Is it possible to heat breast milk or formula in the microwave: the consequences of heating

If we are talking about cow's or goat's milk, then, despite the occasional warnings about the dangers of heating milk in a microwave oven, the answer is yes. However, on the question of whether it is possible to heat breast milk and baby food in a microwave, opinions are divided almost equally. Supporters of heating refer to common sense and the statements of Professor Komarovsky, while opponents rely on the results of little-known studies.

As for the harm that is attributed to microwaves, one rule applies: heating in a microwave oven is no more harmful than other methods of heating food, but most likely the opposite. The main thing is not to overheat the food and set the time correctly. According to the logic of microwave oven opponents, food heated in a microwave oven is “dead” because it is subjected to heat treatment. But in the microwave it is the smallest! Draw your own conclusions.

What to store in

You can store it in the bottles you used to express it. But this is only if you have a sufficient supply or the milk is used almost immediately. You can also pour it into glass jars, for example, from baby purees or juices. But before that, you need to sterilize the containers and dry them thoroughly. They are only suitable for storage in the refrigerator. For the freezer, it is better to use disposable bags. They are more practical, airtight and sterile.

Each container must be dated and timed. This will allow you to use milk on time and not give your baby expired milk. This is also done in order to understand at what time it separates more.

You can store at room temperature for 6 hours if it does not exceed 28 degrees. If the apartment is cool, up to 22 degrees, then you can store it for 8-10 hours. In the refrigerator, the shelf life can last from 4 to 8 days. The longest period is in the freezer. There it can lie for up to 3 months, and in the extra-frozen compartment - 6-12 months.

FAQ

Especially for you, we have prepared answers to frequently asked questions regarding breastfeeding. A breastfeeding specialist will answer your questions.

Question: “Can breast milk be heated?”

Answer: “Of course, breast milk can be heated. If you are faced with this question, then we can conclude that you are bottle-feeding your baby with expressed milk, which should be stored in the refrigerator.”

Question: “How many times can breast milk be warmed?”

Answer: “Ideally, it is better to warm up expressed breast milk no more than once. Because due to frequent heating, it loses its beneficial properties. If you know that your baby eats less milk at one feeding than you prepared for him, then it is better to divide it into two servings. In extreme cases, the number of warm-ups can reach two times.”

Question: “Can breast milk be heated twice?”

Answer: “Breast milk can be heated twice if you have no other options. After the second heating, the milk will lose all its beneficial properties and become empty.”

Question: “How to warm breast milk correctly?”

Answer: “It is better to heat breast milk in a special heater or in a water bath; in extreme cases, you can use a microwave. It must be remembered that the ideal temperature of milk is from 36 to 37 degrees. Milk can only be heated in a bottle. It is prohibited to heat milk in a saucepan on the stove.”

Question: “Is it necessary to warm breast milk at room temperature and how to do it correctly?”

Answer: “In extremely rare cases, using milk at room temperature is possible without heating. For better absorption, the recommended temperature is from 36 to 37 degrees. Do not neglect heating breast milk. But it’s worth noting that this does not apply to the water you give your baby; it can be used without heating.”

Can milk be heated in the microwave?

A microwave helps heat food quickly. At the same time, water and its molecules begin to actively move, releasing energy. As a result, the food heats up. It is very convenient to heat infant formula and breast milk. But is it really safe? Can you heat breast milk in the microwave?

Breast milk is a valuable dairy product. Formed when women begin lactation. Contains proteins, vitamins, minerals, antibodies necessary for the development of the child and protecting him from infections. Breast milk enters the baby's body in a heated form and is at the mother's body temperature. However, there are times when you need to pump milk to get away for a few hours.

For heat treatment of milk cooled in the refrigerator, many people use a microwave oven. But this is unsafe for the baby's health. Under the influence of electromagnetic radiation, spot heating of the product occurs. This leads to destruction (complete destruction) of protein molecules and antibodies of a protein nature. If you do not adhere to certain heating rules, there is a risk of converting amino acids into toxic isomers, which will negatively affect the child’s body.

Breast milk heated in a microwave oven loses its beneficial properties and can be harmful. It cannot be heated in the microwave.

Food does not heat evenly in the microwave. There is a risk that the dairy products and mixture will heat up in parts. If you do not shake the liquid well before serving and do not measure its temperature, the child may burn the mucous membrane of the mouth.

