Microwave ovens are firmly in our lives. Today they can be seen in almost every kitchen, and we are already used to warming up our breakfast without using a stove or a frying pan. It is convenient, however, what is harmful to a microwave oven? You must have heard about the harm of microwave ovens: about dangerous radiation, about how useful products in them become harmful and so on, writes toneto. Net. Experts told that they know about the safety of microwaves scientists. How does the microwave work? Alertness with regard to microwave ovens is fueled by the fact that many people completely do not understand exactly how they heat food. For ordinary people, the microwave remains a mysterious box that turns cold foods into hot. Despite the fact that this is the simplest description, it does not say anything about the very mechanism of heating, and many of this uncertainty frightens. So let's start with an explanation of how microwaves work. In each microwave oven there is an electromagnetic wave generator. It creates radiation in the furnace chamber, causing water molecules to oscillate. In spite of the microscopic scale of these oscillations, when the molecules rub against one another, heat is generated, which is sufficient for heating the products. Water is necessarily contained in everything that we eat, in addition, under the action of radiation, other polarized molecules contained in food. As you can see, the mechanism is quite simple. When rubbing, heat is always generated: try rubbing your palms for a few seconds - and you will feel how they become warm. In general terms: the same energy of friction works in your microwave too. Myth number 1. Dangerous radiation Despite the fact that the word "radiation" horrifies many people, the radiation used in a microwave oven is quite safe. After all, as you already know, the only thing that it can do is to make polarized molecules oscillate, as a result of which they heat up. In this way it differs from radioactive radiation, which leads to the decay of molecules and atoms. The radiation of the microwave leaves the structure of the molecules unchanged, so it is quite safe. Myth number 2. Do not stand next to a working microwave. The microwave radiation has a poor penetrating power and is easily retained even by a thin layer of metal. That is why the walls of microwave ovens are usually made of metal. In this situation, the main source of "leakage" of radiation is the oven door, so it makes sense to make sure that it is tightly closed. All modern microwave ovens automatically turn off when the door is opened, so the risk of exposure to radiation is minimal. The "leakage" of radiation from a working microwave oven is so small that at least some noticeable amount of radiation can be obtained only if you firmly embrace the operating microwave. It's unlikely that this will occur to you, right? And even if it does, the maximum that will happen to you - you will feel a little heat. Myth number 3. The microwave oven makes the products harmful As we have already explained, the only thing that a microwave can do with food is to heat them. Therefore, the only changes that can occur are related to the processes that occur when food is heated. When using microwave, they are no different from those that occur during traditional cooking or frying. It is known that the temperature treatment leads to a decrease in the content of vitamins and other nutrients: fresh vegetables and fruits are more useful than cooked. However, the microwave oven has a slight advantage: as the products in it are cooked faster, vitamins are preserved better. For example, this is true for vitamin B12. Moreover, studies have shown that when cooking in a microwave oven, most water-soluble vitamins (such as B1, B2, folic acid) are better preserved,. This is due to the fact that in the microwave oven food is prepared "dry", without immersion in boiling water, which "flushes" part of the vitamins. Another advantage of using microwave oven: when preparing dishes, they do not require a lot of oil. At the usual frying on the stove, on the contrary, you need a lot of oil. When it melts and burns, carcinogens are formed from the oil - substances that can cause cancer. Thus, there is no reason to believe that the use of a microwave oven can harm you (and vice versa, in some cases it will be more useful). However, it makes sense to remember a few simple precautions that will help you safely use a microwave. Precautions Be careful that the oven door remains operable and closes tightly. So you avoid "leakage" of radiation outside. Do not use cheap plastic containers. When heated, they can release harmful substances. It is best to use containers of glass and ceramics. Be careful with heating the liquids in the microwave. In it, they can heat up above the boiling point and suddenly boil when you touch them, splashing out. To avoid burns, remove fluids from the microwave oven gently and gently.

Studies of microwave safety conducted by government agencies and experts from different countries have shown that it is not only safe but also convenient to cook in a microwave oven. There remains a small number of experts who believe otherwise, but they did not find any convincing evidence for the past half-century. So you can safely continue to use your microwave and not worry about "harmful radiation", nor about other frightening fictions.

Original article: What you need to know about microwave ovens.