Known for centuries, popcorn is a very popular food, especially during movie screenings. He would have several arguments to make from a health point of view, but in reality, everything depends on his preparation.
In 1612, the French discovered popcorn among the Iroquois who cooked it in pottery. Through the centuries, this snack then took over the world and millions of people enjoy it today. Popcorn can pop in two different ways , giving the butterfly shape, the most common, and the mushroom shape, the most used by manufacturers for coating.
As Top Santé explains, popcorn is a low-calorie snack :365 calories for a large salad bowl. Interesting in the context of a weight loss diet, it is also rich in fiber (13 g/100 g), which limits the storage of excess sugar in the form of fat. It is also credited with other virtues such as good intestinal transit, regulation of blood sugar or even a decrease in bad cholesterol levels .
In addition, popcorn is rich in antioxidants . A bowl of popcorn contains about 300 mg of polyphenols. True protectors of the body's cells, antioxidants are mainly present in plain popcorn, that is to say without salt, sugar or fat added after preparation.
Despite the health benefits of popcorn, care must be taken, especially when it comes to industrial microwave popcorn. It often contains diacetyl, an additive whose mission is to reproduce the taste of butter. Unfortunately, several studies have already shown that this additive is not beneficial to health. It is accused in particular of increasing the level of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain, characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. It can also impact the respiratory tract and thus generate lung diseases.
In addition, industrial sachets contain a synthetic chemical substance undesirable:perfluorooctanoic. It is an endocrine disruptor that impacts fertility in men and women in particular. In addition, this substance is included in the list of carcinogens. We should also mention the presence of hydrogenated oils in the industrial version. These processed vegetable oils can clog arteries and cause heart disease.
The most believable alternative is obviously homemade popcorn . Unprocessed vegetable oil, corn, a little butter, salt and sugar and you're done. Many recipes are available on the web, but the main thing is to remember that only plain popcorn is really healthy.
