Popcorn is good for you… like, really good for you

According to some bloke in a long white coat, popcorn actually has higher levels of antioxidants compared to fruit and/or veg. As if...

Apparently the salty popped treat that’s generally associated with the cinema contains more polyphenols than fruits or vegetables. What exactly are polyphenols? We didn’t know either, but according to the internet they’re basically just healthy antioxidant substances that can be added to certain treats to make them ‘good for you’. Although is any ‘treat’ ‘good’ for you?

Popcorn has so much natural polyphenol in it because it’s only made up of about 4 per cent water. When we compare this with a vegetable that has around 90 per cent water, we can see how much more diluted the antioxidants can be in the veg.

Even more surprising is the fact that the hull of a popped corn - the bit that gets stuck in your teeth after which you spend two days trying to get it out – is the best bit for you.

"One serving of popcorn will provide more than 70 per cent of the daily intake of whole grain. The average person only gets about half a serving of whole grains a day, and popcorn could fill that gap in a very pleasant way,” Professor Joe Vinson, from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania – even though he sounds like a popcorn marketing manager.

So is popcorn really good for you or is this the start of the popcorn propaganda wars? Who cares, we look for any excuse to eat the stuff.