So good to be back with you’ll once again!! Hope you’ll have had an amazing week! It took me quite a lot of time to prepare today’s episode, specially looking up & reading the studies. Essentially because, this is another controversial topic & I need you to know that I’ve done the research for you, I’ve got you covered! You’ll be able to find the links to the research in the show notes.
Okay, so lets get started.
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation and yes, while its true that microwaves are on the low energy end of the energy spectrum, second to radio waves. We have to remember that, Although many studies have been done to view the effects of radiation, most of these studies are done for short exposure periods at higher intensities. There is not much data available of studies using long term exposure with low-level radiation. More research simply needs to be done. But we do know the fact that, When any radiation waves resonate with a body part, the biological effect is intensified. For example, microwave frequencies are very similar to the frequencies of our brain, hence the effect of microwaves on our brain is greater than any other part of the body. And to add the cherry on the cake, Radiation accumulates over time and never goes away.
And another problem is, with the passage of time as technology grows, we are exposed to more & more radiation which makes it very difficult to conduct studies using control groups. Radiation can’t really be controlled anymore its almost omnipresent
I’d like to give you a short note on how microwaves function before we speak of its effects.
Waves are created by so-called magnetrons in all microwave ovens. The magnetron generates an electromagnetic field with a microwave frequency of about 2450 MHz, which corresponds to 2.4 GHz. Microwaves produced in a microwave oven cause dielectric heating.
In order for something to heat in a microwave oven, water must be present within the substance. If water is not present, heating will not occur and the food or substance will remain cool. The reason for this is, during microwave heating the water molecules within the food vibrate at incredible speeds, creating molecular friction which is responsible for the heating of the food. The structure of the water molecules are torn apart and vigorously deformed thus altering the chemical structure of food or whatever liquid or substance. This is much different than any other method of cooking, as other methods such as convection ovens.
A Swiss scientist named Hans Hertel, stated:
“There are no atoms, molecules or cells of any organic system able to withstand such a violent, destructive power for any extended period of time, not even in the low energy range of milliwatts… This is how microwave cooking heat is generated – friction from this violence in water molecules. Structures of molecules are torn apart, molecules are forcefully deformed (called structural isomerism) and thus become impaired in quality.”
After studying the effects ofmicrowaved food and microwave cookingonhumanhealth, heconcluded that microwaving food leads to food degeneration. These degenerative changes in nutrients caused changes in blood which could cause health problems. Health issues which could be caused are:
Decreased hemoglobin levels, which might indiciate anemia
Decreased red blood cell levels
Production of radiolytic compounds
Elevated cholesterol levels
A plummet in leukocytes (white blood cells), which could suggest poisoning
And as you may have noticed that microwaved foods heat up unevenly. It’ll now all make sense to you….. That’s because non-uniform heating occurs since microwaves work where water molecules are present, and because not all areas of the food contain the same amount of water, the heating will be uneven. Microwave cooking starts with molecules of water, but it’s not actually cooked “inside” as many people think. They actually start on the outer layer, but the inner layer is mostly heated and cooked by transferring heat from the outer layer. Therefore, during heating or cooking, the food is often very hot on the outside and the inside is missing. Microwaves are actually classified as non-ionizing radiation. That is basically radiation that can change the position of atoms, but not strong enough to change their structure, composition, or properties. Interesting part is, although it may not be strong enough to change the structure of atoms, it can still cause physical changes. A prime example of how harmful non-ionizing radiation can be to the human body is skin and eye damage from the sun.
And here’s another interesting fact I cam across while researching on this subject. Microwaves were first invented by the Nazis during World War II to cook food for soldiers. Learning that the microwave oven was experimental and novel, the Pentagon was tasked with researching the new device shortly after the war. It turns out that the United States did not conduct the extensive research necessary for the new invention. Instead, the Russians decided to embark on an in-depth study to see what biological effects the microwaves might have. The results were so overwhelming that the Soviet Union banned the new device. However, the ban was later lifted during the restructuring of the Soviet Union. And do you know what their findings were, prepare to be stumped!!