Cow's milk

Cow's milk should be given to children after one year of age. It cannot be used as a supplement or a substitute for mother's milk or formula. A newborn cannot absorb cow protein or fully process milk components.

The daily intake of cow's milk at the age of 1 to 3 years is 2-3 glasses, after 3 years - as much as the body requires. Cow's milk, especially those purchased at the market, should be boiled before consumption.

This is important to do, as it may contain dangerous bacteria that can cause serious illness. As a result of boiling, most protein molecules, vitamins, and minerals are preserved

Some people boil milk in the microwave, but with this processing method, more nutrients are lost than with regular boiling and pasteurization. You can use microwave ovens to heat the product, but heating will be uneven.

Goat milk

Goat milk contains less casein protein, which is difficult to process, and more vitamins. Goat protein practically does not cause allergies. Milk can be given as early as 9 months, and supplementary feeding of the baby if the mother’s lactation is poor

It is important to boil before eating. Do not do this in the microwave

You can use a microwave oven for heating if you follow the rules and select the right dishes.

The best heat treatment method is a water bath.

Can the mixture be heated in the microwave?

Each mother decides for herself whether to heat the mixture in the microwave. Electromagnetic radiation changes the structure of food, it becomes harmful. But some people believe that microwave ovens are safe. It is better to use the microwave as little as possible and use safer heat treatment methods. When artificial feeding:

prepare the mixture before using it;
Sterilize bottles every time;
Do not reheat baby food;
Discard the remaining mixture after eating.

Why you shouldn’t heat your mother’s milk in the microwave

Modern mothers find it convenient to heat milk in the microwave. Heat-resistant bottles or containers with baby food can be placed in the device, and within a minute you will receive a warm product. However, experts do not recommend heating breast milk for an infant in a microwave oven.

Why you should not heat milk in the microwave:

In a microwave, liquid does not heat up evenly. Due to the difference in density, breast milk already becomes hot on top, almost boiling (and the beneficial substances in it die), while the bottom still remains cold. The baby will easily get burned with this product.
Heat treatment of breast milk destroys immunoglobulins. These antibodies are produced in the mother's body and help develop the baby's immunity. When heated with gas or in the microwave, useful substances are destroyed.
When heated, some vitamins and enzymes lose their activity. Therefore, it is better if the child receives a portion of food from the mother's breast. When it comes to bottle feeding a baby, it is recommended to choose safer heating methods.

If you still enjoy the benefits of civilization and heat breast milk in the microwave, then you need to stir it thoroughly. Before giving food to the baby, you should leave it for 1-2 minutes at room temperature. This is necessary so that all the liquid becomes the same temperature. The optimal temperature for baby food is 37 degrees.

Is it harmful to heat food in the microwave?

There are various theories and speculations surrounding microwave ovens that cast doubt on their safety. It is difficult for an ordinary person who understands kitchen appliances only at the user level to determine what is true and what is false. This causes many to refuse to use a convenient device.

Today, people's opinions regarding heating food in the microwave are almost equally divided:

one part believes that there is no harm in such a technique, moreover, food from a microwave oven is healthy, as it cooks quickly, which means it does not lose useful vitamins and microelements, does not contain harmful fats and other substances that are not beneficial for the body;
the second believes that microwaves negatively affect the condition of the product and residual radiation is present in heated food and enters the body.

The benefits of food cooked or heated in a microwave oven can be debated. And when it comes to children, doubts arise even more often and a difficult choice arises between convenience and safety.

Advantages and disadvantages

Since many mothers still use the quick microwave method, it's worth talking about the advantages and disadvantages of this method. Among the main advantages:

convenience;
speed.

Perhaps this is where the benefit ends, since there are many more disadvantages:

useful compounds die;
milk can “run away”;
pathogenic compounds are formed that negatively affect health.

No one says that you can’t heat, but you shouldn’t do it while caring about your health and the condition of your loved ones. Numerous studies put forward more factors “against” than “for”. Another proof of this is the fact that in Spain scientists have proven that such healthy broccoli, heated in a microwave, loses 98% of its beneficial qualities. So, whether or not to heat milk in the microwave is up to everyone to decide for themselves.

