In the tiny town of Wattenwil, near Basel in Switzerland,
there lives a scientist who is alarmed at the lack of purity
and naturalness in the many pursuits of modern mankind. He
worked as a food scientist for several years with one of the
many major Swiss food companies that do business on a global
scale. A few years ago, he was fired from his job for questioning
procedures in processing food because they denatured it. "The
world needs our help,"
Hans Hertel told Tom Valentine as they shared a fine meal
at a resort hotel in Todtmoss, Germany. "We, the scientists,
carry the main responsibility for the present unacceptable
conditions. It is therefore our job to correct the situation
and bring the remedy to the world. I am striving to bring
man and techniques back into harmony with nature. We can have
wonderful technologies without violating nature." Hans
is an intense man, driven by personal knowledge of violations
of nature by corporate man and his state-supported monopolies
in science, technology and education.
At the same time, as the two talked, his intensity shattered
into a warm smile and he spoke of the way things could be
if mankind‘s immense talent were to work with nature and not
against her. Hans Hertel is the first scientist to conceive
of and carry out a quality study on the effects of microwaved
nutrients on the blood and physiology of human beings. This
small but well-controlled study pointed the firm finger at
a degenerative force of microwave ovens and the food produced
in them.
The conclusion was clear: microwave cooking changed the nutrients
so that changes took place in the participants‘ blood; these
were not healthy changes but were changes that could cause
deterioration in the human systems. Working with Bernard H.
Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the
University Institute for Biochemistry, Hertel not only conceived
of the study and carried it out, he was one of eight participants.
"To control as many variables as possible, we selected
eight individuals who were strict macrobiotic diet participants
from the Macrobiotic Institute at Kientel, Switzerland,"
Hertel explained. "We were all housed in the same hotel
environment for eight weeks. There was no smoking, no alcohol
and no sex." One can readily see that this protocol makes
sense.
After all, how could you tell about subtle changes in a
human‘s blood from eating microwaved food if smoking, booze,
junk food, pollution, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and
everything else in the common environment were also present?
"We had one American, one Canadian and six Europeans
in the group. I was the oldest at 64 years, the others were
in their 20s and 30s," Hertel added.
Valentine published the results of this study in Search for
Health in the Spring of 1992. But the follow-up information
is available only in a later edition, and also in Acres, USA.
In intervals of two to five days, the volunteers in the study
received one of the food variants on an empty stomach. The
food variants were:
- raw milk from a biofarm
- the same milk conventionally cooked
- pasteurized milk from Intermilk Berne
- the same raw milk cooked in a microwave oven
- raw vegetables from an organic farm
- the same vegetables cooked conventionally
- the same vegetables frozen and defrosted in the microwave
oven
- and the same vegetables cooked in the microwave oven
The overall experiment had some of the earmarks of the Pottenger
cat studies, except that now human beings were test objects,
the experiment‘s time-frame was shorter, and a new heat form
was tested. Once the volunteers were isolated at the resort
hotel, the test began. Blood samples were taken from every
volunteer immediately before eating.
Then blood samples were taken at defined intervals after
eating from the above-numbered milk or vegetable preparations.
Significant changes were discovered in the blood of the volunteers
who consumed foods cooked in the microwave oven. These changes
included a decrease in all hemoglobin values and cholesterol
values, especially the HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad
cholesterol) values and ratio.
Lymphocytes (white blood cells) showed a more distinct short-term
decrease following the intake of microwaved food than after
the intake of all the other variants. Each of these indicators
point in a direction away from robust health and toward degeneration.
Additionally, there was a highly significant association between
the amount of microwave energy in the test foods and the luminous
power of luminescent bacteria exposed to serum from test persons
who ate that food.
This led Hertel to the conclusion that such technically derived
energies may, indeed, be passed along to man inductively via
consumption of microwaved food. "This process is based
on physical principles and has already been confirmed in the
literature," Hertel explained. The apparent additional
energy exhibited by the luminescent bacteria was merely extra
confirmation.
