I wasn’t brought up eating popcorn. In fact, my parents never even had soft drinks in the cupboard or fridge. They cared about what foodstuffs they subjected me to while also my mum didn’t want to waste housekeeping.
All of my family in Brazil eat popcorn and sodas on a regular basis, and my mother’s words have helped me control my urges to follow them. As there is much controversy over whether sodas, either regular or diet are healthy, and then popcorn covered in table salt doesn’t exactly portray a healthy person’s staple diet. They don’t encourage me to include them in mine. However, my granddaughter, like her mother and grandmother have the inclination to scoff and thirst-quench on Coca-Cola or Guarana.
Don’t worry! Popcorn itself is still a healthy snack to eat from time to time. The issue is not with the popcorn itself. The issue is the lining found in the microwaveable bags. The US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) which is in charge of food safety regulation has advised the below. Popcorn bags are lined using PFOA (chemicals), which keeps the grease from leaking on the dish. The problem is that these chemicals end up leaking into the popcorn instead when it is cooked.
A study published in 2009 in Human Reproduction journal states that PFOA is a cause for a higher risk of infertility. A year later, a study published in 2010, in Environmental Health Perspectives confirmed that the intake of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) could cause thyroid disorders. Additionally, when left untreated, these thyroid disorders can have a very high risk to turn into cancer.
If you wish to live longer, it is necessary to think of these studies. There are more studies published in the US relating PFOA chemicals to many cancer types such as kidney, testicular, and breast. Additionally, the same chemicals are the cause of higher levels of cholesterol, and thus a very high risk of chronic heart disease.
Not only if you would like to live longer, but if you like Popcorn, you don’t need to stop eating it. However, make sure to know how it is prepared and sourced. Avoid anything that has PFOA and try not to microwave it. It is best to cook it on the stove or get it from the cinema, where it is prepared in PFOA-free machines. If you can’t find alternatives, then, unfortunately, it is best to stop eating it entirely if you want to live longer.
Tidbits of information are worth taking note of, as they can enhance lifestyle by contributing to eating habits. Coupled to healthy habits like working out regularly, and taking care of oneself add to improvements.
Take care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Part Source: Medical-News.org
Vocabulary builder:
Foodstuffs (n) = crops, produces, harvests, goods, products, foods
Subjected (v) exposed, endangered, imperiled, (ant) put in danger
Housekeeping (n) = housework, cleaning, tidying up, organization, and it can also be upkeep, maintenance, i.e., money received to manage household expenses like food, cleaning products, etc.
Scoff (v) = in the example above it means to eat quickly, stuff your face. It can also mean to make fun of someone, laugh at, ridicule, pour scorn on, (ant) praise
Thirst-quench (idiom) = to cause oneself/someone to stop feeling thirsty. “He quenched his thirst by drinking a bottle of soda.” A drink that will quench your thirst.