Movies are a passion of mine. It’s especially important to me now that I’m a parent of two youngsters and spend so much time home-bound. Butterless popcorn is a great little snack while you’re watching a new DVD release. If you think that it’s healthy, there’s a kernel of truth to that.
There’s a new reason to pop some of your favorite movie-viewing snack, sans the slabs of butter. According to findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, popcorn contains more antioxidants and dietary fiber than any other snack food.
According to Joe Vinson, a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and lead author of the study, the antioxidants in popcorn are effectively protected from the sun during the drying process. That means the corn only loses a small amount of it when popped. Plus, the fiber is not removed.
“The more processed the grain is, you’re losing nutrients and antioxidants,” says Vinson. “The closer you can get to the plant, the better off you are.” Popcorn is a whole grain.
Unfortunately, the tendency with popcorn is people bathe it in butter and salt. Yum, that’s good… but it’s the death knell of any nutritional value.
The researchers also found that most whole-grain breakfast cereals and common grain-based snacks contain considerable amounts of polyphenols, a form of antioxidants believed to offer key health benefits, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
(via: Health News)