The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Did you know that in 1991 there was a microwave related law suit in Oklahoma? A woman died from a blood transfusion because a nurse had warmed the blood in a microwave. Warming it wasn't the problem, that is routinely done, but not in a microwave. The blood warmed in the microwave was altered enough to kill the woman, which leaves us wondering, "What else do microwaves alter, and how is it affecting us?"

Some people believe they alter anything they heat. Microwaves work by creating molecular "friction" which produces heat. The friction also damages surrounding molecules by tearing or deforming them. (Microwaves from the sun do not produce this type of heat.) This can significantly lower the nutritional level of foods, but there seems to be more concerns than that. A controversial (of course!) study by the scientist Hans Hertel in Switzerland showed that not only were nutrients changed, but there were negative changes in the blood of the participants who ate microwaved food.

I don't claim to have much knowledge in this area, and I can't say I'm 100 percent convinced, but it is something that's been a growing concern of mine. I know there is the other side of the story, and people who say that microwaved food is completely safe. But I think we've also learned through the years that sometimes what we're told is safe is often proven over time to be unsafe. I would rather be safe than sorry. So I have been working towards eliminating the use of the microwave in our house, but we're not there yet. One thing that has helped me in this endeavor is the Turbo Oven. I hope to write about it next week.

If you're interested in learning more, there's lots more to read with a little web searching, and here are a couple of links to get you started. These are different articles with the same title so I have numbered them.

The Hidden Hazards of Microwave Cooking #1

The Hidden Hazards of Microwave Cooking #2


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Labels: homemaking tips