Do Microwave Ovens Pose Health Risks?
Microwaves are radio waves with frequencies ranging from around 300 million cycles per second (300 MHz) to 3 GHz. RF. A standard measure of exposure for microwave energy is the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) or rate of tissue energy absorption measured in watts per kilogram of tissue.
- Microwave radiation leakage can damage human cells and tissues.
- All appliances working on electricity produce a toxic electromagnetic field (EMF) of approximately 60 hertz. This is over and above potential microwave leakage from appliances or devices.
Microwave ovens can leak
Microwave leakage is serious enough that the FDA sets strict limits on it for the manufacturers. But once door seals age, leaking tends to exceed those limits, often at head level. That’s bad news, because the microwave energy inside a microwave oven is massive!
- Frequency inside your microwave 2.45 BILLION hertz.
- Frequency shown to start harming the human body: over 10 hertz
That’s 2.45 billion vs. 10 hertz. It doesn’t take very big leak for the damage to begin. (One top culprit: aging door seals)
The facts about microwaves & cataracts
- Eyes are especially vulnerable to microwaves. That’s because unlike other areas of the body, they lack the blood vessels to dissipate the heat and cellular stress.
- The first suspected clinical case of microwave-caused cataracts was reported by Hirsch and Parker as early as 1950's. (Sulman 1980).
- For decades, cataracts have been reported in workers exposed to this type of radiation. (On the back of the lens where radiation cataracts usually occur.)
What do microwaves do to food?
In a microwave oven, alternating current forces atoms reverse polarity at a startlingly high rate. This creates such violent friction that the water inside the food molecules begin to vibrate and heat up.
The dangers of microwaved foods.
Microwaves break chemical and molecular bonds, and can literally rip atoms apart, disrupting the basic biochemical structures of life. It’s no wonder foods cooked in such a way become so harmful to consume.Government and industry studies suggest they pose no threat, but a growing body of knowledge now contradicts those claims.
Microwaved foods lose nutrition.
The Swiss scientist Hans Hertel, was the first to study microwave dangers, specifically, how cooking degrades and depletes food of nutrients—an effect that shows up in study participants' blood samples.
Microwaving makes food unhealthy
When the microwave radiation destroys and deforms food molecules, new harmful compounds form (radiolytic compounds). These dangerous compounds harm the body in many ways.
Microwaved meals change blood chemistry
The research, from Search for Health (Spring, 1992): After study participants consumed microwaved vegetables, Swiss Scientist Hertel measured the following effects:
- Cholesterol levels increased rapidly.
- Hemoglobin decreased significantly (creating anemic tendencies.)
- Lymphocytes (white blood cells) showed a significant term decrease.
- Increased stress (evidence by the increase of leukocyte)
- NOTE: Leukocyte response can indicate pathogenic effects such as poisoning and cell damage.
Microwaving human breast milk
The research, from Pediatrics (vol. 89, no. 4, April 1992) on microwaving human breast milk:
- Cuts down on lysozyme activity
- Reduces key antibodies
- Promotes potentially dangerous bacteria.
- Milk heated to 72 degrees lost a full 96% of all immunoglobulin-A antibodies, which fight invading microbes.
Researcher’s conclusion: microwaving likely reduces and reverses the potential benefits of food, above and beyond the harm heating itself causes.
Another study of microwave problems reported in the medical journal, The Lancet, showed that when infant formula was microwaved for ten minutes, it altered the structure of its component amino acids, possibly resulting in functional, structural and immunological abnormalities.
- DNA Damage from EMF
- Impact of EMF on Children
- Male Fertility Impacted by EMFs
- BioInitiative Report
- Professional Concern about EMFs