To microwave or not to microwave, that is the question

Should you microwave your food?  In an effort to uncover the answer to this question, there were many articles both in support and against microwaving your food.  In the end, DCAM's research lead to a scientific paper where the structure of three macronutrients (carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins) were tested prior to and after heating in the microwave.  The paper goes into great detail explaining the specific structural changes that occurred during microwaving.  To be clear, the structure of all three macronutrients can and often did change during microwaving.  Some of those changes were positive, and some were negative.  An example of a positive change was the digestibility of specific starches changed in such a way that there was less of an impact on blood glucose levels post meal.  Another example was the structure of proteins could change in a way that made those proteins less allergenic.  

There were also negative effects on all three macronutrients.  Two examples of negative effects were a breakdown of proteins into free radicals and the changing of some specific proteins to make them more allergenic.  

Taste can certainly be effect by the microwave.  Certain macronutrients are better suited to be microwaved than others, resulting in retained flavor when compared to traditional cooking methods.  However, some macros, like a raw chicken breast, are just never meant to be cooked in the microwave due to the certain difference in flavor between a pan fried or grilled chicken breast.  

What about nutrient content.  In general, because a microwave heats faster than traditional boiling or cooking, the nutrient content of food is often better preserved.  This is especially true for vitamins A and C.  

So what is the bottom line?  According to the study, microwaving your food is not a bad decision.  There needs, however, to be consideration given to the power of the microwave used, the amount of time the item is cooked for, and the overall composition of the food to begin with.  Few to no studies of this specific nature have been done on foods that contain different ingredients, for example; chicken parm over pasta.  The ingredients in this meal have different ideal cooking times, heats, and power levels.  Warming the ingredients up all at the same time with same power level and cooking time can result in what many might perceive as a decrease in quality over fresh.  This decrease in quality is likely due to the degradation of specific macronutrients and their structures within the foods.   

This study provides an understanding that the microwave has a place in kitchens across the world.  It serves as a great way to quickly warm food, but attention should be paid to not overcooking the food, using too much time or too much power.  The overcooked food could contain dangerous free radicals, abnormal cellular structures and increased allergenic effects.  And, let's not forget to mention you should always microwave your food in glass containers.  While many food storage, preparation and serving products are made from plastic, microwaving them can accelerate the release of harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates.  These harmful chemicals are endocrine disruptors.  They can mimic, block or interfere with the body's hormones--possibly increasing the risk of various conditions including infertility, some cancers, metabolic diseases, neurological conditions and immune system dysfunction.  Research is still continuing in this area.    

We encourage your to read the study for yourself.  Here is the link:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9607893/