Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a neurosurgeon, CNN medical correspondent, and on the Emory faculty. When I met him last semester, one of the things we discussed was using the media to educate the public, as this is my goal for medicine. I subscribe to his podcast, Paging Dr. Gupta, and he has many interesting topics that he discusses from his desk on a weekly basis. One such topic caught my attention because we discussed it in class and I had a resident last year who would leave his room every time his roommate used their microwave. Dr. Gupta starts off by describing how a microwave works and then tackles many myths.

One such myth is the loss of nutrients when one "nukes" their food and this is something that Dr. Gupta and my last post prove wrong because microwaves help retain nutrients and remove some of the HCAs and PAHs found in meat juices since the food is cooked faster. Many, like my resident, were concerned about radiation leaking and although that occurs, he says that if the microwave works properly, then the quantity of radiation should not be enough to be considered harmful. The FDA has regulated microwaves since the early 1970s and monitor the amount of leakage so as not to be harmful or cancer-causing.

Pacemakers was another topic that came to my mind as I remember a friend of mine could not live with a microwave near him. Dr. Gupta says that modern-day pacemakers are made such that they shield certain outside interferences.

My mom makes great biscuits and leftovers are even better but I was always concerned about and made sure to remove the plastic wrap before heating them in the microwave. The concern in this case is the effects of dioxins, which are thought to affect the reproductive system and immune system (http://www.greenfacts.org/dioxins/l-2/dioxins-3.htm#1). However, food containers and plastic wraps do not contain dioxins but plasticizers that are not dangerous to one's health. The safest method is to use napkins to cover the food and the microwave plate, in my experience the latter helps keep the microwave clean.

I have enjoyed his podcasts as they range in topics from the perfect meals to discussing deep vein thrombosis, a concern during long flights or on the surgical table. Many of his topics are important because they educate the public on topics that disappear in repetitive habits, such as how a microwave works.