Microwave Ovens - Are We Putting Our Health In Danger Every Day?

The modern woman is a busy one and technology is right there by her side providing gadgets to make her life easier in the kitchen. One of them is the microwave oven. The performance of this gadget is not in doubt but there are some conflicting theories about it’s safety. Wikipedia for example states that although microwave radiation in and of itself can be dangerous, when used properly these devices heat food quickly, efficiently, and safely. Key word SAFELY.

But I’ve also heard some horror stories about the microwave which left me wondering. Are we embracing technology blindly? Are we indeed benefiting from a few saved minutes and preservation of nutrients or are we slowly killing ourselves in the name of modern technology? It is said that the problem with microwaving is not really radiation. Manufactures have us thoroughly protected against that. The danger is that microwave cooking alters DNA in food thus making it unrecognizable to the body. The body then wraps it in fat cells or eliminates it fast. Could this be true?

Recently I received an E-mail with some scary account of what the Microwave can do to our bodies and overall health. And what mothers are doing to their babies by heating milk in it. There was also something about a nurse in Canada who warmed up blood for transfusion and the patient died as a direct result of receiving dead blood. Very uncomfortable thoughts especially if a microwave is sitting pretty in your kitchen. Or if you eat in restaurants most of which have microwaves ovens these days. The rest of the mail read like this:

Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term brain damage by shorting out electrical impulses in the brain.

The human body cannot metabolize the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.

Male and female hormone production is altered by continually eating microwave foods.

The effects of microwaved food byproducts are residual within the human body.

Minerals, vitamins and other nutrients of microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.

The Minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.

Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America and other parts of the world.

The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.

Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.

Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability and a decrease of intelligence.

So Wanjiku here is wondering, are these all baseless rumors from scaremongers or is there something there?