"There is extensive scientific literature concerning
the hazardous effects of direct microwave radiation on living
systems," Hertel continued. "It is astonishing,
therefore, to realise how little effort has been made to replace
this detrimental technique of microwaves with technology more
in accordance with nature. "Technically produced microwaves
are based on the principle of alternating current.
Atoms, molecules and cells hit by this hard electromagnetic
radiation are forced to reverse polarity 1 to 100 billion
times a second. There are no atoms, molecules or cells of
any organic system able to withstand such a violent, destructive
power for any extended period of time, not even in the low
energy range of milliwatts."Of all the natural substances-which
are polar-the oxygen of water molecules reacts most sensitively.
This is how microwave cooking heat is generated-friction from
this violence in water molecules. Structures of molecules
are torn apart, molecules are forcefully deformed (called
structural isomerism) and thus become impaired in quality.
HEATING FOOD
"This is contrary to conventional heating of food, in
which heat transfers convectionally from without to within.
Cooking by microwaves begins within the cells and molecules
where water is present and where the energy is transformed
into frictional heat." The question naturally arises:
What about microwaves from the sun? Aren‘t they harmful? Hertel
responded: "The microwaves from the Sun are based on
principles of pulsed direct current.
These rays create no frictional heat in organic substance."
In addition to violent frictional heat effects (called thermic
effects), there are also athermic effects which have hardly
ever been taken into account, Hertel added. "These athermic
effects are not presently measurable, but they can also deform
the structures of molecules and have qualitative consequences.
For example, the weakening of cell membranes by microwaves
is used in the field of gene altering technology. Because
of the force involved, the cells are actually broken, thereby
neutralizing the electrical potentials-the very life of the
cells-between the outer and inner sides of the cell membranes.
Impaired cells become easy prey for viruses, fungi and other
micro-organisms.
The natural repair mechanisms are suppressed, and cells are
forced to adapt to a state of energy emergency: they switch
from aerobic to anaerobic respiration. Instead of water and
carbon dioxide, hydrogen peroxide and carbon monoxide are
produced." It has long been pointed out in the literature
that any reversal of healthy cell processes may occur because
of a number of reasons, and our cells then revert from a "robust
oxidation" to an unhealthy "fermentation".
The same violent friction and athermic deformations that
can occur in our bodies when we are subjected to radar or
microwaves, happens to the molecules in the food cooked in
a microwave oven. In fact, when anyone microwaves food, the
oven exerts a power input of about 1,000 watts or more. This
radiation results in destruction and deformation of molecules
of food, and in the formation of new compounds (called radiolytic
compounds) unknown to man and nature.
Today‘s established science and technology argues forcefully
that microwaved food and irradiated foods do not have any
significantly higher "radiolytic compounds" than
do broiled, baked or other conventionally cooked foods-but
microwaving does produce more of these critters. Curiously,
neither established science nor our ever-protective government
has conducted tests-on the blood of the eaters-of the effects
of eating various kinds of cooked foods. Hertel and his group
did test it, and the indication is clear that something is
amiss and that larger studies should be funded.
The apparently toxic effects of microwave cooking is another
in a long list of unnatural additives in our daily diets.
However, the establishment has not taken kindly to this work.
"The first drawing of blood samples took place on an
empty stomach at 7.45 each morning," Hertel explained.
"The second drawing of blood took place 15 minutes after
the food intake. The third drawing was two hours later."
>From each sample, 50 ml of blood was used for the chemistry
and five millimetres for the hematology and the luminescence.
The hematological examinations took place immediately after
drawing the samples.
Erythrocytes, hemoglobin, mean hemoglobin concentration,
mean hemoglobin content, leukocytes and lymphocytes were measured.
