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Is Popcorn Good For You?
Popcorn is America's favorite snack at the movies, but is it good, or bad for your health?
Americans eat about 1.2 billion pounds of popcorn a year. It has been enjoyed for centuries. Anthropologists have discovered popcorn remnants in the American Southwest, dating back 2,500 years and in Peru and Mexico 5,000 years. Popcorn enjoyed an increase in popularity during the Great Depression, since it was satisfying and inexpensive.
Popcorn & Your Health:
Depending on a number of factors, popcorn can be good for your health, or bad for your health.
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If you choose the right variety of popcorn and pop it properly, popcorn can be nutritious and provide a valuable source of fiber, when eaten in moderation. Since popcorn is relatively high in net carbs, anything more than three to four ounces popcorn, is not a wise choice.
About 3.5 ounces of popcorn contains 389 calories, 78 grams of carbs, 15 grams of fiber,13 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat. That serving also provides 21% of the RDI of zinc, 56% of the RDI of manganese and 36% of the RDI of magnesium and phosphorus. This portion of popcorn packs about 10% of the RDI of vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and potassium. Popcorn also provides polyphenols, which are super antioxidants. The polyphenols are more highly concentrated in popcorn than they are in two other snack options, which are nuts or chocolate.
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Popcorn's fiber retains the germ and bran, which helps to remove excess cholesterol from arterial walls and also helps to normalize cholesterol levels. This reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke and the hardening of the arteries.
Additional research shows that eating popcorn can help regulate blood sugar, lower cholesterol, improve digestion, aid in weight loss, prevent osteoporosis and protect against cancer.
Choose You Popcorn Wisely:
Some bags of popcorn are labeled as being "GMO Free". The truth is that even though about 90% of US corn is now GMO, there is currently no GMO popcorn at all on the market. It is still best to buy organic popcorn, since you will be avoiding pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers.
The easiest way to make popcorn is in a microwaveable bag, which also contains a Teflon like chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which have been linked to ADHD and hyperactivity in children, low birth weight and thyroid disease.
An extra-large bag of movie theater popcorn contains about 1,120 calories, 72 grams of fat and 120 grams of carbs. The fake butter that makes up most of the fat in movie theater popcorn, contains a dangerous chemical named diacetyl, which multiple animal studies show may damage airways and even precipitate lung disease. The fake butter also contains trans fat, which is in the form of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.
Coconut oil is the healthiest oil to pop popcorn with, but hot air popped popcorn contains far fewer calories and no added oils. You can always add real butter, Himalayan sea salt, healthy cheese, pepper or other spices to make it even tastier!