Features of storing and heating breast milk

Breast milk contains elements important for the baby's development: oligosaccharides, beneficial bacteria, antibodies and proteins. In order to preserve them to the maximum, you should familiarize yourself with the specifics of its storage and heating.

There are several options for storing breast milk:

room storage conditions;
chilled look;
frozen state.

Room storage conditions depend on temperature. If it is from 18 to 21 ºC, expressed milk should be stored for 6 hours, and in the case of a constant average temperature of 23 to 25ºC - no more than 3 hours. In the refrigerator, expressed milk remains healthy for a week.

The nutritional properties of milk are preserved, but the immune benefits are partially lost if it is stored frozen. However, it still remains more useful than factory-made infant formula. In the freezer compartment, at temperatures down to -16 ºC, the shelf life is up to 3 months, and at temperatures up to – 19 ºC, up to 6 months are possible. Be sure to indicate the freezing date.

Regardless of the storage method chosen, it is important to choose the right container. Which, when heated and cooled, does not affect the composition of the product

Conditions for choosing containers:

sterility;
presence of a measuring scale;
Tight screw cap.

The required container can be easily found at a pharmacy or specialty store. For storage in the freezer, it is convenient to use specially designed bags and containers. They are not damaged by freezing and have a measuring scale. The downside is the high cost and the fact that the bags cannot be reused. Do not forget to sign the date of expression of the product in order to comply with shelf life.

The shelf life of food is significantly influenced by sterilization of containers. If reusable containers are used, they must be sterilized before each use. To do this, you need to heat the water to a boil. When steam appears, hold the storage container over it for 3 - 5 minutes. Lids should also be sterilized. Some modern heating appliances are equipped with this useful feature.

Once cooled and frozen, breast milk can be heated. To do this, you need to choose one of the methods: a water bath, running water or special electrical appliances.

The main thing is to follow the rules and sequence of preparing food for consumption:

Frozen breast milk must thaw in the refrigerator before heating;
do not expose the product to direct fire;
re-freezing is not possible;
expressed milk should not be boiled, maximum heating temperature is 37ºC;
Before feeding, shake the filled container so that its temperature becomes uniform.

Heating Recommendations

If parents of a newborn child are interested in the full and harmonious development of their baby, then they should familiarize themselves with the rules for using and storing expressed breast milk. These rules include:

Before heating frozen milk, it must be thawed at room temperature;
Thawed or reheated food cannot be re-frozen in the refrigerator;
It is strictly forbidden to bring expressed breast milk to a boil;
The temperature of the heated product does not exceed 37 degrees;
Before feeding your baby, it is recommended to shake the milk and make sure it is warmed evenly;
It is permissible to warm up baby food no more than once;
A liquid thermometer is used to estimate the temperature of the product.

By following all the rules and regulations for the use of expressed breast milk, parents of a newborn do not expose their baby to the risk of receiving poor-quality nutrition. And nutrition, as you know, is the basis of all life.

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Rules for using the oven

In addition to selecting fuel, it is necessary to take into account other rules for using the stove in order to get the most out of it. For example, if you have been away for a long time, then you need to perform several steps before starting the kindling.

Carefully inspect all brickwork. Over time, cracks or crevices may appear in it, through which, when fuel burns, carbon monoxide will leak into the room, posing a danger to human life. If you find such defects, they must be eliminated. For this, clay mixed with sand is taken. You need to carefully cover all the cracks with this mixture and wait until it dries.
If there is ash left in the stove from previous kindlings, it must be removed.
The outside must be wiped clean of dust, since when the structure heats up, it can cause an unpleasant odor. If the chimney needs whitewashing, whitewash it.

In addition, there are safety rules related to the regular use of both conventional and sauna stoves:

How to heat properly?

We are not talking about boiling a store-bought product; it already undergoes the necessary processing; you just need to monitor the expiration date. This is how you need to boil milk from under a cow so that it does not lose vitamins and nutrients:

boil immediately upon returning home from the market;
at a temperature of one hundred degrees, it is enough to heat the product for two minutes;
at sixty degrees or more the time increases to ten minutes.

When the liquid heats up and foam begins to rise, you need to reduce the heat. You should not let the milk “run away” and burn. To obtain a thicker mass, the procedure is continued for half an hour.

