Debi Pearl

MICROWAVE OVENS: A HEALTH RISK?

 

Years before microwave ovens were retailed in this country, the US War Department came into possession of German research on microwave ovens. This was research seized at the end of World War II. The Nazis had developed the earliest forms of microwave ovens as a means preparing meals quickly for troops invading Russia. The German research documents were transferred to the US War Department for further study.

 

The Russians acquired some of the German ovens and began their own testing on the biological effects of their use. The Soviets outlawed the use of microwave ovens and issued an international warning on the biological health hazards as well as the environmental health hazards associated with the use of microwave ovens. Eastern European scientists concurred with the Russian findings and urged strict environmental limits.

 

The Russians also tested thousands of workers exposed to microwaves during radar development in the 1950s. They concluded that simple exposure to the energy field was sufficient to cause side effects. These results caused the Russians to limit exposure to 10 microwatts for industry workers and 1 microwatt for civilians.

 

People exposed to microwave radiation experienced microwave sickness characterized by chronic stress, high blood pressure, headaches, memory loss, dizziness, eye pain, sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, stomach pain, nervous tension, inability to concentrate, hair loss, plus an increase incidence of appendicitis, cataracts, reproductive problems, cancer, adrenal exhaustion, ischemic heart disease. These symptoms are suggestive of inflammatory difficulties.

 

 

When first introduced in the US, many cooks shunned microwave ovens. It was thought that exciting molecules within foods was an unnatural tampering that would render foods unsafe. Many other countries shared the concerns of the Russian researchers and outlawed the use of microwave ovens. The US government, however, assured citizens that microwave ovens were safe to use in food preparation and heating.

 

With the arrival of Perestroika in 1987, Russia rescinded their restrictions on the use of microwave ovens.

 

 

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Dr. Hertel concluded that there were definite health risks associated with consumption of foods cooked in a microwave oven compared to conventionally prepared foods. He went on to say that consuming micro-waved foods had cancerous effects on the blood. His findings were published in 1991 along with an article about him in the Journal Franz Weber.

 

Manufacturers of microwave ovens effectively used trade laws and the Swiss court to silence Dr. Hertel and threaten him with personal ruin if he revealed his findings. In March 1993, Dr. Hertel was convicted for "interfering with commerce" and prohibited from further publishing his results. This decision was reversed in a judgment delivered in Strasbourg, Austria, on August 25, 1998. Switzerland was ordered to pay Dr. Hertel compensation.

 

Retailers, manufacturers and the government continue to assert that these appliances are harmless to humans. However, this is in contrast to the published studies that offer evidence to the contrary. Not only must we consider how our foods are grown and harvested, but how they are prepared.

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