Is microwave heating harmful?

Using microwave ovens to heat food has become the choice of many families. However, there is a saying that frequently using microwave ovens to heat food will lead to loss of food nutrients and produce carcinogens. So, is there any scientific basis for this statement? In fact, it is safer to heat food in a microwave oven. It not only kills viruses and bacteria in food, but also retains more nutrients.

Microwave is a kind of electromagnetic wave with extremely high frequency. Microwave heating produces polarization effect on water molecules. The collision between water molecules produces resonance to form kinetic energy, which is then converted into heat energy, increasing the temperature of the heated object containing water.

Any processing and cooking method of food may change the physical and chemical properties of the food. Microwave heating of food will also change the quality of food. Different foods and different nutrients will be affected differently by microwave heating. Relevant research data show that not all nutrients will have adverse effects after microwave heating and the nutritional value of food will be reduced. On the contrary, microwave heating has relative advantages in terms of the preservation of vitamin components, inhibition of microorganisms, and preservation of phenolic compounds.

If the microwave heating temperature and heating time are appropriate and the microwave oven is used reasonably, the heated food will not produce carcinogens and too much nutrients will not be lost. At present, there is no evidence that microwave-heated food is harmful to the human body.

First of all, avoid using plastic and metal containers when microwave heating food. When using a microwave lunch box, the lid should be removed before heating.

All in all, there is not much harm in heating food in a microwave oven, but it should be noted that it is best not to use a microwave oven to heat fried foods, because the high temperature will cause oil to splash and may cause fire accidents. When heating food, it is best to stay at least one meter away from the microwave oven to prevent the microwaves from causing harm to the human body. Also avoid using plastic and metal containers when heating food.