Are microwave electromagnetic waves really that dangerous?

"Microwaves destroy nutrients with electromagnetic waves"

"Radiation increases the risk of diseases like cancer"

I hear things like this from time to time.
In fact, I have even been asked by customers,
"Heating things in the microwave removes the nutrients, right?"

I will answer the question of
what is the reality of the situation!!

■ Microwave cooking does not destroy that many nutrients!

First of all, a microwave oven uses electromagnetic waves called
"microwaves (2.45GHz)"
to
generate heat by vibrating water molecules.
These electromagnetic waves themselves are not harmful,
and they do not directly destroy the structure of the human body or food.
*There is currently no data indicating harm to the human body.

A common misconception is that
"electromagnetic waves destroy nutrients."
But in reality,
microwaves are
non-ionizing radiation and do not have the effect of breaking down DNA or molecular structures.

■ In fact, sometimes more nutrients remain with a microwave!

◎ Examples of nutrient changes due to heat cooking

◆ Vitamin C
Partially destroyed by microwave cooking, but
this is the same for cooking methods other than the microwave.
It's better than boiling!

◆ Vitamin B complex
Easily dissolved in water
and nutrients decrease with heating.
Still better than boiling!

◆ Dietary fiber/minerals
Almost no change with any cooking method!

◆ Protein, fat, carbohydrates
There are structural changes, but no major impact on nutrition.
The same for any cooking method.
(It changes depending on how much heat is applied, but what you use to apply the heat is not that important)

◎ Looking at the data...

There is data that examined the nutrient retention rate for each cooking method—
boiling, blanching, steaming, and microwaving—
using 10 types of vegetables from Korea.

As a result,
◆ Vitamin C
・With microwave cooking, the retention rate was the highest, up to about 91%.
・Boiling has the greatest nutrient loss.

◆ Fat-soluble vitamins (α-tocopherol = Vitamin E, β-carotene, Vitamin K)
・For some vegetables, β-carotene and α-tocopherol after microwave cooking

increased compared to raw in some cases. This may be because the measurable amount increased due to the destruction of cell walls

news-medical.net+7pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+7pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+7.

・Vitamin K varies by vegetable;
while microwave cooking resulted in the least loss for spinach and chard,
it was conversely easier to lose in garland chrysanthemum and mallow (herb)

was also observed.

Author: Seongeung Lee et al. (2017)peykmagazine.com+5pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+5pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+5

■ What about other studies?

◎ [1. Viewpoint of Harvard Medical School]

Harvard Medical School's
According to "Harvard Health Publishing"

▶️ Source: Harvard Health - Ask the Doctor

◎ [2. Academic review on food science (J Food Sci, 2009)]

Paper title:
“Effect of Microwave Cooking Conditions on Nutrient Retention in Vegetables”

• The authors compared the nutrient retention rates of boiling, steaming, and microwave cooking.

• Result: There is data showing that microwave cooking has the highest retention rate for vitamin C and B vitamins.

▶️ Key points of the paper:

• Boiling causes water-soluble vitamins to leach out.

• Microwaving uses no water and involves short heating times, so there is less nutrient loss.

◎ [3. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) document]

The FAO also states the following:

▶️ Source: Material within official FAO guidelines

■ Summary of microwaves and nutrient destruction

◎ Summary

• Microwaves retain more nutrients compared to boiling.

• However, there are differences depending on the type of vegetable and the nature of the vitamins, so it cannot be said that "microwaves are all-purpose," and ingenuity in cooking methods is important.

• From the perspective of how nutrients are lost (retention rate), it is ideal to use different cooking methods depending on which vitamins you want to prioritize.

• *For water-soluble vitamins, use the microwave instead of boiling!

■ Are there any health hazards caused by microwaves?

Please rest assured about this as well.
The conclusion is that there are no problems at the moment!

◎ There is no basis for it

There is simply no scientific basis for it.
Also, the microwaves (2.45 GHz) used in microwave ovens are
non-ionizing radiation.
Non-ionizing radiation does not have the power to destroy molecules or DNA!
In other words, it is considered that there is no risk of cancer or cellular damage.

*By the way, the things that carry a cancer risk are
ionizing radiation, such as X-rays and radiation.

■ What is the data that says it is safe?

◉ World Health Organization (WHO)

▶️ Source: WHO Microwave Oven Safety

⇩ Please look at the image below
It shows the electromagnetic wave intensity of
household electrical appliances.
Since most people use electrical appliances from a distance of 30cm or more,
it is safe to say that microwave ovens are not a problem at all.
*4 to 8 against a limit of 100μT
*In the first place, it is non-ionizing radiation

◉ Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan)

◎ However, there are some points to note!

・Choosing containers: Non-heat-resistant plastic containers are a no-go!
(They melt easily)

・Be careful how you use plastic wrap
(Be careful not to let it come into direct contact with food (especially at high temperatures))

・Check for uneven heating

■ Summary: Microwave ovens are a 'safe and nutritionally excellent cooking tool'

• It's not that nutrients aren't destroyed at all, butin some cases, they are less likely to be destroyed than with other cooking methods.

• The idea that 'microwaves are bad for your body' isan urban legend with little basis.

• If used correctly, they are a welcome presence that saves time, preserves nutrition, and is safe!

◎ Bonus: Recommended measures for those who are worried

• ✔ Use heat-resistant containers (glass or silicone)

• ✔ Stir once halfway through to prevent uneven heating

• ✔ Periodically check that the microwave door closes securely

• ✔ Choose microwave-safe plastic wrap and containers

When thinking about "healthy meals"
or
"healthy cooking methods,"

microwaves might actually be your ally.

Thank you for reading until the end!