vince pitelka on tue 6 aug 02
I want to thank Gavin for his excellent rebuttal of that ridiculous list of
unsubstantiated scare-mongering anti-microwave warnings. What the hell was
that list doing on Clayart anyway? Did I miss something?
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@worldnet.att.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Tony Ferguson on tue 6 aug 02
If you would like to read more about the dangers of microwaves, check these
couple of sites out and decide for yourself. We threw our microwave out a
few years ago. One thing about doing research is to look at studies done by
other countries for further information. Many studies in our country are
biased in support of the almighty $ without real consideration for our
health. It's not a conspiracy, its about the money.
Health Freedom Resources
Public Awareness Announcement #1
12 June 2000
http://www.healthfree.com/paa/paa0001.htm
The Hidden Hazards of Microwave Cooking
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/microwave.html
Ten Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven
From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical
studies:
1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long
term - permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the
brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products
created in microwaved food.
3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by
continually eating microwaved foods.
4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term,
permanent] within the human body.
5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or
altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body
absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when
cooked in microwave ovens.
7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths
[tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in
America.
8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to
increase in human blood.
9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies
through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.
10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional
instability, and a decrease of intelligence.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michele Williams"
To:
Sent: Monday, August 05, 2002 8:24 PM
Subject: Correction for Microwaves, Plastic & Cancer
Folks, If I could find a rock to hide my red for-shame face, it would leave
my butt sticking out where you could kick it for me--which I probably
deserve. Sharon O'Toole, a friend who watches over her friends the way good
friends do, has sent me a correction and has given me permission to forward
it to all of you. With my apologies for being a gold-plate Sucker of the
First Rank P. T. Barnum Type, here is her explanation.
Michele,
Sorry, but some of this is crapola. Remember, I am an environmental
chemist/biologist and have dealt with this.
"He said we might remember when some of the fast food restaurants moved away
from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
Pass this on to your friends...."
This fool might try remembering the REAL reason - recycling. Not only was I
involved in this project in NJ, I have friends who own restaurants and even
they remember recycling as the reason.
"To add to this: Saran wrap placed over foods as they are nuked, with the
high heat, actually drips poisonous toxins into the food. Use paper towel
instead." This statement shows the abject stupidity of the man that made
this statement. First of all, microwaves are NOT "heat." They merely
"excite" the water molecules that have been placed in the microwave.
Secondly, Saran BRAND has been repeatedly tested and shown to be the one
brand that does NOT break down in the microwave. Even the "watchdog" groups
published this.
And there is "plastic" and then there is "plastic." These people are
labeling ALL polymers as plastic. HDPE is nukable and used by the government
labs, including environmental and food labs.
Ignore these postings and stories like this. If, after 20 years of use by
labs, something is REPEATEDLY proven safe (and no complaints and problems
from the people who have to work there), that has credibility. There is NOT
a chance I buy the "story" about this girl. I've heard it with a million
different versions.
Sharon
____________________________________________________________________________
__
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You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
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Gavin Stairs on tue 6 aug 02
At 02:40 PM 06/08/2002 -0700, Sharon wrote:
>If you would like to read more about the dangers of microwaves, check these
>couple of sites out and decide for yourself. ...
Dear Sharon,
Poppycock.
The points you make about money influencing the research are valid, but the
stuff below is nothing but scare-mongering. I'll go down the list.
>1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long
>term - permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in
>the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
Microwaves are simple radio frequency electromagnetic waves, or very low
frequency light. There's very little difference between putting something
in a microwave and putting it in an infrared oven, except... the microwaves
are more penetrating, so they heat from the inside out. It's this
penetration that is the main reason you shouldn't expose yourself to
microwaves: heats your innards.
But... there are no microwaves left in the food after you have finished
heating it. There is nothing left in the food to do what you are claiming,
except whatever is in normally cooked food. From what I hear, frying is
much more likely to synthesize nasties, because of it's much higher
temperature and greater charring. Frying makes polyacrylics and other
things out of saccharides like sugar and starch. Try giving up french
fries and hamburgers if you are fearful of nasties in food that come from
cooking.
>2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products
>created in microwaved food.
What unknown products might these be? The recent research in polymers from
cooking shows that the oldest forms of cooking may be producing mild
poisons. We have been eating this food (think anything that gets brown in
cooking) for millennia. Microwaving by contrast tends not to brown any
food, unless you intentionally place a browning platter under it. I find
that microwaving is one of the most gentle cookery methods available. It
is wonderful for fish, like salmon or trout. My favorite method at the moment.
>3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by
>continually eating microwaved foods.
