Is microwaving bad?

MizTerry

There are folks that do nothing but microwave their food and some that say it's toxic. What are your thoughts?

:huh:

MinisterTom

Good bad, or indifferent, I still want to hug the guy that invented it. For pre-planning my meals and enjoying hot food at work, it is a must and I am okay with that. This is a hot button topic for some, and I am sure there will be some debate about it.

bcf7683

Just don't put your head inside....

But seriously, some people need to stop thinking so much.... I suppose this would go along with "cell phones give you cancer"....

We all gotta die from somethin' :drinker:

Hadabetter

It's not bad. It just produces heat in a more efficient way that traditional cooking. It doesn't make food toxic or radio-active or anything like that.

footiechick82

not so good... kills the nutrients in your food.

(edit to give examples)

fresh veggies cooked the night before, yay - so yummy the next day... microwave, nutrients gone. it's like taking it and sucking everything good to eat empty calories.

TR0berts

Deathboxes rule.

cleotherio

fresh veggies cooked the night before, yay - so yummy the next day... microwave, nutrients gone. it's like taking it and sucking everything good to eat empty calories.

Rubbish.

sullus

not so good... kills the nutrients in your food.

(edit to give examples)

fresh veggies cooked the night before, yay - so yummy the next day... microwave, nutrients gone. it's like taking it and sucking everything good to eat empty calories.

Microwaved vegetables have more nutrients than boiled or steamed.

Some nutrients do break down when they’re exposed to heat, whether it is from a microwave or a regular oven. Vitamin C is perhaps the clearest example. So, as a general proposition, cooking with a microwave probably does a better job of preserving the nutrient content of foods because the cooking times are shorter.

As far as vegetables go, it’s cooking them in water that robs them of some of their nutritional value because the nutrients leach out into the cooking water. For example, boiled broccoli loses glucosinolate, the sulfur-containing compound that may give the vegetable its cancer-fighting properties as well as the taste that many find distinctive and some, disgusting. The nutrient-rich water from boiled vegetables can be salvaged and incorporated into sauces or soups.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/Microwave-cooking-and-nutrition.shtml

pholbert

Might not be good to microwave in plastic.

Ely82010

not so good... kills the nutrients in your food.

(edit to give examples)

fresh veggies cooked the night before, yay - so yummy the next day... microwave, nutrients gone. it's like taking it and sucking everything good to eat empty calories.

Not, it is quite the opposite:

The Claim: Microwave Ovens Kill Nutrients in Food


By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

THE FACTS They are a staple in kitchens everywhere, but for about as long as microwave ovens have been around, people have suspected that the radiation they emit can destroy nutrients in food and vegetables.

According to most studies, however, the reality is quite the opposite. Every cooking method can destroy vitamins and other nutrients in food. The factors that determine the extent are how long the food is cooked, how much liquid is used and the cooking temperature.

Since microwave ovens often use less heat than conventional methods and involve shorter cooking times, they generally have the least destructive effects. The most heat-sensitive nutrients are water-soluble vitamins, like folic acid and vitamins B and C, which are common in vegetables.

In studies at Cornell University, scientists looked at the effects of cooking on water-soluble vitamins in vegetables and found that spinach retained nearly all its folate when cooked in a microwave, but lost about 77 percent when cooked on a stove.

They also found that bacon cooked by microwave has significantly lower levels of cancer-causing nitrosamines than conventionally cooked bacon.

When it comes to vegetables, adding water can greatly accelerate the loss of nutrients. One study published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture in 2003 found that broccoli cooked by microwave — and immersed in water — loses about 74 percent to 97 percent of its antioxidants. When steamed or cooked without water, the broccoli retained most of its nutrients.

THE BOTTOM LINE Microwave ovens generally do not destroy nutrients in food.

scitimes@nytimes.com

forgtmenot

My cousin is really an odd person and she does not own a microwave because she thinks that the radiation will like seep out or something and give her and her family cancer....

Personally I think she is nuts. I do own a microwave, and while I don't cook ALL my food in there, I do use it occasionally and I don't think I will get cancer from it...

akmett

Don' microwave in anything plastic (esp. if it's not BPA free) or with saran wrap. Carcinogens are released into your food.

PosyPods

When I moved out into my own place with my boyfriend, I insisted on having no microwave, because I didn't want to be tempted to eat frozen meals or "convenience" foods, which are usually junk for me.

However, we now live with his parents who of course have one.