To preserve the vitamin composition of the drink, you should cool it immediately. For example, place a hot pan in a bowl of ice water.

There are a few more points to consider when boiling:

milk should be boiled in a glass, aluminum or steel pan; it is better not to use an enameled one;
You can check the liquid for freshness by pouring a glass of water into the pan. As soon as it boils, add a glass of milk. If it has curdled, then you are dealing with a stale product. It is not suitable for consumption in its pure form. But if the milk has not curdled, then you can pour out the rest. A glass of water will evaporate from it;
a saucer placed upside down on the bottom of the container will prevent the milk from bubbling and spilling over the edges;
You need to heat the milk over low heat and stir occasionally. This way it will heat up evenly. It is recommended to remove the film before boiling, but not after, because useful substances accumulate in it.

It is up to the consumer to decide whether to boil milk from the cow or not. How long it was stored and when it was mined, the answer is ambiguous. A drink from a neighbor's cow may be healthier and tastier. But the prospect of poisoning with a low-quality product and contracting infections is much more serious.

Bibliography:

Animal husbandry - Wikipedia
Animal husbandry // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
Animal husbandry // Great Russian Encyclopedia: / Ch. ed. Yu. S. Osipov. — M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2004—2017.

Myths about the microwave oven

The first microwave was released in 1947. The device was used by the military to defrost food. Later, scientists discovered that food was heated quite well in it. Since then, the microwave oven has been popular. You can quickly heat up food in it, and some people often cook in it.

Modern microwave ovens save time. The devices set the required temperature and processing time for the product. No need to use pots or light a fire. You can simply put food in the microwave for a few minutes and get a hot dish.

Over time, microwave ovens have become overgrown with myths. You can hear that the device turns food into a useless mass and kills all vitamins. Opponents of microwave ovens argue that the devices emit radiation and are dangerous to use. People are intimidated by stories about the mutation of foods that were cooked in a microwave oven. However, for more than 70 years, there has been no evidence that microwave ovens are harmful to health.

The device emits microwaves during operation. They activate water molecules. As a result, the product heats up. During processing, the composition, structure and properties of food do not change. Therefore, stories about the dangers of microwave ovens are nothing more than myths.

Adviсe

Before giving warmed expressed breast milk to your baby, check his temperature. To do this, you need to put a couple of drops on your wrist. The substance should be given warm, but not very hot.
Do not heat food in a microwave oven. All the substances that the infant needs so much will be killed.
Do not refreeze the product from the refrigerator, or bring it to a boil. This destroys the nutritional components necessary for the child's immunity.

Sources

https://eda-land.ru/moloko/mozhno-li-gret-v-mikrovolnovke/
https://mschistota.ru/sovety/moloko-v-mikrovolnovke.html
https://SodaSan.su/sovety/skolko-gret-moloko-v-mikrovolnovke.html
https://mirgv.ru/grudnoe-moloko/kak-podogret-grudnoe-moloko
https://katuna.ru/mozhno-li-gret-moloko-v-mikrovolnovke
https://kidabout.ru/malenkie-deti/mozhno-li-moloko-gret-v-mikrovolnovke/
https://teplo.guru/poleznyie-sovetyi/mozhno-li-gret-v-mikrovolnovke-grudnoe-moloko.html
https://ProGrudnoe.ru/osnovy/mozhno-li-gret-grudnoe-moloko-v-mikrovolnovke.html
https://heaclub.ru/mozhno-li-gret-grudnoe-moloko-v-mikrovolnovke-kak-razogret-grudnoe-moloko-iz-holodilnika-morozilki-metody-sovety
https://ogrudnichke.ru/grudnoe-vskarmlivanie/kak-podogret-stsezhennoe-grudnoe-moloko-iz-holodilnika.html
https://grudnichky.ru/mamam/kak-podogret-grudnoe-moloko-iz-holodilnika.html

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How to heat milk

Experts from Miss Clean magazine recommend using a microwave oven both for heating liquids and for preparing other types of food - it is safe. But before heating the milk, you should read the instructions for the microwave oven: in most cases, there will be recommendations on what power and time it is better to choose so as not to overheat it, so that it does not “run away”.

