Hi! I'm Jane's Brother And I'm Here To Help: Exactly How To Safely Use A Microwave
Plus: Health benefits of steamed milk in your coffee and how to make it easily at home
This week, I am happy to answer an excellent question from a reader!
Dear Jane's brother,
I remember a long time ago when microwaves were first popular that we would run and stand like 20 feet away while we used them because of the danger of the rays or something. Now it seems like everyone, even the most health-conscious people, use them regularly. What are the risks with microwaves and how should you use them and not use them?
To be clear, I'm not actually asking about the taste or quality of the food that microwaves produce, because I'm not much of a chef anyway. But I do want to know when the food and beverages that get microwaved in there are healthy to eat and when they aren't.
-From A Big Fan
Good question–I actually know a lot about microwaves!
When I was a kid in the 70’s, society’s attitude had just changed from“radiation is great” to “radiation causes cancer”. But the difference between types of radiation, and their relative safety, was not widely known, and for the most part, still isn’t. Microwaves fall in a category of wavelengths called “nonionizing radiation” that don’t affect your DNA, and don’t cause cancer—if you agree with the National Cancer Institute, as I do. It is the same type of radiation used in radio and TV waves, WIFI, and your cell phone. The word “radiation” is scary but it is all around you, including the visible kind that comes from the sun or a light bulb. (It is the higher frequencies, like Ultraviolet light, X-rays, and Gamma Rays, that can damage your DNA.)
Microwave radiation, and all electromagnetic radiation, travels the speed of light, so when the microwave is off, it’s gone. It doesn’t stay in your food, and doesn’t get out even if you open the door fast. The amount of microwave radiation that escapes while the microwave is cooking is highly regulated, and I would not worry about it unless the door is damaged. This is true for children, pregnant women and everyone else as well. It simply vibrates H2O molecules, generating heat. Even if you were able to stick part of your body in a microwave, it would not get cancer. Cooking yourself is not a good idea, and you'd get burned after a bit, but you wouldn’t get cancer.
Cooking with a microwave is a very healthy way to make food. If you boil vegetables, most of the nutrients end up in the water. Microwaving is akin to steaming them, but because it uses less water, it is even better. Cooking anything at too high a temperature, and/or for too long, gets rid of nutrients as well. Because microwaves heat your food faster than most other methods, more nutrients remain. One caveat, as I mentioned in my recent column, is that you should be very careful not to have plastic in contact with hot food, as the process leaches out some of the nasty chemicals into the food. If you use a ceramic bowl and cover it with plastic wrap without it touching the food, it’s OK. But you should avoid cooking in plastic containers. Yes, that means if you care a lot about your health, and are concerned about estrogen-mimicking plasticizers and other dangerous chemicals, those frozen meals should not be cooked in the plastic dishes they come in–sorry. I do it, but I also drive too fast. You shouldn’t, though.
