Why do some people find microwave ovens harmful?

The myth about the danger of microwave ovens has been deeply rooted in the subconscious of our people since the days of the USSR, where devices were strictly prohibited. It was believed that they cause great harm to humans and poison food.

People are always afraid and avoid what they do not understand. And therefore, for a long time, rumors circulated around microwave ovens, warmed up by various pseudo-scientists and researchers. Many have compared them to X-rays and argued that the use of devices increases the likelihood of cancer.

In fact, all the myths about microwaves have been dispelled relatively recently. Only in 2008, the World Health Organization finally took up this issue and prepared a scientifically based report that there is no harm from a household appliance. A microwave oven does not in any way affect human health and food quality.

True, for absolute safety, WHO recommends adhering to the following operating rules:

• the appliance must be in good working order and correctly installed on a horizontal surface with sufficient space for ventilation around the entire perimeter;

• it is forbidden to open the door during operation and turn on the microwave without food inside;

• use only thick-walled glass or ceramic dishes specially designed for microwave ... It is allowed to use utensils made of food grade plastic with appropriate marking;

• it is undesirable to wrap food in aluminum foil and polyethylene (when heated, they release carcinogenic substances);

• you should not cook or reheat food in a dense shell or peel (eggs, fruits, vegetables, sausages, etc.) they can explode from internal pressure. For the same reason, you cannot put food in a microwave oven in sealed packaging (canned food, drinks, and so on);

• the optimal distance to stay near the switched on device is 1 meter;

• keep it clean so that food residues do not accumulate on the seals, between the doors and the front panel of the appliance and do not break the tightness.

Modern kitchen now rarely does without a built-in microwave with a minimum set of functions up to models with automatic cooking programs .

It is difficult to say why people assume harm if this harm is not established.

But for sure people are always afraid that they do not understand. And the principle of heating with microwaves is not intuitively understandable, unlike the usual methods of heating by friction or fire.

Just like microwaves, there is always talk about the dangers of induction electric stoves. Also terrible invisible waves.

And after all, in the case of a microwave, the case is shielded, but we cannot visually check the shielding. Hence, there are also intuitive fears.

It is difficult to find information about well-reasoned fears because there is a lot of informational garbage.

It remains to look at scientific publications in refereed medical journals.

Scientists are actively interested in the possible harm of microwaves (500 publications): nih.gov

I noticed two interesting points - they often mention in rumors that you should not heat baby food. In one pseudoscientific article I read the rationale for this with the mention of L-proline, with which something happens there. I didn’t pay attention to it. But then I heard the following from a doctor: "We were rubbed in hygiene about the fact that the isomerism of amino acids changes from L to D during microwave processing, which makes them inferior. But in terms of microbiological parameters, the food is ideal."

This is it. already seemed interesting to me, since this is verifiable and the fears, if the verification confirms, are explainable (the famous scandal with wikipedia.org).

But I found it at the link indicated earlier: nih.gov

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Aqueous standard solutions of L-alanine, L-glutamic acid, and L-proline do not indicate an increase in D-enantiomers after 30 minutes of heating - nor in the usual way for stove, nor in a standard microwave oven. A specific "microwave effect" and, therefore, a particular consumer risk, unlike previous assumptions, is not found. The effect on amino acids that have been observed in traditionally heated samples is attributed to the higher thermal exposure during the processing of these samples.

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No effect found, but assumed ... So, apparently, this is where the legs grew - initially someone suggested the effect (perhaps some experiment gave a false result) and rumors began to spread. If the effect existed, the harm would not be unconditional, but only assumed, depending on many uncertain factors and, most importantly, the dose. Due to the conventionality of the alleged harm, perhaps such vague rumors have turned out.

The answer lies in the name of the device - microwaves. Some people believe that using a microwave is dangerous - its microwaves cause cancer, which, in general, is not the case.