Mrs. Li's daughter-in-law finally became pregnant at the beginning of this year, and she was very concerned about it. She took care of it herself and occasionally searched for relevant information.
One day, she saw an article online claiming that the microwave was completely banned due to its high radiation. She quickly put away her microwave at home, afraid that the radiation would affect her unborn baby grandson.
For Mrs. Li's behavior, her daughter-in-law is particularly puzzled. She often needs to use a microwave to heat things, which is very inconvenient to put away. However, she cannot resist her mother-in-law and doesn't know what to do.
1, Is radiation still carcinogenic? Is a microwave oven a miracle or a "pit product"?
As the most common household appliance, microwave ovens are loved by the public for their convenience. However, in recent years, there has been constant controversy surrounding them. An article titled "Please Stop Using Microwave Ovens Immediately" has been circulating online, and the argument that heated food can cause cancer has become increasingly widespread. What is the truth behind this?
Before understanding this issue, we need to know whether the microwave oven is emitting radiation. In general, only radiation values greater than 833.3 milligauss may cause harm to the body. Focus Interview conducted a special experiment for this purpose, which found that the radiation from the microwave oven was only 278 milligauss and would not cause harm to the body.
And the microwave oven itself has protective measures, as long as you purchase products that meet the standards, it will not bring additional health risks. If you are really not at ease, you can stay 1 meter away from the microwave during use.
There is also a claim that food heated in a microwave can produce carcinogens, but what is going on?
This statement is not credible, no matter what heating method, as long as the temperature is too high and food becomes burnt, it may produce carcinogens. However, when heating food in a microwave, the temperature is generally not too high. Some high moisture foods will maintain a temperature of around 100 degrees Celsius during the heating process, and there will be no carcinogens produced. Compared to traditional heating methods, microwave ovens are actually safer.
As for whether it will lose some nutrients from food, it is necessary to first understand the heating principle of a microwave.
The microwave oven operates by emitting microwaves, which are absorbed by the water, fat, and sugar in the food. These molecules generate heat with vibration, serving the purpose of heating the food. This process requires a short amount of time and generally does not cause excessive loss of nutrients in the food, so there is no need to worry about it.
2, Microwave heating, these types of food are blacklisted
A few years ago, a news story made everyone afraid of microwaves. It turned out that a woman was heating an egg in the microwave, but when eating it, the egg suddenly exploded, causing her eyeball to be injured.
This is not entirely a microwave pot, as not all foods are suitable for heating in a microwave.
1. Food with shell and film
Foods such as eggs, sealed milk, blueberries, virgin fruits, and sausages with casing cannot dissipate heat in a timely manner when heated in the microwave, and can explode when they cannot withstand pressure.
2. Foods with high oil content
Dry and high fat foods such as skewers, pork belly, nuts, and beef jerky are not suitable for microwave heating, as the food quickly heats up during microwave heating, which can easily cause food to burn and produce carcinogens such as benzopyrene, acrylamide, and heterocyclic amines.
3. Chili peppers
Dried chili peppers have very little moisture content and can easily burn when heated in a microwave, causing dangerous phenomena. And the capsaicin in chili peppers has strong volatility, which can cause adverse irritation to the eyes and throat when heated and released into the air.
4. Metal containers
The microwave generated by the microwave oven cannot penetrate metal materials and is prone to rebound. Heating a metal container in a microwave can not only cause incomplete heating, but may also cause sparks and cause fires.
Additionally, it should be noted that when using a microwave oven, it is essential to operate in a standardized manner. If you don't know how to choose power and time, you should prioritize low power and short time. Do not use the microwave to boil liquid food for a long time, otherwise it is easy to cause boiling.
3, Do not reheat the four types of food repeatedly, as it can harm the liver and kidneys
It is inevitable to have leftover food in daily life, and many people choose to heat it up and continue eating it. Although frugality is a traditional virtue, excessive frugality may also leave health risks, and it is not recommended to reheat these types of food.
1. Fungal food
Fungal foods produce a large amount of nitrite after being heated at high temperatures, and repeated heating can lead to the body consuming more nitrite. Moreover, excessive consumption of reheated mushrooms may lead to symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain, which is extremely detrimental to health.
2. Seafood
Seafood that is not consumed in a timely manner is prone to spoilage, and there is a tendency for bacteria to multiply and produce toxins inside. Consuming it again may lead to food poisoning.
3. Soup
Repeatedly heating soup foods may cause some of their ingredients to spoil, which can have a negative impact on health after consumption.
4. Tremella and green leafy vegetables
Tremella and green leafy vegetables themselves contain high levels of nitrite, and after being left for a period of time, the amount of nitrite in them will further increase. Consuming them can easily lead to excessive nitrite intake in the body, increasing a series of health risks.
Microwave ovens, when used correctly, do not pose any additional health risks, so there is no need to worry too much about them. Even pregnant women can use them normally.
