Dan Buettner, an expert in longevity, says it is cheap, delicious, and healthy
A cinema favourite snack could be the secret to a long life, according to s longevity expert. Dan Buettner claims popcorn is the ‘best snack to live to 100’, citing its high fibre and polyphenol content, affordability, ease of preparation, and storage convenience as reasons for its ‘longevity snack’ status.
Buettner has gained fame through his research into Blue Zones – regions around the world where people enjoy unusually long and healthy lives. These zones are scattered globally, from Okinawa in Japan to Sardinia in Italy.
So why popcorn?
“The best longevity snack might already be in your pantry,” Buettner revealed. “Air-popped popcorn is loaded with fibre, complex carbs, and even boasts more polyphenols than many vegetables. It’s budget-friendly, simple to prepare, and most importantly, it’s scrumptious. Centenarian-approved.”
He further elaborated: “The best snack to live to 100 that you can also afford – it’s popcorn. Air-popped popcorn is incredibly rich in fibre, it’s packed with complex carbohydrates, and it even surpasses many vegetables in polyphenol content. People didn’t realise that.
“People can afford it, it’s easy to whip up and store, and what’s the most crucial factor? It’s delicious.”
What exactly is popcorn?
Popcorn is a whole grain maize product. It originates from a wild grass known as zea mays everta, and it is the only variety of corn that pops. A significant portion of it is cultivated in the Mid-West of the United States.
The process of preparing popcorn involves harvesting, drying, and removing the kernels. Once dried, it’s cleaned, separated, and packed, ready to be cooked and eaten.
When heated and the kernel’s internal temperature hits between 400-460F, the moisture inside turns into steam, causing the kernel to burst open – creating the globally loved snack.
But why is it considered healthy?
The American Heart Association labels popcorn as ‘an efficiently healthy snack’. Air-popped popcorn contains a mere 30 calories per cup, and only 35 if cooked with oil. Even lightly buttered popcorn has just 80 calories per cup, making it a low-calorie treat.
Being a wholegrain and complex carbohydrate, popcorn takes longer to digest, keeping us feeling satisfied for longer. It typically lacks artificial flavourings or additives, and does not contribute to our cholesterol or saturated fat levels.
It is rich in folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and vitamins B6, A, E and K. A single serving provides about 8 per cent of the daily value of iron. It also offers 1.15g of fibre per cup – a handy step towards the UK’s recommended 30g per day. More than 90 per cent of Brits do not consume enough fibre daily.
Lastly, there are the polyphenols that Buettner mentioned. These antioxidants, commonly found in vegetables and fruit, are believed to help lower cancer risk and boost overall health.
But are there any negatives?
It is worth noting that the popcorn you munch on at the cinema is likely a far cry from what you pop in your own kitchen. “When prepared well, popcorn actually is a pretty good snack,” explained Maya Vadiveloo, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Rhode Island.
“It’s stable. It’s inexpensive. It’s fairly tasty. For people who might be struggling to eat adequate fruits or vegetables or other whole grains, it’s a low-risk snack to start. Popcorn at the movies is very different than popcorn made at home.”
A single serving of movie theatre popcorn can pack a whopping 1,090 calories and a staggering 2,650 milligrams of sodium. “Even a small movie theater popcorn has significant calories and is very high in salt,” Vadiveloo pointed out.
“Sodium is one of the leading risk factors for hypertension and stroke in general, so it’s something we do care about from a perspective of heart disease.”
Cinema popcorn is often popped in less-than-healthy oils such as canola oil, and that is before even considering the added sweeteners and chemicals. One chemical in particular, diacetyl, which adds a buttery flavour to some microwave popcorn, has been associated with a condition known as popcorn lung, leading to symptoms like shortness of breath and wheezing.
Although diacetyl is also present in cheese, butter, yogurt, and wine, and is not harmful when ingested, it is dangerous when it is inhaled in substantial quantities.
In the year 2000, a cluster of popcorn factory employees in the USA contracted the disease, which led to its nickname ‘popcorn lung’. The workers were exposed to Diacetyl, a flavouring agent used in popcorn, through inhalation.