Is microwaving milk okay?
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This might be silly to some… but I get very paranoid but everyone around me does and it just seems incredibly convenient. Is there any good reason to avoid heating milk by microwaving it?
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@Tarzan17 Yes, microwaving tends to denature a foods constituents! (Eg vitamins, proteins)
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@Tarzan17
Ray Peat had no problem with microwaves and didn't think they affected the nutrients of food: -
@wrl I think that was the old microwaves...
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@Mossy strange, you'd think Ray would've been aware of the potential for issues!
Microwaves are now used for chemical synthesis procedures.
Source: https://www.pccmarkets.com/sound-consumer/2006-01/sc0601-microwave/
Microwaved broccoli lost 97 percent, 74 percent and 87 percent of three cancer-protecting antioxidants (flavonoids, sinapics and caffeoyl-quinic derivatives). Steamed broccoli lost 11 percent, 0 percent and 8 percent of these compounds.
Japanese research reported in Science News in 1998 said microwaving destroys vitamin B-12. Six minutes of microwave cooking destroyed half the B-12 in meat and dairy, a much higher rate than from conventional cooking.
In 1989, the Lancet medical journal reported that heating baby formula in a microwave changed its chemistry.
Dr. Lita Lee found that microwaving converts some trans-amino acids into synthetic substances similar to unhealthy trans-fatty acids; one amino acid, L-proline, reportedly converted to a substance that’s reputed to be toxic to the nervous system and kidneys.
Russian research reported by The Journal of Natural Sciences in 1998 found that people who ate microwaved food had a statistically higher incidence of stomach and intestinal cancers, digestive disorders, and lymphatic malfunctions causing degeneration of the immune system.
Microwaving milk and cereal grains and plants such as root vegetables reportedly created cancer-causing agents.
The Russians found that thawing frozen fruits or microwaving vegetables, raw or cooked — even briefly — caused chemical alterations. Microwaving reduced availability of vitamins B, C, E and essential minerals in all foods tested, and destroyed the nutritional value of nucleoproteins in meats.
Yet the most compelling concerns come from a study in 1989 by Swiss food scientist Dr. Hans Hertel. Eight volunteers from the Macrobiotic Institute at Kientel ate raw, conventionally cooked and microwaved food at regular intervals. Significant changes were seen in their blood samples after eating microwaved food, including reduced hemoglobin and cholesterol values......White blood cells for immune function showed a distinct short-term decrease. Hertel also found irregularities in the structure of the microwaved food — the creation of new compounds called “radiolytic” compounds that are unknown in nature.
Quote I found:
I gave a presentation at a conference in Washington DC on this topic many years ago so I did a great deal of research. Microwaving food does its damage to food differently. It changes the molecular structure of the food turning the food into something that the body recognizes as not healthy and sometimes even toxic. Published research and clinical evidence both show this issue. I was rather surprised in my research to find published documentation is peer reviewed scientific journals. Two areas were proven. One was that the microwave radiation altered the food so that it became harmful to the immune system. Two cases stand out in my memory. I forget if the microwave warmed or defrosted breast milk in a hospital killed an infant and the microwave heated or defrosted blood in a hospital almost killed the patient, or vice versa. In addition, if food is not in a glass container, harmful chemicals from the plastic container or the wraps covering the food, in one study they actually named Saran Wrap, transferred into the food. When a manufacturer claims their food container is “microwave safe” they are only referring to the container and NOT the food that may be cooked, defrosted or heated in the container!!! I have not owned a microwave for over 20 years.
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It’s fine. There are so many other things to worry about. You put it in a pot on the stove to warm it up, that can be problematic with residue in the pan, fumes from the gas stove, etc.
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@wrl I realize many people have concerns about microwaves — I used to be one of them — and that there are many tests that seem to show that they are bad, but many who have used them live fairly normal and long lives. I think it would be smart to not use plastic when you use one, and to not stand directly in front of it when it's running.
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@Mossy I would agree with that
