What is wrong with microwave popcorn?

Research has linked the coatings used in microwave popcorn to health issues. “One of the ingredients found in many brands of microwaveable popcorn is diacetyl, a flavoring which has been linked to the lung disease bronchiolitis obliterans,” says Anna Taylor, a clinical dietician with Cleveland Clinic.

Are there chemicals in microwave popcorn?

Many bags of microwave popcorn contain chemicals meant to preserve the ingredients, add flavoring, and keep grease from soaking through the bag.

Is microwavable popcorn healthy?

According to several scientific studies, flavoring additives like diacetyl and other chemicals used in microwave popcorn bags were deemed unsafe because of the potential risk of health effects, such as irreversible lung damage.

Is microwave popcorn worse than air popped?

While microwave popcorn is typically higher in calories and sodium and lower in fiber than the air-popped variety, the main reason it's less healthy is that it often contains trans fats.

What happens if you eat microwave popcorn everyday?

If you're eating microwave popcorn or movie theater popcorn every day, you might be taking in a lot of extra salt and calories, as well as potentially harmful chemicals and artificial ingredients. However, homemade popcorn that's made with olive or avocado oil can be a healthy addition to your daily diet.

Is Microwave Popcorn Safe to Eat?

Why you shouldn't eat popcorn?

Microwave popcorn may have posed an entirely different set of health problems in the past, but many of the chemicals involved have been removed in recent years. One such chemical, diacetyl, has been linked to a disease called popcorn lung, which causes shortness of breath and wheezing.

What contains diacetyl?

Diacetyl is most prevalent in processed foods that contain butter flavoring. It is used as a flavoring agent in butter, butter sprays, margarine, shortening, oil, oil sprays and other butter-flavored substances. If a product is advertised as having "buttery flavor," then that product likely contains diacetyl.

What is the healthiest way to pop popcorn?

The healthiest way to make popcorn is with an air popper. It is an appliance that just uses hot air to heat the kernels and pop them, so you don't need to use any butter or oil. That means your popcorn has fewer calories and less fat than microwave popcorn or popcorn that's popped in oil or butter in a skillet.

Is stovetop popcorn healthier than microwave?

Depending on how much oil you use, making your popcorn on the stove should save you a few calories compared to the microwave stuff. Plus, unlike with Pop Secret, you're not forced to make a whole bag's worth (and subsequently eat it in its entirety, because you're only human).

Is Homemade popcorn better than microwave popcorn?

The homemade popcorn is lower in energy (kilojoules), fat, saturated fat and sodium, with more protein and fibre. Compared with Pams Natural Microwave Popcorn, the Pop'n'Good Popping Corn has: 22% fewer kJ. 80% more protein.

Is microwave popcorn a carcinogen?

Reports from the Environmental Working Group and others have also revealed that some chemicals used to coat microwave popcorn bags and keep the oils inside from leaching through are likely carcinogens. Those reports led the FDA to ban some of these chemicals from popcorn bags and other consumer goods.

Does microwave popcorn cause inflammation?

#9 Worst: Microwave Popcorn

Popcorn is a whole-grain snack that all ages love, but throwing a packaged bag in the microwave isn't the best option for health. This is because microwaveable bags often contain extra chemicals, flavorings and sometimes even hydrogenated fats, any of which can trigger inflammation.

What brands of microwave popcorn are safe?

Is diacetyl still used in popcorn?

Manufacturers have taken that concern to heart: The country's largest makers of microwave popcorn—ConAgra, General Mills, American Pop Corn Company, and Pop Weaver— no longer use diacetyl in their products, which include Act II, Orville Redenbacher, Pop Secret, Pop Weaver, and Jolly Time.

Is PFOA still used in microwave popcorn?

However, per the FDA, harmful C8 compounds such as PFOA have been phased out and removed from the marketplace over the past several years. Unfortunately, research published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that many substances used instead of PFOA could also be detrimental.

Does microwave popcorn cause Alzheimer's?

The food flavoring ingredient diacetyl, which produces that buttery aroma in microwave popcorn, may be linked to Alzheimer's disease. Researchers have uncovered a potential link between diacetyl, the flavoring ingredient that produces the buttery flavor of microwave popcorn, and Alzheimer's disease.

Is Skinny Pop healthier than microwave popcorn?

Skinny Pop is healthier than most brands of microwave popcorn due to the type of oil used. Skinny Pop contains sunflower oil, while most microwave popcorn has palm oil. Palm oil is high in saturated fat, which may raise LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk.

Is hot air popcorn better than microwave?

Air poppers provide a quick and efficient method for popping kernels without oil. Microwaves offer additional uses compared to the air popper that only pops homemade popcorn. Air-popped popcorn remains healthier than other types of popcorn makers because of the reduction of fats and sodium from oil usage.

Is air popped popcorn the same as microwave popcorn?

The major difference between air popped popcorn and microwave popcorn is the way the kernels are heated. An air popper uses hot air to heat the kernels. The microwave, on the other hand, sends microwaves (radio wave particles) through the kernels. The kernels are kept in a bag to trap steam and help the popcorn pop.

Can I eat popcorn every day?

Popcorn is high in several important nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and polyphenol antioxidants. Not only that, but it is also incredibly tasty and one of the world's best sources of fiber. At the end of the day, popcorn is very healthy and consuming it in moderation may even help with weight loss.

What are the side effects of eating popcorn?

Premade popcorn often contains a high level of salt, or sodium. Eating too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health complications. Some brands also include a lot of sugar. Added butter, sugar, and salt can make popcorn an unhealthful snack.

What is healthier popcorn or oatmeal?

Popcorn, it seems, is better for you than porridge. The cinema snack is getting its shot in the spotlight after research showed it had "surprisingly large" amounts of healthy antioxidant plant chemicals called polyphenols.

What does diacetyl do to the body?

When inhaled, diacetyl causes bronchiolitis obliterans - more commonly referred to as "popcorn lung" - a scarring of the tiny air sacs in the lungs resulting in the thickening and narrowing of the airways.

What does diacetyl do to the brain?

University of Minnesota drug-design expert Robert Vince, PhD, and colleagues find that diacetyl causes brain proteins to misfold into the Alzheimer's-linked form called beta amyloid.

Is diacetyl banned in the US?

As of 2019, the U.S. continues to allow the use of diacetyl in vape products. However, previous investigations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that inhaling diacetyl in other contexts has led to lung damage.