If I were left on a deserted island, one of the foods I'd have to have is popcorn. I'm a popcorn fanatic. So, I was more than pleased to learn that recent studies have shown that popcorn has more helpful antioxidant substances than fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants called "polyphenols" help protect against cancers, heart disease, and other diseases caused by free radicals. Polyphenols are believed to be more concentrated in popcorn because popcorn contains lower percentage of water than most fruits and vegetables. The higher percentage of water in fruits and vegetables dilutes these polyphenols. And the hulls of the popcorn (the seedy part that often gets stuck in your teeth) has the highest concentration of the antioxidant and fiber. Popcorn is the only snack food that is a 100% unprocessed whole grain.
How you prepare popcorn is key. Obviously, your typical movie popcorn or microwave popcorn is not the healthiest because of all of the additives. However, plain popcorn prepared by way of an air popper is the healthiest and has the lowest calories. If you pop your popcorn in oil, this will double the calories (depending on the type of oil you use).
Now, I know what you're thinking "plain popcorn, yuck." You can always season your popcorn with herbs and healthy oils like olive oil or coconut oil.
Although I am super excited about this information, this surely will not replace all of the yummy fruits and vegetables in my diet. Remember, that fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and nutrients that are vital to good health that popcorn does not have.
Source: American Ccemical Society (ACS). "Popcorn: The snack with even higher antioxidants levels than fruits and vegetables." ScienceDaily, 25 Mar. 2012. Web 23 Apr. 2013.
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