Fortify Your GI Tract with This Midnight Munchie

It's long been a favorite of midnight moviegoers, and research now shows that it could give your gastrointestinal (GI) tract the red-carpet treatment, too. It's popcorn.

An 18-year study suggests that eating a couple of servings of the stuff each week could do nice things for your colon, like reduce the risk of diverticulitis by 28 percent.

Popcorn Not a Problem?
For years, doctors have warned patients with diverticulitis to avoid popcorn, thinking that the undigestible bits could cause serious complications. This new study has many wondering if that thinking could be a little off track. But don't make any changes to your diet without talking to your doctor first. For people who do not have diverticular disease, a couple of servings of popcorn a week could be just the ticket to avoiding the painful condition down the road. Nuts also seemed to lower diverticulitis risk in the study. (Have unexplained GI problems? Find out what might be causing them with this quiz.)

More Popcorn Pros
Some of popcorn's good GI deeds may come from the inflammation-fighting lutein in the kernels, as well as the magnesium content. And eating popcorn is a great way to bump up your fiber and whole-grain intake -- two more things your GI tract loves. So go ahead, pop away! Whip up some guilt-free Cheesy Popcorn with this recipe.

Find out how much popcorn you can munch for the calorie equivalent of seven or eight potato chips.