General recommendations:

Before heating milk, be sure to read the instructions for your particular microwave. This will help avoid troubles with boiling over. Milk should only be heated in glass or ceramic containers. The exposure time should not exceed one minute. Under no circumstances should the container be covered with a lid. Milk and other liquids can only be heated in the microwave in open containers. It is strictly not recommended to heat milk and other liquids in plastic containers. Even one specifically designed for the microwave. It is worth remembering that liquids heat up faster in a microwave oven than other products

Therefore, greater caution is needed with them. Once the milk has been frozen, it should no longer be frozen. And before heating, you should let it thaw either on its own at room temperature, or in the longest/special defrosting mode, if the microwave model has one. It is recommended to heat any liquid in the microwave only once.

This will help maintain the bright taste of the product.

As for breast milk, you should not heat it in the microwave. But not at all because microwave radiation is harmful, but because it is desirable to completely eliminate any temperature effects on it, except natural ones. Then and only then will we talk about its undoubted benefits and safety for the child.

As a result, most of the so-called “facts” talking about the dangers of microwave ovens are far-fetched and replicated by the Internet and the media. And they have no evidence or research behind them. And there have been quite a few of the latter over almost 70 years of the existence of microwave ovens; finding the results will not be difficult, and they all indicate the safety of the device.

What is the best way to reheat the product?

It is better to heat the baby’s milk on the stove and spend more time on it. You should not use the microwave oven solely for your own convenience. In this way, parents themselves protect themselves from many problems in the future.

A water bath can help warm breast milk safely

This is considered one of the best and safest ways to heat milk. To heat the milk evenly to the temperature you need, you need to place a saucepan half filled with water over medium heat and heat the water almost to a boil.
But you don’t need to boil it, but immediately remove the pan from the heat. That is, the water must be warm so that you can put your hand in it. Too hot a liquid will cause the destruction of beneficial bacteria.
Place the bottle of milk in a pan of hot water for a few minutes, depending on how frozen the milk was.
On average, it takes 3-5 minutes for reheating from the refrigerator and 10 minutes for frozen food. Just remember to rotate the bottle to also warm the milk evenly.
And don’t worry - no particles will have time to collapse. Because the speed of molecules is not at all the same, and the temperature of the liquid is not so high.

Running hot water can also quickly warm up breast milk.

Hot water flowing from the tap is the easiest way to warm up frozen milk. But keep in mind that it should not be boiling water. Otherwise, enzymes and beneficial bacteria will decay. And this will also affect the benefits of milk.
A new mother of a baby just needs to take a bottle of milk out of the refrigerator and hold it under running hot water. This way the milk will heat up quickly and evenly.
But again, don’t just open the water, but turn the bottle. After all, this way the liquid will warm up faster and better, since the cold and hot sections of the milk will be mixed.

Apparatus for instant heating of breast milk and baby food

This is a modern device that will help a young mother easily warm up baby milk to the desired temperature. Moreover, the convenience is that you can heat several jars at once.
It operates on the principle of a water or steam bath. Water is poured into the compartment and heated to the desired temperature. And depending on which company you choose, the heating time takes about 2-10 minutes.
A big plus is that you do not need to control the degree of heating of the water and milk itself. The program will do everything itself and will not cause overheating. By the way, steam has a much gentler effect on milk.

Alternative heating methods

There is no official data on the dangers and safety of heating milk in a microwave oven. However, if the published arguments why it is impossible to heat milk for a child in the microwave seem convincing, you should use safe methods:

A water bath has long been used to warm expressed milk. To heat baby food using this method, you need to bring half-filled water to a boil in an enamel cup or saucepan. Then place a bottle of milk in it and heat it to the required temperature. The duration of heating is determined by the degree of cooling and lasts 2 – 7 minutes.
If there is a hot water supply, the process is simplified. Place a bottle of chilled breast milk under running hot water and heat to the required temperature. To ensure that the contents are heated evenly, the bottle must be rotated. Do not use very hot water, as a sharp increase in temperature is accompanied by the breakdown of beneficial enzymes contained in milk.
Baby food warmers are able to maintain the temperature at a given level without affecting the quality of the product. The stores offer models for simultaneously heating one or several bottles. The devices operate on the principle of a water or steam bath. In the second option, breast milk can be heated in a gentle mode. Depending on the model, the heating time is 2 – 10 minutes.

