Food for Thought

Someone suggested we microwave the corn for supper tonight. Mom and I agreed that this was probably not a good idea. My suspicions about the microwave oven go way back. It has always been important not to stand too close while using a microwave. Then years ago we began covering food with waxed paper or a paper towel rather than plastic wrap when heating food in the microwave. More recently, we stopped using it to heat all but water. After reading a few articles online about the effects of microwave cooking, I'm ready get rid of it altogether! Here are a few interesting findings based on individual studies (referenced on Dr. Mercola's website):

• Up to 97% of the beneficial antioxidants in broccoli are lost
• Vitamin C in asparagus is reduced
• Garlic loses it's principle cancer fighting power as allinase becomes inactive
• 30-40 % of milk's B12 is lost
• Disease-fighting agents in breast milk are destroyed

Other articles I read discuss the ill-effects of heating foods in plastic containers or wrap as well as microwaves causing the formation of carcinogens in foods.

Back to the corn ~ it turned out to be very delicious. We stood the cobs on end in a pot with an inch or two of water, brought it to a boil and let it cook for a few minutes. The heat was turned off and it sat until everything else was prepared.