(Not) Highly Recommended: The Common Mistake People Make When Hungry

Despite warnings, many people still heat their food in the microwave using plastic containers brought from home. While using a microwave is not considered very dangerous, when heating with unsuitable containers such as those made of plastic, toxins can be released. Therefore, it's recommended to use ceramic or Pyrex containers. This also applies to using the dishwasher.

Doctors claim there is a connection between the risk of contamination from plastic and an increase in certain diseases, including cancer.

Indeed, there are plastic containers on the market marked safe for microwave use. However, experts emphasize that consumers should look for labels stating: "Does not contain "BPA (or Bisphenol A). BPA is an industrial chemical used in manufacturing plastic items such as pacifiers and baby bottles. It poses a risk to humans when it leaches into drinks and food we consume using plastic products containing it. Reports indicate that exposure to BPA can lead to fertility problems, cancer, increased blood pressure, and obesity.

So, what's the solution? Firstly, when you want to heat food, avoid using plastic containers as much as possible. Instead, prefer Pyrex, ceramic plates, or even glass.

Secondly, it is advisable to heat in stages, stirring, and not at high temperatures. Additionally, avoid transferring hot food directly into plastic containers. First, place the metal tray or pot in the refrigerator, and only after the food has cooled, transfer it to plastic containers for storage.

What if the plastic container changes color or cracks? It's best to throw it away.

And what about using the microwave itself? Is there a health risk? In a conversation with Walla, Professor Uri Lesmes from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering at the Technion explained: "A microwave does one thing, and that is heat. From experiments conducted here at the institute, the effect of the microwave on food products is primarily thermal."

According to Prof. Lesmes, the advantage of the microwave lies in the relatively rapid increase in temperature during heating, and its reduction, the pace of which creates less exposure to bacteria. "There are many experiments, not scientifically proven, that claim microwaves affect the vitamins and minerals in food. This is mainly due to the fact that it is a different type of heating than what we are used to—from the inside out rather than the outside in, leading to reactions unknown to us," he concluded.