Why microwave popcorn is dangerous




















If inhaled in large quantities, diacetyl is known to result in severe and irreversible damage to your lungs. It narrows and scars bronchioles, thereby preventing enough air from entering your bloodstream, leading to wheezing or even shortness of breath. Sometimes the popcorn may contain lots of salt and oil, which is essentially not good for you, and perfluorinated are definitely not good.

However, consuming homemade microwaved popcorn is healthy alternative compared to commercial ones. Just be sure not to use manufactured popcorn bags, and instead use a paper bag or microwave-safe glass bowl such as Pyrex.

In addition avoid using unhealthy oil or diacetyl flavoring. Be sure only to include items that generally contribute to your overall health, or better yet keep it plain. Instead of butter, use healthier oil such as olive oil or avocado oil since they are packed with monosaturated fats.

A small portion of homemade popcorn is healthy, but be sure to stick to the recommended amounts and keep the seasonings to a minimal.

We all look at microwave popcorn as a high fiber, low-calorie snack, but sadly a high consumption can lead to several health conditions. Commercial food manufacturers use lots of trans fats to increase popcorn shelf life along with the addict-able taste. Trans fats are linked to coronary heart disease, weight gain and high cholesterol levels. Re-evaluate your favorite flavored microwave popcorn, which may be high in trans fats that can lead to these lifestyle problems and adverse health risks.

The perfluorinated compounds present in popcorn bags may also affect the sperm quality in males by altering endocrine activity. These hormone inhibiters are definitely not good for regular consumption. According to research, men who consumed foods high in perfluorinated compounds were found to have a lower sperm count compared to those who consumed none or less of the chemicals.

Microwave popcorn has also been linked to lung disease and cancer due to diacetyl present in some popcorn bags. Additionally, excess butter or fat used to season microwave popcorn can also lead to pulmonary dysfunction and weight gain. So if diet is your main concern, try to eliminate butter and microwave popcorn without oil.

Some chemicals such as per fluorinated compounds used on the packaging of bags have been linked to lung disease and cancer risk. However, these ingredients can be avoided by making it at home in a bowl or paper bag. Microwave popcorn can either be a healthy or unhealthy snack, depending on its preparation method. After several years of research, the C8 researchers linked PFOA exposure to several health conditions in humans, including kidney cancer and testicular cancer.

The U. As a result of the research, food manufacturers voluntarily stopped using PFOA in their product bags in According to the Environmental Working Group , little is known about the safety of these chemicals.

Microwave popcorn has also been linked to a serious lung disease called popcorn lung. Diacetyl, a chemical used to give microwave popcorn its buttery flavor and aroma, is linked to severe and irreversible lung damage when inhaled in large amounts.

The disease causes shortness of breath, wheezing, and other symptoms similar to those of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. Two decades ago the risk for popcorn lung was mainly among workers in microwave popcorn plants or other manufacturing plants who breathed in large amounts of diacetyl for long periods of time. Hundreds of workers were diagnosed with this disease, and many died.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health studied the effects of diacetyl exposure at six microwave popcorn plants. The researchers found a link between long-term exposure and lung damage.

Yet one Colorado man reportedly developed the condition after eating two bags of microwave popcorn a day for 10 years. Chemicals linked to cancer and popcorn lung have been removed from microwave popcorn in recent years.

Invest in an air popper, like this one , and make your own version of movie-theater popcorn. Three cups of air-popped popcorn contains only 90 calories and less than 1 gram of fat. Make popcorn on the stovetop using a lidded pot and some olive, coconut, or avocado oil. Use about 2 tablespoons of oil for every half cup of popcorn kernels. Boost the flavor of air-popped or stovetop popcorn without any potentially harmful chemicals or excessive salt by adding your own toppings.

Spray it with olive oil or freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Experiment with different seasonings, such as cinnamon, oregano, or rosemary. A couple of chemicals that were once in microwave popcorn and its packaging have been linked to cancer and lung disease.

When you make popcorn at home, you probably use a little bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt; but when you pop a bag of the microwave stuff, you're often choosing a snack with two or three times as many ingredients.

Spoiler alert: more often than not this extra stuff isn't great for you. So which ingredients are the biggest offenders? Here's a breakdown. Brands no longer use trans fats in their popcorn products yay! That's not great for your heart health: one study published in The Journal of Nutrition suggests palm oil increases LDL cholesterol more than vegetable oil thanks to its higher saturated fat content.

But regardless of whether it's palm oil or vegetable oil on the ingredient list of your microwave popcorn, there's a high likelihood that you'll be eating a good amount of saturated fat when you grab a handful. Have you checked the sodium on your favorite bag of microwave popcorn? Unless your brand says it uses no salt, you could be consuming upwards of milligrams of sodium per serving.

Studies have shown that diets higher in sodium are associated with hypertension; one study in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology , for example, suggests that excess sodium can affect many different body systems, causing adverse effects on your brain and kidneys, along with your cardiovascular system. Many bags of microwave popcorn contain chemicals meant to preserve the ingredients, add flavoring, and keep grease from soaking through the bag.

Manufacturers used to use perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFAS , which the Environmental Protection Agency EPA says the exposure of which was linked to numerous types of cancer and some other negative health conditions.



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