The chemical analysis consisted of iron, total cholesterol,
HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The results of erythrocyte,
hemoglobin, hematocrit and leukocyte determinations were at
the "lower limits of normal" in those tested following
the eating of the microwaved samples. "These results
show anaemic tendencies. The situation became even more pronounced
during the second month of the study," Hertel added.
"And with those decreasing values, there was a corresponding
increase of cholesterol values." Hertel admits that stress
factors, from getting punctured for the blood samples so often
each day, for example, cannot be ruled out, but the established
baseline for each individual became the "zero values"
marker, and only changes from the zero values were statistically
determined. With only one round of test substances completed,
the different effects between conventionally prepared food
and microwaved food were marginal-although noticed as definite
"tendencies".
As the test continued, the differences in the blood markers
became "statistically significant". The changes
are generally considered to be signs of stress on the body.
For example, erythrocytes tended to increase after eating
vegetables from the microwave oven. Haemoglobin and both of
the mean concentration and content haemoglobin markers also
tended to decrease significantly after eating the microwaved
substances.
LEUKOCYTOSIS
"Leukocytosis (an increase in white blood cells),"
Hertel explained, "which cannot be accounted for by normal
daily deviations such as following the intake of food, is
taken seriously by haematologists. Leukocyte response is especially
sensitive to stress. They are often signs of pathogenic effects
on the living system, such as poisoning and cell damage. The
increase of leukocytes with the microwaved foods was more
pronounced than with all the other variants.
It appears that these marked increases were caused entirely
by ingesting the microwaved substances." The cholesterol
markers were very interesting, Hertel stressed: "Common
scientific belief states that cholesterol values usually alter
slowly over longer periods of time. In this study, the markers
increased rapidly after the consumption of the microwaved
vegetables. However, with milk, the cholesterol values remained
the same and even decreased with the raw milk significantly."
Hertel believes his study tends to confirm newer scientific
data that suggest cholesterol may rapidly increase in the
blood secondary to acute stress. "Also," he added,
"blood cholesterol levels are less influenced by cholesterol
content of food than by stress factors. Such stress-causing
factors can apparently consist of foods which contain virtually
no cholesterol-the microwaved vegetables."
It is plain to see that this individually financed and conducted
study has enough meat in it to make anyone with a modicum
of common sense sit up and take notice. Food from the microwave
oven caused abnormal changes, representing stress, to occur
in the blood of all the test individuals. Biological individuality,
a key variable that makes a mockery of many allegedly scientific
studies, was well accounted for by the established baselines.
So, how has the brilliant world of modern technology, medicine
and ‘protect the public‘ government reacted to this impressive
effort?
A GAG ORDER
As soon as Hertel and Blanc announced their results, the
hammer of authority slammed down on them. A powerful trade
organization, the Swiss Association of Dealers for Electroapparatuses
for Households and Industry, known simply as FEA, struck swiftly.
They forced the President of the Court of Seftigen, Kanton
Bern, to issue a ‘gag order‘ against Hertel and Blanc.
The attack was so ferocious that Blanc quickly recanted his
support-but it was too late. He had already put into writing
his views on the validity of the studies where he concurred
with the opinion that microwaved food caused the blood abnormalities.
Hertel stood his ground, and today is steadfastly demanding
his rights to a trial. Preliminary hearings on the matter
have been appealed to higher courts, and it‘s quite obvious
the powers that be do not want a ‘show trial‘ to erupt on
this issue. In March 1993, the court handed down this decision
based upon the complaint of the FEA:"Consideration.
1. Request from the plaintiff (FEA) to prohibit the defendant
(Dr Ing. Hans Hertel) from declaring that food prepared in
the microwave oven shall be dangerous to health and lead to
changes in the blood of consumers, giving reference to pathologic
troubles as also indicative for the beginning of a cancerous
process. The defendant shall be prohibited from repeating
such a statement in publications and in public talks by punishment
laid down in the law.
2. The jurisdiction of the judge is given according to law.
3. The active legitimacy of the plaintiff is given according
to the law.
