Surprise Superfoods: Forget Blueberries – Dieticians Say Popcorn and Pork Scratchings Are Bursting With Nutrients – and Could Be GOOD for You
There's no doubt broccoli, watercress and acai berries are overflowing with healthy vitamins and minerals, but what about the foods we actually want to eat? As a new study reveals that the once-demonised egg should be regarded as a 'superfood' (it's packed with vital antioxidants and nutrients), we uncover the other surprising wonderfoods sitting right under our noses... POPCORN The humble cinema snack could prevent cancer and help dieters. 'Most people don't know that popcorn is a wholegrain shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, and just a 30g serving – that's half a small box of popcorn in the cinema – is equivalent to one daily portion of brown rice or wholewheat pasta,' says Catherine Collins, chief dietician at St George's hospital in London. Popcorn also contains three times more fibre by weight than sunflower seeds, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, as well as balancing your blood sugar levels (so no mood swings or cravings for sweet snacks) and helping to lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol. It even has a dose of B vitamins to boost your energy levels. A study presented last August to the American Chemical Society suggests the real health benefits could lie more in its 'surprisingly large' polyphenol content, antioxidants thought to mop up free radicals, the potentially damaging chemicals that cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Just be careful of doing more harm than good by adding excess salt or sugar to your homemade version. PEANUT BUTTER Peanut butter is one of the richest sources of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats – it's also low in saturated fat and an excellent source of protein to keep you feeling full for longer, fibre for bowel health and folate which can protect against colon cancer and heart disease, says Collins.
The nuts are thought to help reduce inflammation in the body and boost the health of blood vessels around the heart. In fact, Harvard Medical School researchers recently reported that snacking on peanut butter five days a week can nearly halve the risk of a heart attack. Even better, these health benefits seem to occur without also promoting weight gain – researchers found that people eat less after a snack of peanut butter compared with other snacks. BAKED BEANS The humble baked bean is a nutritional powerhouse of protein, fibre, iron and calcium. Its combination of high protein, which also keeps your muscles and bones healthy, and low-GI carbohydrates, which release their energy slowly, keep you feeling fuller for longer. 'As well as keeping your blood sugar levels steady and lowering your cholesterol, the insoluble fibre in baked beans moves into the large intestine, or colon, where bacteria act on it,' says Collins. This produces fatty acids that are thought to nourish the colon lining and protect it from cancer. An 80g portion constitutes around a fifth of a woman's recommended daily intake of fibre, a tenth of her protein intake and a quarter of her iron. Meanwhile, the tomato sauce itself is an excellent source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant shown to help prevent heart disease and prostate cancer.
Beans count towards the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day – one portion is around three heaped tablespoons. 'But tinned baked beans can be high in sugar and fat, so opt for low-sugar, low-salt varieties,' advises Collins. MARMALADE Pectin, a natural gelling agent used to help marmalade and jam set, relieves constipation and sore throats, according to a study by the institute of Food Research. It's also been found to inhibit tumour growth. Meanwhile, antioxidants in the citrus peel help lower levels of LDL cholesterol. Marmalade also contains natural sugars, which are more beneficial than those found in most other preserves and jams. And with 20 times more antioxidants in 1g of marmalade than in your ordinary glass of orange juice, it could be a better choice. 'Despite the recent trend to opt for honey – due to the well-publicised health benefits of the Manuka variety – marmalade is arguably healthier as it contains vitamins and antioxidants from the fruit,' says Rebecca Foster of the British nutrition Foundation. Many brands
contain more than 50 per cent sugar, so if low-sugar versions aren't
available, be moderate. May 6, 2010 Copyright © 2010 Daily Mail
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