I always use microwave for heating foods and boiling water for my tea like more three times a day. Every time my sister will see me do it, she will tell me, "Keep going and you would get cancer soon". I only say back it's convenient. I don't know if there is a truth with what my sister is saying that microwaves are cancerous.
As far as I know there's no proof that they can cause cancer. They do release a form of radiation, so I guess it's technically possible. However, if you need a comeback for it, just remind her that cellphones emit radiation too and that she's going to get cancer from using her phone
I think it's only unhealthy/carcinogenic if you microwave things that are not supposed to be microwaved. This includes certain types of plastic, such as takeout containers. Nowadays, most tupperware-type containers are microwave safe. Microwaving food itself is fine and convenient. Ask your sister to come up with some proof and stop believing everything she hears or reads at face value.
Back in the '70s there were scares about microwaves leaking from the ovens and worries over all sorts of mutations. Most of the problems were hype created by companies producing detectors to look for problems. The detectors had more issues than the ovens as I recall. The oven design has improved and it an oven is operating normally there is no risk of being cooked by your oven. The second issue is whether or not using a microwave can create chemical changes that produce carcinogens. The answer is YES. Fear not, however, because frying foods also gets a YES on the carcinogen count as that yummy crispy bit is potentially carcinogenic. Cooking rearranges molecular structures in an unpredictable way and some of the new molecules are dangerous but our bodies know how to deal with this issue. Eating protein? Phenylalanine contains benzene - so stop eating protein altogether? Nonsense! We get caught up in the hype that something is dangerous but we forget that the amount is as important to the hazard as is the chemical itself. As far as heating water in a microwave is concerned, there is only one chemical reaction that could occur which is so completely improbable, would occur at so low a level, and would tend to reverse because of the heat that it wouldn't be harmful. A microwave might (given the perfect storm of energy and geometry) produce the odd peroxide molecule.
I read that microwave can be dangerous if you are using the wrong type of plastic to heat your food. I think that as long as you use microwave compatible plastics, then I guess it's safe to use.
I don't know exactly how bad a microwave is for our health, but what I know is my last microwave broke in October and I've been microwave-less ever since. I honestly don't miss it at all! I find everything I previously used on a microwave I can not use on the oven or my George Foreman grill. Microwaves are only good for frozen food, but even those I will put in a pan and wait for it to defreeze. Everything tastes so much better when you don't prepare them on a microwave!
I don't use microwave a lot but whenever I have it with me I'll use it for heating up foods that have gone cold. I just don't use it to defrost any kind of frozen foods as I know that is not recommendable.
I think it's just a myth when they say it's bad for the health. I mean, if it is bad, why would companies keep on manufacturing it? There may be a few cases where people got sick, but I'm sure it's not the only reason and there are several other factors to consider. I'm also quite sure that because of advancement in technology, they have already considered how it may affect health and done something to make sure it won't negatively hurt a person.
I'm sure it is safe, as they wouldn't really be allowed to sell it if it were harmful to humans. I think the concern is just a bit of a myth, as people are generally scared of new innovations and often are skeptical of the harmful effects such as when people were worrying about celphones and the supposedly harmful waves they emit way back when celphones were a relatively new technology. I'd say this is just common behavior as I'm fairly sure people were worried about light bulbs as well when they were first invented, as well as other succeeding inventions from and beyond that point in human history.
Microwaves are actually the safest way to cook foods. Every other method of cooking has way more of a chance of causing cancer. It also destroys less nutrients than conventional cooking methods. A lot of people feel the same as your sister, and I think it stems from a lack of understanding of how a microwave actually works. They use microwave radiation to vibrate water molecules, which heat up from the vibration. Don't let "radiation" scare you, there are many types of safe radiation like visible light and radio.
Billions of people use them, so they are safe. However using only a microwave isn't the healthiest way to cook food, that's all. It has been useful for many people that can't afford a cooker and it can be their only means of having a hot meal. I know when my kitchen was destroyed by a flood, all I had was a microwave and kettle in the living room as they repaired it. Otherwise I could not have a hot meal.
I'm not sure I follow you on why microwave exclusivity would be unhealthy. Health comes down more to the foods you eat and not necessarily the way you cook it. Well, if you said that deep frying or grilling exclusively was not health I could buy that. You could cook a nice meal with a lean protein, some whole grains and some steamed veggies all in the microwave. Doesn't get healthier than that!
I also use microwaves everyday. I am very careful with the container that i am using. I think it is safe to use as long as you are using the right container. I heard from one of my friend that After reheating the food, you should wait for 5 minutes before eating the food. Although i am not sure if there is a truth behind this 5 minute thing.
There were always microwave scares everywhere especially now on Facebook. I used to believe in them because it said microwaving your food would be cancerous and I didn't want to have cancer because my dad died from it. There was even one post that I believed it saying even staring at your food while it's microwaving can be harmful as well so I would never set my eyes on the microwave when it's turned on. Of course years pass and I learned more about radiation and I could just laugh at my worries back then. Yes it does have radiation but so does our phones and gadgets. There are always harmful things in everything around us but they're not enough to kill us that easily.
Well, when you are forced to have a microwave as I was for a year, then you may see tings differently. I'm vegetarian so pretty healthy anyway, but you can't bake a cake, pizza, fry an egg or sausage ( can't microwave vegetarian ones as they don't work), can't make grilled cheese, no stir fry, make a decent pasta dish or omelet. I like my microwave and on vacations it's great, but when you have no choice, you find out what dishes you miss. Oven roasted vegetables and yorkshire puddings (popovers) as well as pancakes can't be made in a microwave.
But most of those are all foods that are unhealthy! Saying in a post if microwaves are healthy then saying they CAN'T make unhealthy things proves the point that they are. But of course microwaves have limitations, this discussion is based around if they are healthy. I'm not saying you should use a microwave exclusively, but they are definitely a fantastic option.
