Healthy Junk Food
Published on Jan 17th, 2008 in Health, Nutrition with
When I was a young child I wished chocolate chip cookie dough was “good for you.” Actually, I still wish that, but I’m just a little more realistic now. However, perhaps that fantasy is closer to becoming true that I would have thought.
An Israeli study observed that consuming specific antioxidants, called
polyphenols, along with fatty foods will actually diminish the fats’ negative health effects. In a sense, the polyphenols make the fatty foods “healthier.”
Where can you find polyphenols? These antioxidants are in berries, grapes, pomegranates, wine, green tea, walnuts, dark chocolate, and other fruits and vegetables. They’re noted for their cancer cardiovascular disease preventative qualities.
Researchers analyzed participants’ blood and urine samples for the amount of a harmful substance that occurs with fat digestion. When participants consumed polyphenols with the fats, the amount of that harmful substance was extremely minimal, and in some cases, not even present.
More research is needed to validate this study, but I’m curious. Would people indulge in more fatty foods with the belief that, “They’re not bad as long as you eat some of those antioxidants with them!”
Hmm… Maybe there’s hope for reducing the risk of clogged arteries when eating a bag of potato chips, but what about our waistlines?
Photo credit: fubuki