4. The passive legitimacy of the defendant is given by the
fact that he is the author of the polemic [published study]
in question, especially since the present new and revised
law allows to exclude the necessity of a competitive situation,
therefore delinquents may also be persons who are not co-competitors,
but may damage the competing position of others by mere declarations.[Apparently,
Swiss corporations have lobbied in a law that nails "delinquents"
who disparage products and might do damage to commerce by
such remarks. So far, the US Constitution still preserves
freedom of the press.]
5. Considering the relevant situation it is referred to
three publications: the public renunciation [sic] of the so-called
co-author Professor Bernard Blanc, the expertise of Professor
Teuber [expert witness from the FEA] about the above-mentioned
publication, the opinion of the public health authorities
with regard to the present stage of research with microwave
ovens as well as to repeated statements from the side of the
defendant about the danger of such ovens.
6. It is not considered of importance whether or not the
polemic of the defendant meets the approval of the public,
because all that is necessary is that a possibility exists
that such a statement could find approval with people not
being experts themselves. Also, advertising involving fear
is not allowed and is always disqualified by the law. The
necessity for a fast interference is in no case more advised
than in the processes of competition. Basically, the defendant
has the right to defend himself against such accusations.
This right, however, in cases of pressing danger with regard
to impairing the rights of the plaintiff when this is requested.
Conclusion
On grounds of this pending request of the plaintiff, the
court arrives at the conclusion that because of special presuppositions
as in this case, a definite disadvantage for the plaintiff
does exist, which may not easily be repaired, and therefore
must be considered to be of immediate danger. The case thus
warrants the request of the plaintiff to be justified, even
without hearing the defendant.
Also, because it is not known when the defendant will bring
further statements into the public. The judge is also of the
opinion that because the publications are made up to appear
as scientific, and therefore especially reliable-looking,
they may cause additional bad disadvantages. It must be added
that there does obviously not exist a just reason for this
publication because there is no public interest for pseudo-scientific
unproved declarations. Finally, these ordered measures do
not prove to be disproportionate.
he defendant is prohibited, under punishment of up to F5,000,
or up to one year in prison, to declare that food prepared
in microwave ovens is dangerous to health and leads to pathologic
troubles as also indicative for the beginning of a cancerous
process. The plaintiff pays the costs. (Signed) President
of the Court of Seftigen Kraemer." If you cannot imagine
this kind of decision coming from a court in the United States,
you have not been paying attention to the advances of administrative
law.
Hertel defied the court and has loudly demanded a fair hearing
on the truth of his claims. The court has continued to delay,
dodge, appeal and avoid any media-catching confrontation.
As of this writing, Hans is still waiting for a hearing with
media coverage-and he‘s still talking and publishing his findings.
"They have not been able to intimidate me into silence,
and I will not accept their conditions," Hertel declared.
"I have appeared at large seminars in Germany, and the
study results have been well-received. Also, I think the authorities
are aware that scientists at Ciba-Geigy [the world‘s largest
pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Switzerland] have
vowed to support me in court." As those powerful special
interests in Switzerland who desire to sell microwave ovens
by the millions continued to suppress open debate on this
vital issue for modern civilisation, new microwave developments
blossomed in the United States.
INFANT DANGER
In the journal Pediatrics (vol. 89, no. 4, April 1992), there
appeared an article titled, "Effects of Microwave Radiation
on Anti-infective Factors in Human Milk". Richard Quan,
M.D. from Dallas, Texas, was the lead name of the study team.
John A. Kerner, M.D., from Stanford University, was also on
the research team, and he was quoted in a summary article
on the research that appeared in the 25 April 1992 issue of
Science News.
To get the full flavour of what may lie ahead for microwaving,
here is that summary article: "Women who work outside
the home can express and store breast milk for feedings when
they are away. But parents and caregivers should be careful
how they warm this milk. A new study shows that microwaving
human milk-even at a low setting-can destroy some of its important
disease-fighting capabilities.