The findings included:
Carcinogenic substances were formed from the microwaving of nearly all foods tested
Microwaving milk and grains resulted in carcinogenic substances being formed through the conversion of amino acids
Microwaving prepared meats caused cancer-causing agents such as d-Nitro_sodien_thanolamines to form
Microwaving fruits as a method of thawing resulted in the conversion of glucoside and galactoside fractions into carcinogenic substances
Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked, or frozen vegetables converted their plant alkaloids into carcinogens
Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants, especially root vegetables
Structural degradation leading to decreased food value was found to be 60 to 90 percent overall for all foods tested, with significant decreases in bioavailability of B complex vitamins, vitamins C and E, essential minerals, and lipotropics
Twenty years of the Russian research led to the international warning about the damaging biological and environmental effects microwaves possess. The warning also included other similar frequency electronic devices such as cell phones.
Now, lets look at some of the studies that have been done
Microwave heating immediately negates the health benefits of vitamin B12. In a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers set out to study the effect of microwave heating on vitamin B12 loss in foods such as raw beef, pork and milk. Studies have shown that food loses 30-40% of its vitamins when exposed to microwave radiation. The conversion of vitamin B12 to an inactive form of the vitamin has been found in foods during microwave heating. Microwave also destroys the powerful bacteria-fighting agents in breast milk. Results published in the Journal of Pediatrics focus on the common practice of using microwaves to reheat frozen breast milk for convenience in intensive care units. The researchers tested 22 fresh frozen breast milk samples to test lysozyme and antibody activity by heating the samples at low or high power for 30 seconds. It has been shown that E. coli is more abundant in breast milk cooked in microwaves at high temperatures. This is 18 times more than control (non-microwave) breast milk while Microwaveing at low temperatures dramatically reduces lysozyme activity and promotes the growth of harmful bacteria as well! There was another study on similar lines on B12 levels in microwaved milk. A Japanese study by Watanabe found that When microwaved for six minutes, 30 to 40% of the B12 in milk turns into a dead form!
Then, there was another study that was published in the November 2003 issue of Food and Agriculture Science.
They found that microwave-heated broccoli with a little water loses up to 97% of its beneficial antioxidants while Steamed broccoli on the other hand lost less than 11%. And in the case of the microwaved broccoli some phenolic compounds and glucosinolates were also lost.
Then there was another Scandinavian study conducted in 1999 which showed that Vitamin C in asparagus spears was lost when microwaved.
Another study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 131, Issue 3 on March 2001, found that microwaved garlic for 60 seconds depletes allinase, a key cancer-fighting ingredient in garlic.
Then another 2008 study in Australia published in the Journal of Bio electro Magnetics, volume 29, issue 4, they found that microwaves cause higher levels of “protein unfolding” than conventional heating methods.
And lastly, another study that I read about, which was conducted by Dr. Magda Havas of Trent University wherein it was found that the levels of radiation emitted by a microwave affect both heart rate and heart rate variability. Although the levels were within federal safety guidelines but still tend to cause immediate and dramatic changes in heart rate. So, moral of the study is, If you experience irregular heart beat or any chest pain and regularly eat microwaved food, you know what to do.
If you’d like to read more in-dept about this topic, I’d recommend 2 books, one by Robert O. Becker which is The Body Electric,
and another book entitled Health Effects of Microwave Radiation by Dr. Lita Lee
Ok, so time to conclude today’s episode but before that To sum it all up….. Unprocessed or uncooked natural foods contain vital energy from the sun in the form of biophotons. A biophoton is the smallest physical unit of light stored in all forms of life. They contain bio-information and are partly responsible for the emotions you experience, which indicate your well-being and vitality. Foods such as naturally grown vegetables and especially sun-ripened fruits are the main sources of these biophotons for humans. And microwaving potentially destroys and depletes vital energy, causing the food to be rendered lifeless. In addition, the nutritional value of the food is lost, making it virtually useless in terms of real health benefits.
So, I hope you found today’s episode useful. I’ll see you at the next episode….
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