Can microwave popcorn give you heart disease?

Report advises people to minimise their exposure to the chemical by avoiding nonstick cookware and packaged foods like microwave popcorn

Scientists, led by an Indian origin researcher, have linked perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) - a chemical found in microwave popcorn bags - to cardiovascular disease.

PFOA is also found in nonstick cookware, food wrappers, furniture, and even raincoats.

Researchers from West Virginia University (WVU) School of Public Health, Morgantown, looked at the health data of 1,200 Americans and compared their PFOA serum levels with the incidence of heart disease.

The greater the amounts of PFOA in the bloodstream, the greater the risk of cardiovascular disease-regardless of factors like age, race, smoking, BMI, diabetes, and even hypertension, Fox News reported.

This is the first study to look at PFOA's heart effect on humans.

However, more research needs to be done to determine the specific relationship between PFOA and cardiovascular disease.

"We can't yet be certain that PFOA causes heart disease," says lead study author Dr Anoop Shankar, chair of the department of epidemiology in the WVU School of Public Health.

"The two could be related in another way, like people with cardiovascular disease tending to retain more PFOA in their blood," said Shankar.

Additionally, health watchdogs like the Environmental Working Group suggest PFOA may be a human carcinogen, and previous research has linked the chemical to chronic kidney disease and high cholesterol in children and adolescents.

According to 'Prevention Magazine' it's also a significant source of global chemical emissions.

The report advises people to minimise their exposure to the chemical by steering clear of two of the biggest sources: nonstick cookware and packaged foods like microwave popcorn.

According to the FDA, many popcorn bags contain especially high levels of PFOAs, the report said.