose to be ignorant and find excuses for making a positive change in your life…..good luck with that. Enjoy your cancer
Thanks for the article Jess… scary stuff!
Anyone got any ideas for alternate way to heat up wheat packs? I can’t live without that thing in winter!
Thanks LKD! Ha ha this is actually the reason why we still have a microwave in our laundry – we haven’t worked out a way of heating up the wheat packs without it. When I heat it up I put it in, press ‘start’ and then flee as far away from the machine as I can while it’s heating.
i gave up my microwave about 6 months ago. after always being a bit wary i read a few articles stating similar things that you mention here and that sealed the deal for me. i did a test and turned it off at the power point and put a note inside with the date on it to see how long i could last, 3 weeks later i realised i hadnt used it once so it now lives in the garage, unplugged gathering dust. the one thing i miss is each month when i get my period is my wheat pack. i bought a hot water bottle with a knitted cover to use instead – are there any side affects that you are aware of with the plastic from the water bottle?
Thanks Jess, thats a good idea – I might do the same! We were pondering other ways of heating it, but couldn’t come up with something that didn’t sound like it was going to either burn us or burn the house down!
Thanks again!
And I’m really sorry to see so many negative nancys on your blog the last couple of days, it makes me sad that these people aren’t just appreciative of what you are doing… keep up the great work!
I knew they were bad but thanks for the refresher, I must agree with
Opps, continuing I must agree with See, this is a poorly written article, throwing around lots of facts that create fear in others without referencing…
Hi Mel, I’m not creating unnecessary fear here. I’m simply sharing what I have discovered about microwaves through my own research on the topic. I consulted many sources before I wrote these facts, and I’ve added the source that includes all of them to the bottom of my five points. I don’t want anyone to just take my word if they have doubts though. If you think I’m making this stuff up, give it a Google for yourself and make up your own mind.
Well said Jess, I completely support you
Look you and Dee are being so unfair.
An experiment conducted at home 5 years ago and reported at a high school science fair, with a sample of two (2) plants, and no control group,…. Well that’s pretty solid evidence. But a website run by people with dubious credentials who appear to fear many kinds of electrical implement? That’s plenty of evidence! Microwaves are deadly!
My sarcasm detector just blew up. But it’s solar powered and emits no harmful byproducts, so it’s ok to have in the home.
No one is forcing you to believe it, and saying jess has dubious credentials is just plain rude. Do your own research then. She’s done the hard work and summarised it in something that most should be able to understand. The link is there to see where the claims have come from, and at the bottom of that page there is a whole list of viable resources for you. Just because she’s not a scientist doesn’t mean she doesn’t know what she is talking about, and furthermore, sometimes scientists are wrong too, depending on who’s paying them. Jess just wants to look after her health and the health of others.
So before you post your next un-witty, un-intelligent remark, why not keep it to yourself and save us the trouble of reading such drivel.
Dee and Mel….Jess brings up interesting topics. I am sure she doesn’t intend on her article being the end all of your interest in the topic. The internet has endless places to find info on the harm of microwaves. It could be as easy as typing “microwave + dangers”. You two need to calm down a bit here.
Seriously guys, Jess is not just making this shit up for the fun of it! Most informed people are already aware of a lot of what she said! She has clearly done her research so maybe you should also do research and get informed before attacking Jess who is kind enough to share what she has learned!
Predictive type on my phone did it again…* Dee
I grew up in a household I jokingly dubbed ‘Amish’ because my parents never had any of the 1980s mod-cons (microwave, video, fax machine). I moved out of home at 21 and never purchased a microwave, quite simply because I’d never grown up using one. Fast-forward to today, age 32, and I’ve still never owned one. I don’t know the science behind it, but I do know that my intuition has just always felt there’s something so WRONG about nuking your food, zapping any vestige of life force out of it with blasts of radiation (the stuff people wear white suits to avoid in post-apocalyptic movies). As for using REAL pots and pans to actually WARM SOMETHING UP (horror) I actually find the ‘slowness’ of chopping, stirring and preparing home-made food very meditative, particularly after a stressful way. It’s a beautiful way to unwind, and place loving intention into the meal you are providing for your family, which Mother Earth in turn has provided for you.
Hi Jess,
I was always weary of microwaves. There is something just not right with putting the food into plastic box and waiting for invisible rays to mess with your food.
I cook the traditional way that does not involve microwave. However, I do have a microwave and use it to heat folded cotton sheet I use to cover bread dough to speed up the rising process, and to heat ceramic plates (try it – few minutes in a microwave and your plates are nice and warm). And as my microwave is on a very tall fridge and my kitchen is huge there is little exposure to radiation.
