New Delhi, Jan. 7 -- Microwaves have earned an odd reputation in Indian kitchens. Everyone uses them, yet almost everyone has a story attached, some will tell you "don't stand too close," "don't heat food twice," "don't microwave plastic," or that "nutrients die," or "radiation leaks." The appliance sits there quietly doing its job while the rumours orbit around it. However, when we separate habit from science, the picture becomes clearer - the microwave is not the risky part. It's how we use it.

Most of the fear comes from the word "radiation," which instantly triggers a mental image of something harmful. But the radiation a microwave uses is non-ionising, meaning it doesn't damage DNA the way X-rays or UV rays can. It simply makes wate...