Pork scratchings - the elixir of eternal youthWhile working on my promised list of 5 reasons to give up breast feeding (still a work in progress, by the way) I’ve been distracted by an email which pinged into my inbox: pork scratchings could be the secret to eternal youth.

Quite a claim. And coming from my esteemed friend Rupert Ponsonby, who joined forces with chef Tom Parker Bowles (aka Prince Charles’ step-son) and food writer Matthew Fort to give birth to Mr Trotter’s Pork Crackling, I dismissed it as nothing but a shrewd move to flog more of their posh pub snacks. Or is it?

It might sound ridiculous, but think about it: pork scratchings are basically skin, which is basically collagen, which is basically the primary ingredient in most face creams. So I did some research, and found this quote in an article on ‘surprise superfoods’ by the chief dietician at St George’s Hospital in London, Catherine Collins: “Because what you’re eating is effectively concentrated collagen from skin, it has an amazingly high protein content to keep you feeling full, and benefits muscle and bone health.”

Apparently Cameron Diaz (40), Beyoncé (31) and Kate Moss (39) are all partial, with Beyoncé crediting the little critters with being the perfect diet snack because they are low carb and won’t make her put on weight.

This is all very well, but there’s only one problem. I don’t like pork scratchings. Still, the idea might cheer up Misery Guts, which is no bad thing…