Cornis a food that everyone loves, and fresh corn tastes fragrant and chewy when boiled. Old corn can be stored for a long time and can also be made into porridge or soup, which is very healthy.Rice Porridgeand soups. However, once popcorn, more appealing to people's taste, is processed from corn, it becomes considered junk food. Why is that?

Sweet Popcorn

Why is corn a healthy food

Corn is one of the most common types ofRoughagefoods, containing a large amount of dietary fiber and various vitamins, which helps with weight loss, constipation relief, and has the effect of controlling blood sugar and lowering cholesterol.Bloodand cholesterol levels.Moreover, the plant oil in corn is unsaturated fatty acids, which are more beneficial for maintaining vascular and brain health.

At the same time, the rich B vitamins in corn can promote the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. And corn also contains seven anti-aging agents.Therefore, for modern people who have long been accustomed to eating meat, corn is a food with many benefits, so it's recommended that everyone eat more corn.Why Popcorn Is Not HealthyPopcorn, although its nutritional value hasn't changed much after processing, because of expansion, the air in popcorn increases. This makes it easier for the human body to digest and absorb when entering the body.

It has become a junk food mainly because, although modern popcorn no longer contains lead, sugar, milk powder, preservatives, hydrogenated vegetable oil, or even colorings are often added during processing to enhance taste.

These substances are very harmful to cardiovascular and liver health.

Be wary of the too sweet popcornStreet vendors save money by using aluminum pots to make popcorn. They replace

Margarine

with hydrogenated vegetable oil, adding various flavors and dyes.VegetableCreaminsteadof butter.

When heated in a microwave, the fragrance emitted by popcorn contains a substance called diacetyl. Small amounts of this substance are harmless to the human body, but frequent exposure to excess can certainly bring health hazards.According to experts, when heating popcorn at home with a microwave, stand at least two meters away from the heated area. After cooking, leave the bag open in a well-ventilated place before consumption.To make popcorn more sweet and fragrant, some vendors add large amounts of artificial cream.

Dr. Jiu Juan introduced that artificial cream contains trans fatty acids, which can cause obesity and harm cardiovascular health.

The danger of popcorn comes from a chemical food additive - diacetylPopcorn's milk flavor does not come from corn itself but from an ingredient added to the product called diacetyl, which has a creamy aroma.

Diacetyl is often used in artificial cream, cheese, baked goods, and various snacks to increase the creaminess of the aroma.

In 2007, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Institute reported that some people developed lung diseases after long-term consumption of microwave popcorn smoke. This disease, also known as "popcorn lung," may be caused by additives such as diacetyl used in the popcorn making process, leading to bronchiolitis.Such as "obstructive bronchiolitis," commonly known as "popcorn lung."Main symptoms of Popcorn LungPopcorn lung is a disease called obstructive bronchiolitis. It may be caused by additives such as diacetyl or flavoring agents in the popcorn making process.Symptoms include sudden onset, persistent dry cough, flu-like fever, shortness of breath after activity, chest pain, joint pain; some patients also have asthma, occasionally hemoptysis.Physical signs may show bilateral middle and lower lung crackles. Some patients may have no positive physical signs.

X-rays may show multiple patchy shadows in both lungs.It requires anti-inflammatory treatment.

Mild cases can cause shortness of breath, incessant coughing;Severe cases may lead to pulmonary fibrosis and loss of function, potentially resulting in death.

Choosing PopcornGood popcorn has full grains, a sweet taste. Its quality is largely influenced by the use of butter or other ingredients during preparation. Poor-quality popcorn tastes unevenly sweet, with thin grains, often lacking flavor due to the lack of ingredient use. From color, good popcorn has a light golden color from the butter; poor-quality popcorn appears white.Multiple patchy shadows can be seen in both lungs on X-ray.Antibacterial treatment is required.

Mild cases may cause breathing difficulties and persistent coughing;Severe cases may lead to lung fibrosis, loss of function, even death.

Selection of popcorn can be made from the following aspects:

Quality popcorn has full kernels with a sweet taste; its quality largely depends on the butter and other ingredients used. Poor quality popcorn has uneven sweetness, thin kernels, and a subpar flavor due to insufficient ingredient use. From color alone, quality popcorn has a light golden hue reminiscent of champagne, while poor quality popcorn remains pure white in color.