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Corn is a valuable seasonal food that will not burden you with excess calories, but will provide you with the carbohydrates and quick energy, amino acids, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, B1, B5, folic acid, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.
Corn is an icon of the American culture, and has been described in the traditional Mayan, Aztec, and Incan mythologies. Its roots are considered to originate from Mexico or Central America, and it’s a seasonal food that has been consumed by the earliest civilizations that occupied these territories.
The evidence about preparing the dishes made of corn reaches into a distant history, some 7000 years ago. The Native Americans held this plant in the highest regard, which is proven by the fact that they have used it for food, shelter, decoration, and even fuel.
Today, corn is a widespread nutrient. It is consumed as a vegetable or it is grounded into flour, from which a delicious corn bread is made. Polenta, a traditional corn-based meal, is an important component of the old Mediterranean menus, and it is still served as a side dish with numerous fish and meat specialties.
Corn flakes with the addition of milk or yogurt are becoming an increasingly popular meal, and are especially favored as a quick and nutritious breakfast meal. They are made by cooking and grinding of the corn kernel, after which they are baked in order to get the familiar yellowish-brown color and become crunchy.
The abundance of nutrients
Corn is a nutritionally valuable type of food, which doesn’t burden the body with the excess calories, since one average-sized corn cob contains 80 to 100 kcal. The fats that prevail in corn are both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
A corn kernel consists of a pericarp, an endosperm, and a germ. The cells of a pericarp contain the pigments which determine the corn color that varies from yellow to completely white. White corn does not contain beta-carotene, while the yellow corn does, which allows it to satisfy our vitamin A needs.
Corn lacks two essential amino-acids – lysine and tryptophan. Precisely because of this reason, it is recommended that the corn is combined with the legumes in our diet, because this combination fully satisfies our protein needs.
Corn is a very good source of thiamine (vitamin B1), as well as many other vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B5, folic acid, niacin, vitamin C, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. The abundance of fiber makes this nutrient especially valuable.
Fiber for stomach and intestines
A fiber – rich diet has proven to be extremely efficient in lowering high cholesterol levels and colon cancer prevention. The type of fiber found in corn has a positive effect on the sugar blood levels, which is why corn is considered to be a great source of energy for persons with the insulin resistance and for persons with diabetes.
Since the ancient times, it has been known that the foods that contain an abundance of starch, such as rice, potato, corn, and wheat, help with digestive disorders, especially when it comes to diarrhea. The recent scientific studies have confirmed our grandmothers’ claims.
Namely, corn contains a special kind of prebiotic fiber called isomalto-oligosaccharides. A recent research, published in a scientific magazine “Nutrition”, has shown that this kind of fiber can improve digestion in older persons who have problems with constipation.
In this research, conducted by the Thailand scientists, a daily dose of 10 grams of isomalto-oligosaccharides during the 8-week period has led to a significant increase of the “good” intestinal bacteria, decrease of the “bad” bacteria, doubling the number of the spontaneous weekly bowel movements, and the normalization of the cholesterol and lipoprotein blood levels.
Besides having been proven to help with constipation, corn and the foods that contain corn are also ideal for alleviating diarrhea, because they have a positive effect on the normalization of digestion.
In addition to having a positive effect on the lower digestive system or gastrointestinal tract, corn can also be useful for solving the problems of the upper digestive system – stomach problems, to be exact. Namely, research has shown that small amount of corn can neutralize the gastric acid, which is why it is recommended to the persons who suffer from gastritis and stomach ulcer.
Strong antioxidant
Corn, as a nutrient rich in antioxidants, folic acid, protease inhibitors, and numerous phytochemicals, can be considered as a combatant against cancers and viruses, which is why it should get its deserved spot in a contemporary person’s menu.
The conventional wisdom is that fresh fruits and vegetables are healthier than their processes equivalents. However, American scientists have proven that this isn’t always the case.
The heat treatment of corn leads to the increase of its antioxidant powers, due to a release of the molecules with the antioxidant activity. Scientists have also discovered what happens on a molecular level; cooking releases a phenol component known as the ferulic acid.
Ferulic acid is a phytochemical, which can be found in a limited number of fruits and vegetables, and corn has a very high concentration of the same. It’s characterized by a strong antioxidant activity, which is why it is attributed with anticancer properties.