Microwave and Plastic Myth Debunked

The dangers of plastic in microwaves appears to have originated with a TV station in Honolulu that ran a segment in 2002 featuring Dr. Edward Fujimoto, who explained how microwaving plastic wrap and containers can release potentially deadly toxins into our food. A short news segment from Hawaii that few actually saw became huge when someone made it into an email that went viral.

The email claimed to be a media release from Johns Hopkins University, has the common urge to "pass this on to your family and friends" as do most untrue or politically incorrect emails. Johns Hopkins has formally debunked the email as originating from it.

Scientists do admit that it is possible heating plastic in a microwave might leach some substances into foods, but nowhere near the amount that would cause harm.

Another myth about chemicals in plastic water bottles getting into our bodies, while a boon for the metal water bottle industry, scientists say that cold temperatures actually inhibit the ability of chemicals to leak out of plastics.

Vitamin C Myth Lingers

As we approach the cold and flu season, I thought it might be interesting to follow up on the persistent vitamin C myth of using it as a prevention and cure for the common cold. Some people have also claimed it to be a cure for cancer.

Hundreds of studies have now concluded that vitamin C does not treat the common cold. The results of many studies of various types, involving hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have all arrived at the same conclusion - vitamin C has no effect to prevent or cure colds or cancer.

The FDA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Dietetic Association, the Center for Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services do not recommend supplemental vitamin C for the prevention or treatment of colds. Vitamin C does have other benefits and the studies did not say vitamin C is bad for you, it just does not provide the cancer and common cold remedies claimed.