<<I cook everthing in a microwave -- you can do it right and fast.>>

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Q. Is it safe to microwave food? How long is it safe - 2 minutes, 5 minutes?
Or are there any foods that are more or less safe than others?

-- Ramona


A. (Published 4/18/97) Microwaves have helped some people really improve the
nutritional content of what they eat. Take cooked vegetables - a quick
minute in the microwave will keep vitamins intact, instead of boiling them
all away. And for someone who lives alone, microwave ovens can make cooking
an individual nutritious meal very easy.
But there may be real dangers associated with microwaving food. We don't
know enough about how microwaves affect our bodies to feel entirely safe
with them. This longer-wave form of radiation can cook human tissues exposed
to it directly, and even low doses may disrupt the delicate operations of
biological control systems in our bodies. Weak electrical currents and
electromagnetic fields are known to affect cellular growth and development
and to aid in the healing of tissue. Microwaves could have a negative effect
on them.

One thing's for sure: You want to be quite sure your microwave isn't leaking
energy into the room. Keep the oven clean and watch for any damage to it.
The inexpensive microwave detectors you can buy in the store aren't
reliable. To test for leakage, try holding a fluorescent light bulb in front
of the oven and moving it around while the oven is on. If the bulb lights up
or flickers, you've got a problem. Don't use the oven until it's tested by a
professional and repaired or replaced. (In general, these appliances don't
leak radiation unless they've been damaged.)

There is also a question as to whether microwaving alters protein chemistry
in ways that might be harmful. Some evidence suggests a problem. So I'd only
use microwaving for rapid heating or defrosting - not long cooking. Don't
put a casserole in there and leave it there for 45 minutes or longer. Don't
roast a chicken. (Conventional methods produce better results in these cases
anyway.)

A more immediate danger involves the container or wrapping you're using for
your dinner. Microwaving will drive plastic molecules from plastic wrap or
containers into your food. So only use glass or ceramic containers, and
don't cover things with plastic wrap. (Use waxed paper or a paper towel
instead.)

There are other little dangers you may run into with a microwave. Whole eggs
have been known to explode in people's faces when they open the oven,
scalding their faces. Unpierced yolks will do the same thing. Prick your
potatoes with a fork, too. Also, microwaved food may contain hot spots that
can scald throat and mouth tissue, so be especially careful if you're
heating things up for babies or children.

And the same uneven heating may damage human milk, destroying the protective
antibodies it contains. It's better to warm frozen or chilled mother's milk
in a bowl of hot water. The same goes for infant formula. According to
Christiane Northrup MD, author of "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" (Bantam
Books, 1995) microwaved infant formula develops an entirely new amino acid,
one that is toxic to the brain, nerves, kidney, and liver. She recommends
thawing frozen or chilled mother's milk or formula in a bowl of hot water.