Is popcorn a health food? Not quite, but according to a new
analysis, you shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss its nutritional
benefits. Presenting research at the American Chemical Society
meeting on Sunday, Joe Vinson, a professor of chemistry at
University of Scranton, reported that popcorn may contain just
as many healthful antioxidants — or even more, depending on how
you measure them — as fruits and vegetables. Antioxidant
compounds called polyphenols, which have been associated with
combating cancer, are commonly found in produce. Vinson and his
colleagues also found it in popcorn, by grinding up the popped
kernels, including the waxy hulls, and simulating the digestion
process that would normally occur in the stomach. About 1.5% by
weight of air-popped popcorn is made up of polyphenols, the
researchers found (the good-for-you compounds are also present
in red wine and chocolate). As snack foods go, popcorn isn’t a
bad choice: about two tablespoons of kernels, or 33 g of popped
corn, would give you about 5