I know of absolutely no evidence for this claim. I do not advocate the use
of many kind of plastics in cooking, and there may be a positive
correlation between the preparation of food by microwaving, and the use of
expanded polystyrene containers and other plasticized containers. That is
an issue of food container materials and the proper use of plasticizers,
not microwaving. It is plasicizers and plastics byproducts which are the
problem in pseudo-estrogens and similar crypto-hormones. Any form of heat
cooking will have the effect of driving these chemicals out of their
sources and potentially into food. However, I think the real danger is
that these chemicals are becoming ubiquitous in our environment through
inattention to what we are making and discarding. That is a real danger.
>4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term,
>permanent] within the human body.
This is redundant, and is addressed above.
>5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or
>altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human
>body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
All forms of cooking alter vitamins. Cooking is just altering proteins and
starches, sugars, fats, etc. Some of these alterations are potentially
beneficial (for example, killing some pathogens, altering some enzymes and
making some indigestible foods digestible) while others are not. The best
way to preserve vitamins is to eat raw foods. Next best is to use gentle
heating which preserves the juices, while avoiding oxidation. Microwaving
can do this very well.
>6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals
>when cooked in microwave ovens.
Minerals refers to the elemental constituents of food. Minerals are things
like calcium, iron, sodium, potassium. Minerals are best absorbed in the
form of salts, or chelated products. That means they are chemically
associated with organic ions, or organic radicals. When an organic salt is
absorbed, and its mineral fraction used in the body, the result is usually
that the organic part comes free, and is somewhat loosely associated with a
hydronium or hydrogen ion. This makes it an organic acid, or a free
radical. This process goes on all the time in the absorption of all kinds
of foods. There is some evidence that free radicals from food metabolism
are responsible for various aspects of aging, including cancer
processes. There is some speculation that this accounts for the longevity
factor associated with reduced caloric intake (near-starvation diet). I
know of no reason to suppose that microwave heating of food in any way
exacerbates this.
>7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths
>[tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in
>America.
There are many possible reasons for this, but microwaving food has to be
around the least probable of these. Try too many overheated fats, fried
foods, insecticides, hormones and pharmaceuticals in beef production, etc.,
etc.
>8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to
>increase in human blood.
On what evidence? By what mechanism? How on earth?
>9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system
>deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.
See above.
>10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration,
>emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.
Ditto.
I have very little hope of convincing you of these points, Sharon, but
perhaps some who have read your post may be amenable. Let me say that I
have absolutely no connection with the microwave industry, nor do I earn
any money from the sales of microwave units or anything remotely associated
with them. In fact, I earn very little money at all, but that has no
relevance. I do live in a two microwave house, and I use them almost every
day, to reheat food and to cook fish, principally. I also cook with a wok,
fry pan, steamer, toaster, oven, etc. I eat organic veggies and the odd
bit of meat. One day I will die, and when I do, I won't blame the microwaves.
Gavin
Evan Clifford on wed 7 aug 02
I was just watching the TLC mini series, "How to Build a Human".
Very interesting. They were talking about aging and how it can be
associated with our mitochondria producing free radicals. The radicals
can penetrate cell defenses and attack the genes within the cells. This
could be a reason for dementia as we get old. The mitochondria use
oxygen, the brain consumes the most oxygen in the body, therefore the
mitochondria in brain cells are producing more free radicals. These do
a lot of damage to the brain.
Think, with every breath you take, your body is produce free
radicals. I would like to thank Gavin for taking time to put down those
silly ideas...
-Evan
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On
Behalf Of Gavin Stairs
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2002 7:03 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Microwaves do the research yourself. Top 10
At 02:40 PM 06/08/2002 -0700, Sharon wrote:
>If you would like to read more about the dangers of microwaves, check
these
>couple of sites out and decide for yourself. ...
Dear Sharon,
Poppycock.
The points you make about money influencing the research are valid, but
the
stuff below is nothing but scare-mongering. I'll go down the list.
>1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long
>term - permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses
in
>the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
Microwaves are simple radio frequency electromagnetic waves, or very low
frequency light. There's very little difference between putting
something
in a microwave and putting it in an infrared oven, except... the
microwaves
are more penetrating, so they heat from the inside out. It's this
penetration that is the main reason you shouldn't expose yourself to
microwaves: heats your innards.
But... there are no microwaves left in the food after you have finished
heating it. There is nothing left in the food to do what you are
claiming,
except whatever is in normally cooked food. From what I hear, frying is
much more likely to synthesize nasties, because of it's much higher
temperature and greater charring. Frying makes polyacrylics and other
things out of saccharides like sugar and starch. Try giving up french
fries and hamburgers if you are fearful of nasties in food that come
from
cooking.
>2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown
by-products
>created in microwaved food.