Video about whether microwave ovens are harmful:

How harmful are microwave ovens?

Watch this video on YouTube

Can breast milk be heated?

Any pediatrician will tell you that mother's milk is a rich source of all necessary vitamins and nutrients for the baby. There are circumstances when it has to be stored in the freezer. In this case, you cannot do without heating the drink before giving it to your baby. But is it worth using a microwave oven when it comes to caring for your baby?

In order for breast milk to retain its beneficial properties, it must not only be frozen correctly, but also heated. A huge number of useful functions do not make microwave ovens useful for humans. Such an effect on milk always has certain consequences. Not only does the formation of carcinogens in the drink occur, but when such food enters the baby’s body, he develops problems with internal organs and digestion. Several life support systems suffer at once:

cardiovascular;
urinary;
nervous.

How to heat milk in the microwave

When you need to quickly heat up cold milk, for example for breakfast, housewives do not think twice about whether it is possible to heat milk in the microwave, they simply use it for this purpose. Unlike other liquids, milk has the ability to “run away” when boiling. Therefore, in order to prevent overheating followed by lengthy cleaning of the chamber, you need to start with minimal power and time.

If heating is insufficient, the set parameters are increased. Thus, how long it takes to heat a certain volume of milk in a particular oven depends on the power at which you set the microwave. Usually these are 3 power levels. Choose the middle one.

When heating milk, all recommendations given in the instructions for using the oven must be followed so as not to damage it.

The video shows how to heat milk in the microwave:

How to heat milk in the microwave. Cooking in microwave oven.

Watch this video on YouTube

What happens when heated

Today, a lot of gadgets have appeared that help mothers care for their children. A microwave can negatively affect the quality of many products and destroy beneficial substances in them or turn them into harmful ones due to uneven heating of the liquid in the products. This fully applies to breast milk. Exposure to high temperatures leads to the formation of D-isomers of L-amino acids, such as D-proline, that are dangerous for the baby. When these substances enter a child’s body, they negatively affect the nervous system and kidneys.
It is especially dangerous to microwave baby food in a plastic feeding bottle. According to scientific research, the bisphenol A contained in this material penetrates into the liquid, causing carcinogens to form in it.

What foods should not be heated in the microwave and why. Why is this dangerous?

You can harm your health and get serious food poisoning, in the worst case. In others, products lose one hundred percent of their beneficial qualities and taste.

The microwave oven has become such an integral kitchen attribute today. With its help, we not only heat up, but also cook and defrost food. However, there are a number of products that still do not need to be heated in the microwave. On the stove please.

What happens to them when heated in a microwave oven and why they should not be heated so as not to harm your health, you will learn from this article.

Boiled and raw eggs (whole)

Many have tried to do this). Anyone who has tried it can give you advice not to repeat this experience. Why?

First -

This is the principle of operation of the device and heating. Whole raw eggs heat up inside, the temperature creates such pressure that the shell cannot stand it. As a result, the eggs explode.

Second -

If you decide to heat boiled eggs, it is better not to do this so as not to harm your health. The egg contains protein and proteins, the structure of which changes under the influence of microwaves. As a result, you can experience disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

Meat (frozen)

Defrosting meat in the microwave is not advisable. The reason for this is quite serious.

Raw meat is a haven for various bacteria. When you put it in the microwave to defrost, they develop and multiply at an accelerated pace.

Taking such meat out of the oven, you can see that in some places the meat has changed color and darkened. In some places, the meat is already spoiled and simply teeming with various sticks and microbes. Such meat can not only spoil digestion, but also cause serious poisoning.

Proper defrosting is to place the meat in a bowl and fill it with water, and it is best to transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator compartment on the bottom shelf in advance.

Milk

Having taken milk out of the refrigerator, many people pour it into a cup and put it in the microwave to warm up for half a minute or a minute. Better to pour it into a small saucepan and heat it on the stove. Why?

Milk heated in the microwave loses most of its beneficial qualities. Half of the beneficial substances from the action of microwaves change their structure and become useless, almost 90 percent of B vitamins are neutralized. That is, you will not get poisoning, but there is no benefit from such milk.

Cottage cheese, sour cream, yoghurts

This is especially worth considering for young mothers who like to quickly warm up yogurt or cottage cheese for their baby. I would like to warn against this for two reasons.

