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HEATING food in the microwave using plastic containers is hazardous and causes hormonal changes in the body which include males developing breasts and females growing beards.
Speaking during a Rotary Club of Matopos meeting recently, Dr Joel Tshuma from the chemical engineering department at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), said heating food in the microwave using plastic containers or covering food with plastic containers was dangerous because when plastics are being manufactured they form polymer substances, which are also a key feature in the human body’s hormonal production system.
“The smallest unit of a polymer is referred to as monomer. These monomers have a similar structure to the hormones in the body of a living organism. When these monomers enter into our bodies they are confused as being part of our hormonal system and hence they cause some hormonal disturbances.
“When you heat food in the microwave using plastic containers the high heat produced will result in the plastic breaking down into its smallest units which are monomers and these will be attached onto the food by the high heat; when that food is being eaten by a living organism these monomers find their way into the cells of the body and into the hormonal system hence causing hormonal changes,” he said.
He said in most cases the hormonal changes varied according to one’s body but noted that continuous heating with plastic containers would eventually result in the hormonal changes.
“Females change and have male characteristics, you see one growing a beard, developing muscles, they become too muscular like a man and their breasts disappear; for males they also have female characteristics, they grow breasts, their voice changes, low fertility and they begin to act like females. Their bodies can also change and have a female figure or structure.
“Usually puberty stage begins at 14 to 18 years but because of these hormonal changes it has come down to occur at the ages of eight. This is due to the changes in the hormonal system. In some cases, in males the male productive hormone has been found to be very low leading to infertility,” said Dr Tshuma.
He said his advice to people using microwaves was for them to use glass or ceramics when heating food as they are not made up of monomers.
However, in an interview with Sunday News, Mpilo Central Hospital clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said he has never heard of hormonal changes being caused by heating food in the microwave using plastic containers.
“I cannot refute or support the fact that heating food in the microwave using plastic containers causes hormonal changes. But so far I have never heard of that; an experiment has to be carried out using microscopes in order for us to know,” he said.
Online Reporter