Nowadays, microwave ovens have become a commonly used electrical appliance for many families and office workers. Turn on the button, hold the food around for a few times, ding, and the rice will be ready. Many people who don’t want to cook can just heat it up. Eating is really convenient. However, many people are afraid of microwave-heated meals. There are rumors on the Internet that food heated in microwave ovens will produce carcinogens and cause some diseases. Is it really?
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A microwave oven heats food by emitting an electromagnetic wave with a frequency of 2.45GHz, which drives the water and other molecules in the food to perform high-frequency rotation and friction, causing the temperature to rise sharply in a short period of time. high. Only the temperature of the food is changed, not the properties of the food. At the same time, because the microwave is different from the special wavelength of other rays, there will be no radiation remaining in the food, and no carcinogens will be produced.
The production of carcinogens is related to temperature, not heating method. Unhealthy health conditions usually occur because the food burns when heated, and the scorch is rich in carcinogens, not the microwave itself.
When the temperature exceeds 120 degrees, carbohydrates and amino acids in food can produce acrylamide carcinogens; when the temperature exceeds 200 degrees, food The protein in the food can produce heterocyclic amine carcinogens; when the heating temperature exceeds 300 degrees, the fat in the food can produce benzopyrene carcinogens.
However, other cooking and heating methods also have the same possibility of causing cancer, such as overheating oil, burning food, and microwave heating. , will produce carcinogens.
According to some data, the cooking temperature in general households is about 200℃, and the highest temperature can reach above 300℃, and the temperature of microwave heating food is lower than the general cooking temperature. , the heating efficiency is higher, the time required is shorter, the nutrient loss is relatively small, more nutrients such as vitamin B family and vitamin C can be preserved, and the production of harmful substances can be reduced. Therefore, as long as it is not overheated and the core temperature is appropriate, it may reduce the chance of carcinogens.
Therefore, compared with cooking methods such as frying and stewing used in daily households, microwave oven heating food will not destroy nutrients, but help nutrients. The retention of vitamins and minerals in the food is more retained due to the fast heating and no need to add water.
Source: Inner Mongolia Daily People’s Network Science China