I must say, being able to bake a potato in 3 minutes versus boiling it for an hour and warming up my peas and corn for dinner without having to get out a separate pot for the stove top has been amazing. Those are the only things I use it for, but I plan to get one for any place I have in the future simply because the convenience helps me eat healthier. I realized that if I don't want to eat bad foods, then all I have to do is not buy them.

Also, I'm no expert, but I believe that the microwave is actually better for some foods in terms of preserving nutrients. Heating certain foods using any method can destroy nutrients, but I think the temperature, water, and length of cooking time has an effect, which is why the microwave can be better. I might just be making that up, though.

MizTerry

Thanks for the inputs.
My friend stated that the microwave made food unrecognizeable to the body and it was the first I'd ever heard of it. I wanted some input on it and I appreciate all that onctributed.
I believed a skeleton was under my bed up until the age of ten too, so be bear with me. :noway:

reklawn

If you are worried, just walk to another room after you turn it on. The radiation is no worse than your cell phone.

Kadesha72

Just don't put your head inside....

But seriously, some people need to stop thinking so much.... I suppose this would go along with "cell phones give you cancer"....

We all gotta die from somethin' :drinker:

Haha.... THIS^

GCLyds

I like not having one. I have to really want the leftovers to eat them now, because it takes more than 30 seconds to heat it up. So I only eat them when I am actually hungry. Leftovers taste way better when heated in a toaster oven or pan or whatever than from a microwave, especially pizza, but anything really. These two reasons are why after my microwave broke, we never got a new one. That and I love the extra counter space.

quirkytizzy

It might be. But I microwave everything from my coffee to my bacon. (Okay, not my bacon. Most days. Sometimes. Probably more than I should.) I can't imagine life without my microwave. It's my greatest time-saver.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

My thoughts are "don't read Mercola." :flowerforyou:

wellbert

Microwaving is the best way to steam veggies. Less cook time = more nutrients preserved.

bearkisses

If you are worried, just walk to another room after you turn it on. The radiation is no worse than your cell phone.

you can also unplug it during the day

brower47

not so good... kills the nutrients in your food.

(edit to give examples)

fresh veggies cooked the night before, yay - so yummy the next day... microwave, nutrients gone. it's like taking it and sucking everything good to eat empty calories.

Not, it is quite the opposite:

The Claim: Microwave Ovens Kill Nutrients in Food


By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

THE FACTS They are a staple in kitchens everywhere, but for about as long as microwave ovens have been around, people have suspected that the radiation they emit can destroy nutrients in food and vegetables.

According to most studies, however, the reality is quite the opposite. Every cooking method can destroy vitamins and other nutrients in food. The factors that determine the extent are how long the food is cooked, how much liquid is used and the cooking temperature.

Since microwave ovens often use less heat than conventional methods and involve shorter cooking times, they generally have the least destructive effects. The most heat-sensitive nutrients are water-soluble vitamins, like folic acid and vitamins B and C, which are common in vegetables.

In studies at Cornell University, scientists looked at the effects of cooking on water-soluble vitamins in vegetables and found that spinach retained nearly all its folate when cooked in a microwave, but lost about 77 percent when cooked on a stove.

They also found that bacon cooked by microwave has significantly lower levels of cancer-causing nitrosamines than conventionally cooked bacon.

When it comes to vegetables, adding water can greatly accelerate the loss of nutrients. One study published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture in 2003 found that broccoli cooked by microwave — and immersed in water — loses about 74 percent to 97 percent of its antioxidants. When steamed or cooked without water, the broccoli retained most of its nutrients.

THE BOTTOM LINE Microwave ovens generally do not destroy nutrients in food.

scitimes@nytimes.com

I love seeing silly myths debunked. Thank you.

dinosnopro

They are only bad if you put puppies in them.

ozerion

Someday they will prove that Microwaving is bad... then they will turn around and say it is good... and on and on...

IMHO the worst part about the microwave is that you can put plastic in it... Plastic and other synthetic materials are not made of anything you want to put in your body. Use a glass/ceramic plate or bowl. Paper may have similar issues as plastic based on what it is coated with but I don't really know.

I am no expert that is for sure!

pastryari

Everything is bad for you. EVERYTHING.

lacurandera1

Probably no worse than breathing outside.

MizTerry

My thoughts are "don't read Mercola." :flowerforyou:

Mercola?
And no, I don't intend to nuke any puppies, thank you very much. LOL

alvin0012

Im about to ask the same question!! I microwave my food everyday and get good results. But im skeptical with all the reviews....