Firstly

– radiation destroys all the beneficial qualities of the product, beneficial substances are modified and become useless.

Secondly.

The same waves neutralize milk and bifidobacteria necessary for intestinal microflora and digestion.

Third.

Plastic containers will not melt, but at elevated temperatures they release volatile substances that make up plastics. Of course, they end up in the product and then in the human body.

Fourth.

Part of the product curdles, and as a result, healthy and tasty curds and yogurt lose not only their benefits, but also their taste.

Natural bee honey

Honey generally does not like elevated temperatures. When heated above 40 degrees, it loses up to 85% of its beneficial properties, and with stronger heating, some substances are converted into harmful to health.

You can heat honey (so that it becomes liquid) without exceeding a temperature of 40 degrees. The temperature in a microwave oven is much higher.

You can melt honey by making a water bath. You will spend twenty minutes longer, but will retain the taste and unique beneficial properties of the natural product.

Rolls, sushi

The rolls, beloved by many, with different fillings, have a very short shelf life, not exceeding two hours, during which time they must be consumed.

Most of them are made with fish: salmon, tuna, salmon. and other seafood.

When heated in a microwave oven, like meat, harmful microorganisms begin to develop and multiply. Reheating sushi or rolls in a microwave oven can, at best, cause indigestion, and at worst, lead to severe food poisoning. By the way, it is poisoning from fish and seafood that is considered the most dangerous.

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I hope you were interested and the article was useful. I wish all my readers a good mood)

How does an oven actually work?

The main aspect that causes concern among housewives is the very principle of operation of microwaves. After all, a microwave oven does not heat food convectively, that is, from hot air or dishes to cold food upon their contact. The operation of a microwave oven is based on a more complex process that you need to understand before sounding the alarm and throwing the unit out of the house.

Without going into details, which are easy to find in any physics textbook, ultrahigh-frequency radiation causes the water molecules themselves (and not only) to move faster, as a result of which the products heat up. And there is nothing unnatural in this movement; accordingly, it cannot radically change the properties of food, much less the structure of water. In any case, no more than heat treatment by any other method. And there is no talk of radiation at all - it simply has nowhere to come from.

Microwave operating principle

At the heart of a microwave oven is a magnetron, which is capable of generating microwaves from an electromagnetic field. When they act on a product, the water molecule in it begins to move faster, releasing a huge amount of heat. This is how the temperature of liquids inside the microwave increases.

After the studies, scientists have not come to a common opinion whether the household appliance is safe for humans. Back in Soviet times, the side effects of ovens were studied and it turned out that their microwaves accelerate the process of food decomposition. Carcinogens are formed in milk, meat and even cereals, and they are the root cause of cancer.

It’s worth considering whether your child needs to heat milk in a microwave oven, or whether you can spend a little more time, but give your baby a product that is safer for his health. This rule also applies to breast milk, which some mothers store in the refrigerator and then quickly heat up. When exposed to microwaves, amino acids and any infant formula are converted into very harmful isomers, which negatively affect the kidneys and nervous system.

True, there are also those professors who, on the contrary, do not see anything dangerous in the use of microwave ovens. The famous doctor Komarovsky recommends the use of household appliances and does not warn parents against possible problems in the future. Until it has been unequivocally proven that it is safe to heat milk using this method, it is better not to do this and use a safer option - a water bath.

Is it possible to heat food for children in the microwave: how to decide?

10.10.2016

Since the functional and practical kitchen appliance called a “microwave” entered the life of every modern person, the existence of many people has changed for the better.

Firstly, it is convenient: in order to prepare and, especially, reheat a dish, no special skill or culinary knowledge is required. Secondly, it is more practical than, for example, using a frying pan.

And, finally, it’s economical - not only in terms of energy saving, but also saving personal time if you need to go somewhere urgently, and it wouldn’t hurt to eat. However, there is one small “but”: today everyone who is not too lazy is talking about the unimaginable harm of microwave ovens.

Therefore, young parents began to wonder: is it possible to heat food for children in the microwave? Do foods prepared this way really lose all their vitamins and nutrients? We will try to thoroughly understand these and other nuances.

"Yes or no"?

Let's start with the fact that opinions about current microwave ovens are diametrically divided.