The 3 M’s. Mobiles (I am from the UK) Mercury (Amalgam) and Microwaves. We will look back 15 years from now and say ‘Can youu believe we used to use those things’ I used to live in rented accomodation that had one of the first microwaves and it was huge. As big as an oven. We never used it. We were too scared too. Something that heats your food in 30 seconds = Wrong! Thanks for the post Jess x
Hi Jess, thx for the message. I do have a microwave, but dont use it as much as I used too. I am an avid watcher of Dr Oz Show. Occasionally the Science Guy appears on the show. Recently he proved that microwaves were safe to use in the home. I guess you could watch the episode on the Dr Oz website.
I use a microwave about 3x a week and am comfortable doing so – not to heat up donuts and lean cuisine though!
But I do agree there are concerns so while I may have a different opinion I know you’ve done your research and have every right to write about them. I never heat up milk or meat though – mostly because it tastes horrible! My anatomy teacher explained that heating up tea (with milk) changes the chemical bonds which is why it tastes so different/bad.
fantastic, oddly enough i’ve been wondering a lot lately about the possible harmful effects of microwaves, and this is exactly the type of stuff i was worried about >< definitely planning to stay far far away from using the microwave. it'll be a trick getting my family to follow along though…
thanks for putting together such an informative and concise post on this important topic.
btw jess, your blog is really awesome xD i find it inspiring and it's helping me to improve myself in knowledge and health.
cheers
One very effective way I’ve learnt to stop using hazardous “helpers” like the microwave is simply imagining it doesn’t exist! What would you do if you didn’t have one??? Like Jess said, it wouldn’t be the end of the world! Thanks for the clearest article I’ve ever read about a microwave, Jess! I finally have a proof to my endless fights against everyone around trying to use a microwave!
Any readers here who have knowledge of Chemistry or Physics beyond Secondary School level,
or who know someone reliable who does ?
Consider the particular Isomer or Isomers for the molecules of each of the constituents of any food.
Under microwave bombardment an Isomer can be changed to another Isomer of the same substance,
that is the simple chemical formula of the molecule remains the same, but the shape of the molecule is changed.
For various substances it is the the particular isomeric shape which determines whether the substance is Nutrient, or Neutral, or Toxin in the human body, and thus how microwaves can change a food nutrient to a useless or harmful substance.
This is known by Scientists in that field, but many of them will find sufficient excuses to ignore or dismiss it,
as any humans will do about any matters they do not want to have to act on.
I am refering here to Isomers and the shapes of molecules.
I am not refering to Isotopes and the nuclei of the atoms which the molecules are comprised of
- microwaves do not have sufficient energy to change Isotopes.
I haven’t had a microwave in my own home for 4.5 years and I’ve never missed it. Just like becoming vegetarian, one gets used to it. I use the stove or heat glassware in the oven, or let things sit out of the fridge for a few hours instead. Voila!
For the skeptics out there, sites like these are lovely to put a new and interesting thought into our brains. It is then our own responsibility to inquire and embrace or discard. Without a new thought we stop learning. One thing to keep in mind is a harsh word can do more damage than one might realize. One person’s life may be riddled with hardship and make them a bit more tough to actions of others. But for a gentle life those same words can be a stumbling block. One never knows the path of another, use kindness at all times.
As to the topic at hand, I remain one of those that when I got old enough and had enough new ideas put in my own brain to think on, I decided it wasn’t for me. For a while it was then I changed. Part of the learning process. Progress. I try to keep learning and exploring.
Jess I am so inspired by your story and I wish you so much love and healing. My own family has been riddled with cancer. I had, what I undestood to be, precancer cells and had a hysterectomy years ago. My father had cancer. HIs wife had cancer. His mother and grandmother had cancer. My mother was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma this year and battled through chemo and eventual amputation of her right leg above the knee.
I eat as healthfully as possible and encourage those around me to do the same. Though I have never lived a Gerson life I had have read much about it, watched videos etc. I am thrilled to have found your blog.
Best wishes to you and your family!
Kym, this is just beautiful. Thank you so much. xx
Hi Jessica: I guess it’s about time the average Joe,{that’s me} looks inside the reasons why we should not use these ovens. Like most I have read about this or that. But some of these studies done and reported here is alarming to say the least. I was never a big Micro-user. Yet a bag of popcorn or reheating something and or defrosting many things and out came this killer-oven. I’m appalled and I mean appalled that these studies have not made more noise to our HEALTH Dept. I can remember the night DR Everett Koop came on TV to tell us about how bad smoking was. { I do think that may of been in the early 1980′s} I think in many way’s the use of these ovens can be just as bad if not worse. If you take this seriously, you should be scared to death. I know I am. And I know I will do my part to to have a MOFH. {Microware-Oven-Free-Home} Not only thank you Jessica, but for all your fans here posting. God Bless all of you.
Hey there. Jess, I’,m a big supporter of you and your site. I don’t dispute the findings about microwave ovens because I haven’t researched them, but that school science experiment has been disproven in a more controlled environment. Here is the link: http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave/plants.asp Just thought you may want to know.
Hey there Jess. I own a Sharp Steamwave microwave oven which I primarily use for the steam function. You add water and it is basically a steam oven . Does the steam function have the same harmful results as using the microwave function?