Microwaving Does Not Harm Foods

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Microwaving Does Not Harm Foods

A report from the nutrition department of Cornell University

should convince you that microwaving food does not destroy its

nutritional value. Dr. Gertrude Armbruster and her colleagues showed

that fruits and vegetables lost the least vitamin C when microwaved,

compared to other cooking methods. Vitamin C is a good indicator of

the amount of nutrients lost because it is both water soluble and

sensitive to heat (Newsweek, March 14, 2008).

Microwave ovens use electromagnetic waves that vibrate water

molecules inside food to produce heat. Most nutrients in food are

not destroyed by microwaving because they are not in the watery

layer. An earlier study from Spain, widely reported in the news

media, claimed that microwaving broccoli destroyed all of its

antioxidants (Journal of Science in Food and Agriculture, November

2003). However, the researchers in this study cooked the broccoli in

almost a cup of water for five minutes at full power. The

antioxidants were destroyed by the long cooking in water at a high

temperature, not by the microwaves. The length of time vegetables

are exposed to hot water determines the amount of water-soluble

nutrients lost, whether the cooking is done in a microwave oven,

steamer, pot or pressure cooker. For nutrient- rich vegetables from

your microwave, use very little water (no more than a tablespoon or

two) and short cooking times.

Contrary to myths spread by a popular natural health

newsletter, the radiation from microwaves is not harmful and has no

effect whatever on food other than to heat it up. Once the food

comes out of the oven, there are no lingering effects of the

microwaves. If you are worried about chemical changes to the

nutrients in your food, avoid broiling, grilling, frying or any other

method that browns foods. The reason food cooked in a microwave oven

is so bland is that the chemical changes caused by high surface

temperatures don't happen. That's why most people use their

microwave ovens to reheat food instead of for cooking.