Cate O'Malley, Fit Fare - If the Iowa Women’s Health Study is to be believed (and I don’t see why they wouldn’t be), then yes, popcorn is good for your health, possibly protecting you against heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Their recent study indicated that women over 55 who eat the most whole grains are 35% less likely to die from inflammatory diseases (including emphysema, asthma, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and more). But how much popcorn is enough? ...

The study showed that the women who ate a minimum of 11 servings of whole grains weekly received the benefit of the most amount of protection from inflammatory diseases.

So what exactly constitutes “whole grains?” Wild rice, brown rice, bulgur wheat, oats, cracked wheat, quinoa, some whole-grain cereals, wheat berries, oatmeal, barley, buckwheat, kasha and … you guessed it … popcorn. Snack away!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Of course, not all popcorn is created equal.  Check "Healthier Home: Perfect Popcorn" article for some information on the problem with microwave popcorn and some healthy, flavored homemade popcorn recipes.