"Breast milk can be refrigerated safely for a few days
or frozen for up to a month; however, studies have shown that
heating the milk well above body temperature-37°ree;C-can
break down not only its antibodies to infectious agents, but
also its lysozymes or bacteria-digesting enzymes.
So, when paediatrician John A. Kerner, Jr, witnessed neonatal
nurses routinely thawing or reheating breast milk with the
microwave oven in their lounge, he became concerned. "In
the April 1992 issue of Pediatrics (Part I), he and his Stanford
University co-workers reported finding that unheated breast
milk that was microwaved lost lysozyme activity, antibodies
and fostered the growth of more potentially pathogenic bacteria.
Milk heated at a high setting (72 degree;C to 98 degree;C)
lost 96 per cent of its immunoglobulin-A antibodies, agents
that fend off invading microbes. "What really surprised
him, Kerner said, was finding some loss of anti-infective
properties in the milk microwaved at a low setting-and to
a mean of just 33.5degree;C.
Adverse changes at such low temperatures suggest ‘microwaving
itself may in fact cause some injury to the milk above and
beyond the heating‘. "But Randall M. Goldblum of the
University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston disagrees,
saying: ‘I don‘t see any compelling evidence that the microwaves
did any harm.
It was the heating.‘ Lysozyme and antibody degradation in
the coolest samples may simply reflect the development of
small hot spots-potentially 60°ree;C or above-during
microwaving, noted Madeleine Sigman-Grant of Pennsylvania
State University, University Park. And that‘s to be expected,
she said, because microwave heating is inherently uneven-and
quite unpredictable when volumes less than four millilitres
are involved, as was the case in the Kerner‘s study.
"Goldblum considers use of a microwave to thaw milk
an especially bad idea, since it is likely to boil some of
the milk before all has even liquefied. Stanford University
Medical Center no longer microwaves breast milk, Kerner notes.
And that‘s appropriate, Sigman-Grant believes, because of
the small volumes of milk that hospitals typically serve newborns-especially
premature infants."
CHASING A STORY
Journalist Tom Valentine, after chasing this story, found
it interesting that ‘scientists‘ have so many ‘beliefs‘ to
express rather than prove fact. Yet facts eventually snuff
out credential-based conjecture. Researcher Quan, in a phone
interview, said that he believed the results of research so
far warranted further detailed study of the effects of microwave
cooking on nutrients.
The summary sentence in an abstract of the research paper
is very clear: "Microwaving appears to be contra-indicated
at high temperatures, and questions regarding its safety exist
even at low temperatures." The final statement of the
study conclusion reads:"This preliminary study suggests
that microwaving human milk could be detrimental. Further
studies are needed to determine whether and how microwaving
could safely be done."
Unfortunately, further studies are not scheduled at this
time. If there are so many indications that the effects of
microwaves on foods can degrade the foods far above the known
breakdowns of standard cooking, is it not reasonable to conduct
exhaustive studies on living, breathing human beings to determine
if it‘s possible that eating microwaved foods continuously,
as many people do, can be significantly detrimental to individual
health? If you wanted to introduce a herbal supplement into
the American mainstream and make any health claims for it,
you would be subjected to exhaustive documentation and costly
research.
Yet the microwave-oven industry had only to prove that the
dangerous microwaves could, indeed, be contained within the
oven and not escape into the surrounding area where the radiation
could do damage to people. The industry must admit that some
microwaves escape even in the best-made ovens. So far, not
one thought has been given by the industry to the possibility
that the nutrients could be so altered as to be deleterious
to health.
Well, this makes sense in a land that encourages farmers
to poison crops and soils with massive amounts of synthesised
chemicals, and encourages food processors to use additives
that enhance shelf-life of foods regardless of the potential
for degrading the health of the consumer. How many hundreds
of pounds of microwaved food per capita is consumed in America
each year? Are we going to continue to take it from established
authority, without question, on the premise that they know
best?