Micro management
This is a frequent question we get on the HSI Forum and through e-mails, such as this one from a member named Jasmine, who asks:
“I do quite a bit of microwave cooking, but would like to know how that affects the food value, especially in vegetables. Does the excessive heat destroy the vitamin content or what? Nobody I’ve asked seems to know and I haven’t been able to find any reference to it in numerous health magazines and books I’ve looked through.”
To address the question of how microwaving affects nutrition, I turned Jasmine’s questions over to HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D.
There’s also a problem with release of potentially toxic molecules into the food from packaging designed to help brown food during microwaving. This includes items such as pizza, French fries, waffles, popcorn and breaded fish – and these findings were determined by the FDA!
The most controlled (and scary) research was almost stopped from anyone knowing about it before being published. Two Swiss researchers sequestered subjects under close scrutiny and blood tested them after randomly eating food that was either microwaved or conventionally cooked. They found all sorts of potentially nasty stuff: (1) blood hemoglobin levels decreased significantly after ingesting microwaved foods, both total levels and the amount contained in each red blood cell; (2) White blood cell levels tended to increase for no other reason than foods were microwaved; (3) microwaves altered protein molecules; (4) LDL cholesterol (the ‘bad’ type) increased relative to HDL cholesterol (the ‘good’ type).
The problem was, they were immediately sued by the “Swiss Association of Dealers for Electroapparatuses for Households and Industry,” and one of the authors was convicted by the Swiss Federal Court of “interfering with commerce.” The fine was the equivalent of $65,000. So, the message is you think twice before stepping on too many big-money toes.
However you slice it, there appears to be a problem with those high frequency, alternating current (meaning abnormal for the human system) electromagnetic wavesbut it’s sure an easy way to fix popcorn!
Good Health,
Allan Spreen, M.D.
In an e-Alert I sent you some time ago (“Could Popcorn Be Worse For Your Lungs Than Cigarettes?” 11/7/01), I told you about a disturbing “Wall Street Journal” article I found that reported on 24 workers at a microwave popcorn plant in Missouri who were all diagnosed with a rare and deadly lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans – usually only seen in isolated cases. After an investigation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), it was determined that the cause for this bizarre outbreak was the artificial butter flavoring added to the popcorn.
Further testing revealed that one specific ingredient in the artificial butter, called Diacetyl, was to blame. This FDA-approved chemical compound is also found in many wines, beers, cookies, candies, and cheese-flavored products. Granted, the average person’s intake of Diacetyl probably doesn’t compare with the exposure that you’d get while working with the compound every day, but ever since I saw that article I’ve been popping my pop corn with an air-popper, then adding a tablespoon of real butter.
So I’m afraid the consensus for microwave ovens is not very positive. Until we have more definitive studies available, it would seem that the safest use of microwaves may be as a cooking aid (for defrosting, heating liquids, etc.) rather than as a method for primary cooking.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
