Microwave popcorn is a very popular snack and many enjoy it at home and at different entertainment venues. For years, some doctors and consumer groups have been warning about the dangers that lurk inside a bag of popcorn prepared for microwaving. It might be a convenient snack, but it seems you should think twice before enjoying it.
The first hazard is a chemical called diacetyl, which is a synthetic butter flavoring. If you inhale diacetyl in large quantities, you can severely damage your lungs. This condition has been named ‘popcorn lung’ and it has been observed in people who work in popcorn factories. Workers in potato chip and candy factories have been known to develop this condition as well.
‘Popcorn lung’, or in medical language bronchiolitis obliterans, is caused by inhaling diacetyl fumes which scare the lung tissue. Sufferers have difficulty breathing the air out of the lungs, and the condition can be fatal. The lungs get so damaged that only a lung transplant can save the patient. A number of people working in popcorn factories have died while waiting on a suitable transplant, and the industry has paid more than $20 million in damages.
Some popcorn manufacturers have decided to take diacetyl out of their product due to increased concerns over its safety. Weaver Popcorn Co., ConAgra Foods Inc., American Popcorn Company and General Mills Inc. have all removed the potentially harmful chemical.
It seems that diacetyl mainly affects workers in popcorn factories who are exposed to it over a long period of time. Nonetheless, it is not beneficial for your health to inhale the chemical. The first case of a consumer who developed popcorn lung was reported in 2007. The man ate popcorn once or twice a day over a period of 10 to 12 years, so was heavily exposed to the fumes.
The risk is somewhat lowered if you let the popcorn cool down, as you inhale most of diacetyl when your popcorn is hot.
But the dangers of microwave popcorn don’t end there. The next risk is a chemical that lines the bag. The chemical that is found in the non-stick coating of the popcorn bag is called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA gets released from the coating and is ingested. It has been linked to an increased risk of certain types of cancer, mainly prostate cancer and liver cancer.
Again, the sufferers are for the most part workers in popcorn factories. Already in 1993, an article was published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine, in which a group of doctors reported increased mortality rates among factory workers exposed to PFOA. The chemical has also been associated with thyroid issues and increased cholesterol levels.
All in all, you’re better off staying away from industrially produced microwave popcorn. You will get just as much satisfaction if you use organic kernels that have nothing added to them. Put them in a brown bag and lay the bag in the microwave. The effect will be the same, and you’ll be saving yourself from unnecessary exposure to harmful chemicals. Alternatively, look for brands that don’t use dyacetyl.
Source: healthdigezt.com
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