Readers of our blog know all about Acai and other Superfruits. The literature on the health benefits of a high antioxidant diet are clear and that is why so many people try to find the best superfruits to maximize the antioxidants they get each day.
Push your Fruits and Veggies to the Side and Make Way for a Big Tub of Popcorn!
On 8/18/09, Joe Vinson, a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania presented new research findings at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society. Vinson found that popcorn contains more antioxidants and dietary fiber than any other snack food. More specifically, Vinson found that popcorn (and other whole-gran cereals and snacks)contain considerable amounts of polyphenols, which are a form of antioxidants believed to offer key health benefits.
Polyphenols – Exploring the World Beyond Fruits
In our article on the nutritional makeup of Acai we discuss the importance of polyphenols and other antioxidants. It has generally been believed that fruits such as Acai, Grapes and other berries were the best way to get polyphenols. And while it is still true that fruits like Acai have much higher polyphenols than popcorn, it is interesting to learn that polyphenols do not just come from fruits. In fact, popcorn has a very respectable 2.6 percent polyphenols concentration. For comparison, whole grain corn or oat cereal has just a 0.2 percent polyphenol concentration.
Fiber has been stealing Polyphenols Thunder
For years we have all been told that the health benefits of whole grain foods is due to their high fiber content. Now, it appears that the polyphenols may be the more active component in the whole grain foods.
“Early researchers thought the fiber was the active ingredient for these benefits in whole grains—the reason why they may reduce the risk of cancer and coronary heart disease. But recently, polyphenols emerged as potentially more important.”
- Joe Vinson, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania
Don’t Throw Out All Those Fruits Yet…
Before you go running off to the movie theater to stock up on jumbo tubs of popcorn, we have some bad news. All that stuff you add to your popcorn – butter, salt, flavoring, etc – that kills the health benefits of the popcorn. You knew there had to be a catch, right? Still, eating popcorn plain or with a little salt is now considered a healthy snack – and for popcorn lovers everywhere this is a great day!
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