What unknown products might these be? The recent research in polymers
from
cooking shows that the oldest forms of cooking may be producing mild
poisons. We have been eating this food (think anything that gets brown
in
cooking) for millennia. Microwaving by contrast tends not to brown any
food, unless you intentionally place a browning platter under it. I
find
that microwaving is one of the most gentle cookery methods available.
It
is wonderful for fish, like salmon or trout. My favorite method at the
moment.
>3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by
>continually eating microwaved foods.
I know of absolutely no evidence for this claim. I do not advocate the
use
of many kind of plastics in cooking, and there may be a positive
correlation between the preparation of food by microwaving, and the use
of
expanded polystyrene containers and other plasticized containers. That
is
an issue of food container materials and the proper use of plasticizers,
not microwaving. It is plasicizers and plastics byproducts which are
the
problem in pseudo-estrogens and similar crypto-hormones. Any form of
heat
cooking will have the effect of driving these chemicals out of their
sources and potentially into food. However, I think the real danger is
that these chemicals are becoming ubiquitous in our environment through
inattention to what we are making and discarding. That is a real
danger.
>4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term,
>permanent] within the human body.
This is redundant, and is addressed above.
>5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced
or
>altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human
>body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
All forms of cooking alter vitamins. Cooking is just altering proteins
and
starches, sugars, fats, etc. Some of these alterations are potentially
beneficial (for example, killing some pathogens, altering some enzymes
and
making some indigestible foods digestible) while others are not. The
best
way to preserve vitamins is to eat raw foods. Next best is to use
gentle
heating which preserves the juices, while avoiding oxidation.
Microwaving
can do this very well.
>6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals
>when cooked in microwave ovens.
Minerals refers to the elemental constituents of food. Minerals are
things
like calcium, iron, sodium, potassium. Minerals are best absorbed in
the
form of salts, or chelated products. That means they are chemically
associated with organic ions, or organic radicals. When an organic salt
is
absorbed, and its mineral fraction used in the body, the result is
usually
that the organic part comes free, and is somewhat loosely associated
with a
hydronium or hydrogen ion. This makes it an organic acid, or a free
radical. This process goes on all the time in the absorption of all
kinds
of foods. There is some evidence that free radicals from food
metabolism
are responsible for various aspects of aging, including cancer
processes. There is some speculation that this accounts for the
longevity
factor associated with reduced caloric intake (near-starvation diet). I
know of no reason to suppose that microwave heating of food in any way
exacerbates this.
>7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths
>[tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer
in
>America.
There are many possible reasons for this, but microwaving food has to be
around the least probable of these. Try too many overheated fats, fried
foods, insecticides, hormones and pharmaceuticals in beef production,
etc.,
etc.
>8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to
>increase in human blood.
On what evidence? By what mechanism? How on earth?
>9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system
>deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.
See above.
>10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration,
>emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.
Ditto.
I have very little hope of convincing you of these points, Sharon, but
perhaps some who have read your post may be amenable. Let me say that I
have absolutely no connection with the microwave industry, nor do I earn
any money from the sales of microwave units or anything remotely
associated
with them. In fact, I earn very little money at all, but that has no
relevance. I do live in a two microwave house, and I use them almost
every
day, to reheat food and to cook fish, principally. I also cook with a
wok,
fry pan, steamer, toaster, oven, etc. I eat organic veggies and the odd
bit of meat. One day I will die, and when I do, I won't blame the
microwaves.
Gavin
________________________________________________________________________
______
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Gavin Stairs on thu 20 nov 03
Sharon sent me the message below, taking me to task for
a misattributed posting of August 2002. I am submitting this apology and
correction to the list in order to make amends. Gavin Stairs
Dear Sharon,
I am no longer actively participating on the Clayart list. The url you
sent me apparently refers to a summary from an archive of that list. I was
able to review my own copy of the list postings from about a year ago. It
appears that I rebutted points in a posting from Tony Ferguson which had
your signature at the bottom, attached to a reply to a reply. I suppose
that I got confused by the welter of signature. I apologize for this
misattribution. I note that I referred to you only by your first name, and
that our positions on the substance are not dissimilar.
Please accept my apology. I am sure that you can see that there was no
malice directed to you in my posting. However, I cannot correct the public
record except by means of a correction such as this.
Gavin Stairs
At 02:30 PM 20/11/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>Gavin,
>
> You need to correct a posting at
> http://www.potters.org/subject55557.htm
> where you rebutt statements you claim I made. I did NOT make those
> statements as other postings clearly indicate. You rebuke me for making
> false statements, when I did not make any of them, yet you are entirely
> wrong in your claim I made them. Your posting is defamatory to me and,
> as posted, libelous. Try getting YOUR facts right.
>
>Sharon
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