are microwaves harmfull?

Question

like the food we cook is it safe in the long term. or will we find out its just not natural

Answer 1

Microwaves are safe when used properly and as long as they're not damaged. Safety features should not be by-passed & a damaged door could cause a leak. People with pacemakers should generally avoid microwave ovens when they're in use.
I also recommend these precautions:
Do not put metal or foil containers or utensils in a microwave. Closed containers should be vented to allow steam to escape. Do not attempt to cook a whole egg without first poking a hole in the shell - It could explode.
Be sure food is cooked or heated thoroughly to reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
Turn and/or stir foods part way through cooking & afterwards to insure more even heating. A turntable also helps in this regard. Stir hot drinks ( & food, when possible) & test temperature before serving, especially to children, the elderly or those who are especially susceptible to burns.
With a little common sense, microwaved food is safe to eat. Microwaving doesn't alter your food any more than other methods of cooking.

Answer 2

Microwaves interact with molecules in altering the rotation of the molecule. This has the effect of absorbing the radiation and then releasing the energy gained as heat. It works very well with water molecules, and as most foods that we eat have water in them, those foods in microwave oven heat up.

Microwaves are actually low energy light waves, even lower than visible light. This means that a photon (light particle) will have a low energy effect on a single molecule, and thus is not enough energy to cause a significant chemical reaction. (Quantum physics tells us that only one photon can be absorbed at a time by a molecule until it releases the energy from the photon absorbed.) Thus, all microwaves do it increase the heat in the absorbing substance. Based on this, food heated in a microwave is no more dangerous than the unheated version.

However, microwaves also effect the water molecules in our bodies. It won't exactly produce cancerous cells, but a concentrated burst of microwave directed at a person will produce a heated area that might damage some of the tissue functions that would be susceptable to heat damage. (It's like being scalded from the inside.) This is why microwave ovens use shielding.

In short, microwave cooking is a product of the study of light and quantum phenomena from the last century. It's basically to us what fire was to ancient man. Just like fire, it's fine to cook with, but you would want to be caught standing in it.

Answer 3

Yes microwaves are harmful. No, the food you cook in a microwave oven is not harmful (except from the heat). The microwaves can't get out unless you defeat the safety interlocks. On the other hand, you are being bombarded by microwaves all the time from transmitters. Fortunately, for you and me, the levels are very low and are cooking us very slowly.

Add to the above post... sugar and fat get hot also. Put some dry sugar in there sometime.

Answer 4

Microwave does not change your food in any way what so ever. In the simplest term, the water content in the food get "excited" by the microwave energy and in term heats your food.

It is actually alot safer than cooking food the old fashion way.

Answer 5

microwaves are safe because the radiation they create is gone when we pull the food out. Its only dangerous if you expose yourself to the actual radiation (ie microwave is on with the door open)

Microwaves just send waves in a certain frequency to vibrate water molecules to the point that they boil, thats how they heat food up.

Answer 6

If you put your head in a microwave and turned it on, yes.

If you eat microwaved food, no.

Microwaves are simply electormagnetic energy. Like sunlight. Turn off the source, the energy goes away.

Answer 7

in general yes but it depends on the dosage. The three things to do is minimize exposure time, maximize distance between you and the source and use shielding. Microwave ovens accomplish the shielding very well. There is no leftover radiation in the food.