Almost everyone in the US has a microwave in the kitchen. It is a convenient appliance that seemingly makes our lives easier. You can defrost, reheat, or cook food in microwaves. Are we at all concerned about the dangers of microwaves, though?

A lot of people use microwaves without thinking of how they negatively affect their lives. Microwaves essentially kill your food, robbing it of the nutritional value. Cooking your food, in general, robs your food of potential nutrients you could be getting. This is why we always recommend eating more of a plant-based and even raw foods diet for optimum health. But we digress…

Here’s a crash course on how microwaves work:

Microwaves contain something called a magnetron (not from Transformers), which converts the received electricity into short-wave frequency radio waves. Science! It’s sort of electromagnetic radiation. Radiation, you say? Not so good for the body. The radiation can actually change the molecular structure and create radioactive compounds in our food. For instance, breast milk loses 96% of its antibodies when microwaved.

It’s important to know that microwaves are non-ionizing radiation. X-rays, Gamma radiation, and nuclear medicine are all types of ionizing radiation. While non-ionizing radiation isn’t as bad, it can still negatively affect your health. And we continue to contaminate our bodies by eating microwaveable meals, which are filled with chemicals and preservatives.

Microwaves work using alternating currents, which ultimately reverse the polarity of atoms. What does that mean, though? Basically, there are water molecules in the food. The water molecules shake in the food, which causes the food to heat up.

How Do Microwaves Harm Your Health?

• They can cause cataracts
• Trigger birth defects
• Weaken the immune system
• Can lead to cancer onset
• Leads to possible serious illnesses
• Compromises body’s immune response to bacteria or viruses

Eating Microwaved Veggies Can Lead To:
• Dropped white blood cell count
• Fast-rising cholesterol levels
• Drop in hemoglobin (which can lead to anemic conditions)

What Diseases Can You Get From Microwaves?

Fatigue: Microwaves can actually be the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome, and even obesity.

Insomnia: By having adverse effects on brain health, due to electromagnetic radiation, microwaved food can lead to cases of insomnia or other sleep disturbances/troubles.

Nutrient Deficiency: Cooking your food in the microwave causes your food to lose nutrients. If your food doesn’t provide you with the nutrients you think you are getting, you can become nutrient deficient, which an lead to a variety of diseases.

Deprivation of Antioxidants: Microwaving your food = no more antioxidants. By destroying the antioxidants in the food, it means you aren’t getting them. Antioxidants are essential for heart, brain, and immune health. Antioxidant deprivation can increase your risk of heart attack or high cholesterol.

Cancer: The radiation that contaminates food can increase your risk of developing cancer. By eating too much microwaved food, radiation can accumulate in the body and cause cancer growth.

Author's Bio: 

Vinnie is the content writer for Dherbs.com and writes about healthy tips that can improve your daily life. He believes that if you start living healthier, stronger, and happier then you'll have a more positive outlook on the world. Find more of his articles at dherbs.com/articles