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According to a study, popcorn is rich in polyphenol, which is an antioxidant that can help in reducing the risk associated with cancer, heart disease etc. The whole grain cereals which are used for breakfast are also rich in this anti-oxidant.
The surprising result came from the study that was led by Joe Vinson, chemist at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania (US-P.
Polyphenols have the potential for removing radicals, which can harm cells and tissues, from human body. Fruits and vegetables along with chocolates, tea, coffee and wine are rich in this anti-oxidant.
Even though the presence of Polyphenols in the above mentioned foods have been widely researched on, no research have ever been conducted on hot and cold whole grain cereals for checking the presence of anti-oxidants as they had been labelled “healthy”.
A major part of the diet of the Americans contains breakfast cereals, pasta, crackers and salty snacks, said the researchers.
According to Vinson, it was considered that whole grains were good for health because they had rich fibre content and has mistaken that fibre reduced the risk associated with cancer and heart diseases.
But according to the research team, whole food grains have the same amount of anti-oxidants as fruits and grains.
"This is the first study to examine total phenol antioxidants in breakfast cereals and snacks, whereas previous studies have measured free antioxidants in the products," explained Vinson.
These findings have been presented at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Washington DC. They will be published in the Aug 27 issue of the Journal of American Medical Association.
