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How many calories does popcorn have?

Homepage Articles How many calories does popcorn have?

How many calories does popcorn have?

In the United States, popcorn is an important part of our daily diet. But is it healthy? Some people can't imagine a movie session without at least a small portion of corn expanded. It accounts for 17% of the daily intake of whole grain cereals. Popcorn is the most popular snack in the world.

Table of Contents

1. Popcorn has a nutritional value

For comparison, a glass of popcorn weighs only 8 g. Whereas the fat contained in popcorn consists entirely of saturated fatty acids. Popcorn delivers a large amount of energy 100 g delivers 374.7 kcal. This snack is high in carbohydrates, a large part of which is dietary fiber.

2. Loss of vitamins and minerals

Popcorn is made from maize, the seeds of which are subjected to high temperatures, and this process leads to the loss of significant amounts of vitamins and minerals from the maize seeds.

3. Popcorn as a source of fiber

Compared to other snacks, popcorn is a very good source of dietary fiber and has a positive effect on the human body by improving the peristalsis of the intestines, facilitating emptying, removing toxins, releasing excess cholesterol and triglycerides with feces, or slowing down the absorption of glucose from the digestive tract.

4. Popcorn is a source of antioxidants

In their analysis, Vinson showed that popcorn contains significant amounts of antioxidants, including phenolic acids. The high polyphenolic content is due to the harsher and less porous skin of the popcorn type.

5. Popcorn as a healthy snack

In addition, it has a beneficial effect on the lipid profile and the carbohydrate economy. Popcorn as a rich source of antioxidants appears to be a healthy snack. It therefore acts as a prophylactic against diseases of the circulatory system or diabetes.

6. Popcorn as an unhealthy snack

However, on the other hand, it is a highly processed product with little nutritional value. It provides a high number of empty calories and contributes to poor health. Americans consider popcorn to be a whole grain product. It is also consumed with the addition of a large amount of salt and very often fat. However, as a good source of fiber and antioxidants, popcorn is a better choice than other snacks. On the one hand, this makes sense because it is made from whole grains of corn.

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Source

Coco M.G., Vinson J.A., Analysis of popcorn (Zea Mays L., var. Everta) for antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content, „Antioxidants” 2019, 8(1), 22.
Kunachowicz H. et al., Tabele składu i wartości odżywczej żywności, Warszawa 2005.