The convenience they offer is undeniable. Any method of cooking, period, will affect the nutrients in your food. It is, essentially, an approach to answering health and medical questions, one that involves careful and thorough analysis of scientific evidence within a framework of understanding of critical thinking, mechanisms of self-deception, and the process of science itself. It's been said that microwaving kills all, or most, existing nutrients in food.
Any method of cooking, period, will affect the nutrients in your food. Are microwaves bad for your health?
Microwaves are tools of modern convenience — but are they safe for cooking food? Microwave ovens heat food through a process of creating molecular friction, but this same molecular friction quickly destroys the delicate molecules of vitamins and phytonutrients (plant medicines) naturally found There’s nothing about microwaves that damages food more than other cooking methods. Although microwaves seem to be fool-proof, it is possible to mess up the cooking.
Humans are the only animals on the planet who destroy the nutritional value of their food before eating it. Almost every American home has a microwave oven. Anytime you cook a vegetable (regardless of the method) there is usually some nutrient loss, but the belief held by some is that microwaves destroy up to 90 percent of the nutrients in the food, whereas stovetop cooking can be as low as 10 percent. Microwaves are now commonplace in American homes, prized for their convenience. Science-based medicine is a concept that is larger than the analysis of any specific topic.
Do Microwaves Zap Away the Nutrients in Your Food? The Verdict: If you do it right, cooking food in the microwave is one of the best ways to retain your food's vitamins and minerals .
Nutritionist JJ Smith points out what people most commonly worry about when it comes to microwaves, and Dr. Oz demonstrates how it actually cooks your food. In fact, microwaving can actually preserve nutrients. Anytime you cook a vegetable (regardless of the method) there is usually some nutrient loss, but the belief held by some is that microwaves destroy up to 90 percent of the nutrients in the food, whereas stovetop cooking can be as low as 10 percent. Microwaves penetrate food to a depth of 1 to 1.5 inches (2.54 to 3.81 centimeters), with the rest of the food being heated by conduction of heat beyond that level [source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service]. Have you ever been told that microwaving vegetables depletes their nutritional value?
Using electromagnetic energy, microwaves heat or cook foods ranging from vegetables to canned soups to meat. When Microwaves Destroy Nutrients. Boiling vegetables tends to leach out the soluble vitamins into the cooking water, and ovens expose food to … The factors that determine the extent are how long the food is cooked, how …
. But is it true?
The primary factors in retaining nutrients when using a … But is it true? Microwaves have some significant effects on foods -- they can denature proteins, decrease vitamin content and destroy enzymes. This is no coincidence. You can maximize the uniformity of your microwave heating efforts by stirring food or turning it over periodically. But despite the widespread use of microwave ovens and their excellent safety record, some people have lingering doubts that cooking food with microwaves somehow makes food less healthy by zapping the nutrients out of food. However, none of these effects are unique to microwave ovens.
Here’s the thing. There are dangers to microwaving your food.