Social Psychologist & Personal Advisor

Dr Matt's Myth Busting!

Do Microwaves Change the Molecular Structure of Food?.
.by Matt Moody, Ph.D.

This Myth is wide-spread. My Internet research shows that there are more people perpetuating the Myth compared to those who are busting it. Why so? Because the average person is NOT educationally equipped to answer this question; when you learn some facts about physics, this Myth quickly goes away.

Many people buy the Myth because of the erroneous impressions set by movie fiction: Consider the lethal effects of "ray guns" used by Flash Gordon, the destructive effects of "phasers" from Star Trek and "blasters" in Star Wars. In the minds of many, such fictional influence plants an erroneous idea: that invisible microwaves just might be capable of altering the molecular structure of food — and it's better to be safe than sorry.

Knowing a few facts about physics is the key to overcoming this Myth. Here's a credible source who gives an answer you can rely on. A person with the education and expertise to know exactly what Microwaves are and how they effect food:

Louis A. Bloomfield has a Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford University. He is the author of the book, "How Everything Works: Making Physics Out of the Ordinary." Bloomfield is a Professor of Physics at the University of Virginia.

Here is Bloomfield's answer to this specific question:

Don't microwaves change the molecular structure and composition of food, by ejecting some electrons from atoms and forming cancer-causing free radicals?

"Microwaves don't affect the molecular structure of the food, except through the thermal effects we associate with normal cooking (e.g., denaturing of proteins with heat and caramelizing of sugars). That's because, like all electromagnetic waves, microwaves are emitted and absorbed as particles called "photons." The energy in a microwave photon is so tiny that it can't cause any chemical rearrangement in a molecule. Instead, it can only add a tiny amount of heat to a water molecule." Here's his whole answer, and here is more about Bloomfield's credentials.

Concerning the effects of Microwaves on Water, I found a fantastic article at Snopes; their research was written to rebut a Rumor-Spreading Email about microwaving water. The Erroneous Email provided pictures of just two plants: one was given microwaved water and a second plant received regular water. Over the course of a week, the microwaved-water plant supposedly shriveled and died — according to the Erroneous Email.

Snopes replicated this "watering" experiment, but with nine 9 healthy plants of three 3 different plant varieties X three 3 different water supplies.

                    3 plants given unboiled room-temperature water
                    3 plants given microwave-boiled water, cooled to room temperature
                    3 plants given stove-top boiled water, cooled to room temperature

The person watering the plants didn't know which water was which. In scientific method, this is called "double-blind" — the experimenter is blind to knowing variables versus placebos and so are the subjects. This eliminated any possible "green thumb" effect, where certain plants receive MORE care and attention from the waterer, because deep down the experimenter may hope the final results will match his/her bias going in.

Of course, true scientists only hope that they get valid results: that WHAT IS will be revealed and accurately documented.

When people are the subjects in experiments, it is vital that both experimenters and subjects be blind, else the results will be skewed due to the Heisenberg Effect and the Acquiescence Effect — where helpful people try to help experimenters by giving them what they think they want. Hence, Experimenters assure valid conclusions when Subjects are NOT informed of the specific variables under observation — the Subjects are "blind" to this knowledge.

At the end of the plant-watering experiment, the "waterer" (who was blind to knowing which water was which) was asked to pick out the plants that faired best within each of three 3 watering groups, according to visual vitality: 2 out of 3 plants chosen to appear most healthy, were plants that received microwave-boiled water. Read the findings and see the photos at Snopes.

Related Articles: Microwaving Food in Plastic Containers & Wraps Causes Cancer

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The Journey
For this is the Journey that men make:.
To find themselves. If they fail in this, it matters little
whatever else they may achieve: Money, Fame, Revenge.
When they end the Journey, they can put them all into
a bin marked “ashes.” They mean nothing.
But if one has found that he has within him
a divine soul, if he has discovered the principles
upon which the fulfillment of that soul is based, and
if he implements those principles, then he has a mansion
within which he can live with dignity
and joy each day of his life.
(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 1).

Dr. Matt offers telephone counseling that will teach you
the principles upon which the fulfillment of your soul is based.

The Greatest Prize
for Life's labors isn't
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(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 274).

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- Matt Moody 

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Social Psychologist & Personal Advisor