The first category of people, consisting of adherents of this technique, believes that the food prepared there is no less useful than that which was created in the usual “old-fashioned” way, because it does not retain any residual radiation.

However, again, there is a “fly in the ointment”: not everyone is inclined to say so beautifully, to say the least: the absolute safety of microwaves is nothing more than an advertising ploy by manufacturers. And one can really argue about the benefits of food prepared there. But we are talking about the health of children, which under no circumstances should be risked.

Microwaves and breast milk

The answer to the question regarding heating breast milk for a baby in a microwave oven is definitely categorical. And it sounds negative. Any manipulations with expressed milk with the participation of this miracle of technology are not possible.

The explanation is simple: microwaves affect the living components of mother's milk, in particular immunoglobulins, which leads to two results: either cell death or a change in structure. Neither one nor the other effect can be called acceptable. Any kind of milk will come out of the oven, but not breast milk, which can be fed to the baby.

Therefore, it is better to use more gentle methods - gradual heating or using a “water bath”.

What about baby food?

If we talk about baby food, pediatricians do not recommend processing food in a microwave in any way, if only for the reason that the manufacturers of household appliances in this category themselves do not indicate in the instructions information about using the unit in this way.

But if this argument can still be called insignificant, then more categorical experts insist on another aspect.

This is not to say that food becomes very harmful (many scientists talk about the release of carcinogens). And the fact that nothing useful remains in it due to the creation of areas with high temperatures, which destroy useful substances, can be said with absolute certainty.

To be or not to be a microwave: how to make a decision?

As can be seen from the above, the scales “pros” and “cons” are almost equal

Therefore, before you decide whether to heat your child’s food in the microwave or still abstain, and also correctly assess the benefits and risks, pay attention to the following facts:

The theory about cancerous tumors arising due to exposure to microwave ovens still has no official confirmation at the scientific level. But the opinion about absolute harmlessness, which the famous pediatrician Komarovsky speaks about, is also far from being as transparent as we would like.
Microwaves act on the water in food, causing the molecules to rotate at enormous speeds. It is for this reason that food is cooked in the microwave almost at lightning speed. Therefore, if you decide not to do without the convenient results of technological progress, ensure that your food is heated correctly. Do not “charge” the unit immediately “to the fullest”: heat the product at low power for half a minute, mix it thoroughly, then continue the process, again for a short time. After this, be sure to check whether the food is ready by leaving it alone for a few moments. Only after this can food be given to the baby.
Microwaving should not become a daily habit. If you have free time, use regular cooking methods, resorting to quick heating only when absolutely necessary - and then your kids will always be happy and healthy.

Why is it not recommended to heat dairy products in the microwave?

There are many horror stories about the adverse effects of microwaves. This miracle of technology never ceases to amaze many users, and not in a good sense of the word. There were also many statements that reheating dairy products is never recommended. Disputes on this issue still do not subside. Such gossip usually occurs on the Internet between people who are not entirely educated in the field of science and the design of the device.

Thus, many argue that heating dairy products in the microwave is completely unsafe for health, since they contain a considerable amount of amino acids, which turn into neuro- and nephrotoxic isomers within five minutes. They have a negative effect on the nervous system and kidneys.

In addition, there is an opinion that microwaves produce radiation, cause many mutations and deprive food of all useful substances. As for the last statement, there is a place for it, since in reality, heat treatment inside the device destroys some of the substances in the composition of the products. True, this still does not make it completely useless. As it turns out, there are quite a few allegations about the harmful effects of microwaves on many foods. True, most of them are real inventions.

As for dairy products, there is no clear answer. For example, most people do not recommend heating breast milk in the microwave. The point is not even that microwave radiation is extremely harmful to the human body, since it is not advisable to use any methods of temperature exposure other than natural ones. Only in this case can we assume that it is completely harmless to the baby. There is also information that milk in the microwave can change its composition and cause E. coli in the baby.

There are practically no exact reasons for worry, but as mentioned earlier, most experts still do not recommend heat treatment of dairy products, which can then deprive them of all their beneficial properties. In order to avoid some unsafe manipulations, it is worth heating, for example, milk in an open ceramic or glass container for one minute. In addition, you should not heat the same liquid several times, as it may lose more nutrients and taste.