Every action will get a reaction. That is the Universal law of the globe. Leave alone Newton’s third law of motion. There are very few chances, that if you smile, you will get a grim remark. The law holds good even for electronic appliances in your home. We mean to say, the washing machine, refrigerator, air conditioner and microwave oven. In this article, we stand to go against a common nasty myths about the microwave oven. That is, do microwave ovens cause cancer? We will start from the basics.
Do Microwave Ovens Cause Cancer?
1. Radiation
Now, we are not talking about Superman’s powers. We are talking about normal radiation. Science. Period. And you know food in oven gets heated because of microwaves. Now, are you in a turmoil? Microwaves in your home? Now please do not mix two and two. We mean to say, the Chernobyl accident. Usually, radiation contains particles having movement in the form of wave patterns. The movement by the waves – scientific name – quanta. You already know the term for measuring the energy of waves – amplitude.
There are questions all over the internet about the harm to use microwave oven. But yes, you know about waves, and it is the wavelength which causes harm. In nature, there exists two types of radiation, called as
A. Ionizing Radiation
B. Non-ionizing radiation
Read the Best Information on Do Microwave Ovens Cause Cancer?
A. Ionizing Radiation
A powerful one. This radiation can create iones. The definition of ion – happening chemical change. In short, the waves make the chemical changes happen. It can cause danger for human cells.
B. Non-Ionizing Radiation
This type contains waves that cannot penetrate the atom. Neither do any structural changes take place. The nutrients, in fact, remain the same.
So do you know about the non-ionizing waves in your common life?
Technology has used the weak types of non-ionizing radiation. You see them in power waves, where they have a very long length. Do you know about radio waves, tv waves and mobile waves? Usually these waves have a long wavelength. It makes them move across large mountains.
Information About Both Types
Want to know about ionizing radiation? Kindly note that it starts with ultraviolet light. And do you want to know about the types? Here they are –
Ultraviolet – Exposure to these waves will lead to burnt skin. The result will be skin cancer.
The other types of ionizing rays are cosmic rays, gamma rays and X-rays.
If these rays come in contact with your food, they can alter the chemical structure of food. Upon consumption, you will suffer from various skin effects such as cancer. But microwave oven does not give rise to these type of rays.
So what is the main reason for the doubt?
Remember, the device is also called as electronic oven. The food gets heated due to high frequency electromagnetic waves. The microwave oven is a small box, and it can enhance the temperature via its waves. In fact, what is food? It is a combination of fat, sugar, water and other components. All these molecules absorb the waves and get heated. So, the heat does not exist inside the oven environment. In fact, the changes happen in the food particles. This device is helpful to housewives as it helps saves time.
And as we have explained above, it is the term that causes confusion. These rays are not concerned with radiation and nuclear missiles. But now you know, there are no harmful rays in the microwave oven. So, don’t you think the myth just got debunked about “do microwave ovens cause cancer?”
Let Us Delve On Other Myths About Microwave Oven
1. You Can Place Metal Items In The Microwave Oven
Yes, metal items. No, it is not a joke. We understand your doubt. Where is microwave oven and metal items? We are talking about metal utensils. Never place metal utensils with sharp edges in the microwave ovens. When you switch on, the microwaves pass and when they touch a sharp edge, there may be more chance of sparks.
2. Best Items To Place In Microwave Oven
The best items to place in microwave oven are ceramics and glass. In recent times, you also get hard plastic items. For safety purposes, you can check the area behind the bowl. There will be a label which specifies made for microwave purposes. There are some, who believe that plastic (safe for microwave oven) gets melted. The constituents pass into the food. The result is cancer, as per the popular assumption.
Do Microwave ovens cause cancer?
Please note, the plastic gets designed specifically for microwave oven. It does not melt, nor is there any cause of cancer.
3. Duration and Temperature
So, what are the two factors that you need for perfect heating of the dishes?
You have the answer to this question. It is easy. There are two aspects. Duration and temperature. Usually, the perfect heating condition for the dishes is seventy five degree celsius. Yet, it is different for various recipes. If you are heating a dish containing more water, then it can get heated easily.
Confusion About Do Microwave Ovens Cause Cancer?
If you hear the word “microwave” you get automatically reminded of “nuke” food. And if you are aware of nuclear bombs or the two Korean summit, then you know the meaning of nukes. It stands for nuclear missiles. But the waves used for production belongs to the ionising type, mostly gamma waves.
But, for microwave oven, it is non-ionized rays. They are simple and do not do any harm. They do not cause changes and act like the normal cooking method.
Like every electronic appliance, even microwave oven needs maintenance. So how do you go for it? The manufacturer of every oven brand, has taken care to ensure that the moment you open the door, the waves get switched off. Now, if the oven gets repaired, do not have the assumption, that microwaves will fly to and fro in the household. It does not happen.
5. Nutrients
Now, we come to the subject of nutrients. There are articles on the internet which stress cooking can lead to removal of nutrients. But, scientific observation has shown that heating in microwave oven can help retain good levels of
A. Vitamin C
B. Riboflavin
C. B6 folate
D. Thiamine
6. Can Microwaves Lead To Mineral Loss In Foods?
There is a myth that heating in microwave oven can lead to loss of minerals. It never happens. For the main reason, they are elements. Because the waves belong to the non-ionizing category, the changes do not happen.
Conclusion
So, we come to the last section on the article. Microwave ovens are safe devices to preheat the food. Forget about the radiation consisting only of microwaves. It has been proved that cooking in microwave oven helps retain nutrients than the old way. Are you still concerned about microwaves? Then you can find the radiation in all areas which includes gamma rays, cosmic rays and ultraviolet radiation. So, the question “do microwave ovens cause cancer?” does not hold true in the recent period. It is just a myth.
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