It’s likely that the average American enjoys popcorn, since the whole grain snack is consumed about 200 cups per capita per year, according to the American popcorn industry. At its best, popcorn is low in calories and fat, a good source of fiber, and virtually sodium-free. Microwave popcorn, like many processed foods, often sacrifices nutritional value for flavor and convenience.
Nutritional Comparison
As with all foods, the nutritional value of microwave popcorn depends on how it’s made from per 3-cup serving 13 grams of carbohydrates. It also has about 30% less fiber and 90 times more sodium than the air-blasted variety. Although regular microwave popcorn made from palm oil is slightly lower in calories and fat, it still contains small amounts of Trans fat. Low-fat varieties aren’t necessarily healthier, according to the USDA, but a product labeled 94% fat-free can still contain more than twice the trans fat of microwave popcorn made from palm oil.
Main health risk health
Although microwave popcorn tends to be higher in calories and sodium and lower in fiber than popcorn, the main reason it’s less healthy is that it often contains Trans fats. The American Heart Association recommends that no more than 1 percent of your daily calories come from Trans fats, because eating too much of these most-manufactured fats promotes unhealthy cholesterol levels and increases your risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and make your stomach hurt. You get about 21 calories from trans fat from a 3-cup serving of regular butter-flavored popcorn made with partially hydrogenated oil, which is the amount you should be eating in a day when following a 2,100-calorie diet
Microwave popcorn can also be a source of potentially harmful chemicals, including per fluorinated compounds or PFCs and diacetyl. PFCs get into the microwave popcorn through the bag that is usually lined with it. These persistent chemicals have been linked to lower fertility rates and changes in thyroid function, according to Canada’s National Collaborating Center for Environmental Health. Magnifying the harmful effects of an abnormal protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease.