Dr. Pallavi

One appliance that has emerged as a lifesaver in the kitchen is the microwave. This product has transformed the way we cook and have our food. However, we fail to think about the health benefits of the food that has been microwaved!

Here are five reasons why you should NOT microwave your food!

1. Nonionising radiation: Most of us primarily use the microwave to heat food and to defrost frozen and packaged food. The microwave carries out these processes by releasing a series of heat waves also known as nonionising radiation, which alters the very composition of your food, making it harmful or less than ideal for your system.
2. High temperatures within a short span of time: When we use the microwave to heat up or defrost or even cook something in a few seconds or minutes, the device emanates an unusually high temperature within that short span of time. The result is that the food experiences a great deal of nutrient loss.
3. Consuming a toxic meal: When you heat a pre pre-packaged meal or meat and frozen vegetables in the microwave, it mixes with the toxins released by the plastic packaging thanks to the heat waves within the microwave. This can cause harmful effects on your health in the long run, including cardiac disease and abnormal hormonal conditions.
4. Damage to the Nervous System: Food processed in the microwave can lead to a process called 'shorting out' which alters the electrical impulses in your nervous system and brain. This damage is usually permanent.
5. Cancerous cell growth: Using the microwave to process your food can lead not only to a loss of nourishment but also to an increase in cancer causing substances in food. When ingested, this food can prove to be dangerous.

We are bombarded with advertisements of how 'good mothers' never fail to have their children use antibacterial soap as a habit. But does it really work? There have been several reports of potentially harmful ingredients being used in these antibacterial soaps and yet their sale continues unhindered. Let's dive in to get the dope behind these soaps.

What are antibacterial soaps?

A drug called 'triclosan' was originally used strictly in hospital environments. In the 1990s the commercial manufacture of antibacterial soaps started with this ingredient in its center and fear mongering and advertisements pushed this into a whooping $1 billion industry. There is murky data on the FDA approval on triclosan usage and guidelines which are leaving us only with information the manufacturers propagate about it. But with enough information out there on the internet, should you wait for manufacturers to prove its effectiveness or make a judgment call? Here are a few facts to help:

1. It is as effective as conventional soap: There are countless studies and researches done in the last four decades that proves that antibacterial soaps are not more effective than regular soaps and the added triclosan doesn't proved any special health benefits. These tests measure the amount of bacteria in one's hand before and after usage. But the real question is do antibacterial soaps reduce infection rates and the answer to that question is yet to be proven.

2. It has the potential to create antibiotic-resistant bacteria: The main benefit of using these products is its bacteria resistant formula. With frequent usage, some bacteria gain resistance to the chemicals. Eventually, while the soap kills off regular bacteria, the resistant bacteria can spiral into a local or global threat.

3. It can disrupt endocrine functions: Triclosan closely resembles the thyroid hormone and can bid to its receptor sites. This can lead to many problems like infertility, artificially-advanced early puberty, obesity, and cancer. This problem has been found during animal testing and yet not proven for humans. With so much threat on the loose, would it matter how effective or ineffective the antibacterial soap is against bacteria?

4. It can lead to problems in children: At a growing age, children are developing their immune system and natural resistance to diseases. Prolonged exposure to antibacterial soap can result in reduced exposure to bacteria which prevention the proper development of the child's immune system.

5. It is bad for the environment too: The more triclosan we use, the more gets flushed down the drain. The problem arises because triclosan isn't fully treated at sewage treatment plans and enters water bodies where it disrupts algae's ability to perform photosynthesis. The spin ball effect reaches all sea animals and plants and eventually comes back to attack us in ways we are yet to find out.

The solution to this problem is to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that is effective on both bacteria and viruses. If you are wondering how you can add bacteria resistance to your family without any added harm, consult a doctor today.

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