Effects of Microwaving Food: Microwave Ovens Effects

In the book The Food Doctor, the authors state that Microwaving causes the the water molecules present in the food to vibrate, and this movement creates the heat which cooks the food. The microwaves bounce off the oven walls and into the food. Nutrient levels of vegetables remain reasonably high after microwaving, probably due to the short cooking time- which is the main advantage of this cooking method. However, nutrients are still lost, so steaming vegetables is a preferable method of cooking.

Further they state that one of the biggest problems with this cooking method is the type of food that is generally cooked in microwave ovens. Processed 'ready meals' contain sugar, salt and often hydrogenated fats - all of which can be harmful to the body. In addition, when they are microwaved, these foodstuffs are the most susceptible to certain molecular changes. This change in molecular structure can lead to free-radical damage.