Little did I know growing up that I was being raised by a woman of subtle, soft spoken genius. When I grew up and discovered that vegetables didn’t all come from a can, I was sure I had been short changed not only from a taste standpoint, but my long term health as well.

The truth is that she probably fed me plenty of fresh veggies as I grew and I probably reacted with one of my show stopping gagging noises and then when she would give up on that species, I would conveniently remove it from my memory, leaving only the canned stuff. Maybe I really liked the canned stuff?

I’ve talked a lot about antioxidants and their health virtues. Just the word immediately pops up blueberries in my mind. For others, things like chocolate or a glass of wine might fill the bill. Now a Cornell University study throws a whole new light on the antioxidant picture of health poster. How about a can of cooked corn? Yum!

But it seems that corn, which is chock full of antioxidants, is a little greedy about sharing those with whoever devours it as close to the source as possible. If what this study indicates is true the cows, who eat their corn raw and unprocessed, are getting very little benefit from the available free radicals. The prize goes to those who cook it the longest and hottest. Go figure! The processing process is what releases the antioxidants.

Bottom line. When it comes to who is likely to get the best life insurance rates, don’t bet on the cows. And let’s hear for those moms who knew what was best for us and pulled a can from the cupboard rather than serving up fresh, crispy veggies. Thanks Mom!