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Corn received its bright yellow color due to carotenoids – natural antioxidants. Attractive-looking fruits contain vitamins, minerals and trace elements that help maintain their level in the body at the required levels.
Corn is harvested in late July-early August. At this time, the cobs are juicy and filled with useful substances. However, in addition to them, corn contains gluten, starch and a large amount of sugar. So what is more: pluses or minuses?
The history of the appearance of corn in nutrition
Corn began to be grown in Mexico and Guatemala, where it is still cultivated on a large scale. From Central America, corn gradually spread throughout the continent. In our country, yellow cobs appeared in the 50th century and at first were not the “leading” culture: rye and wheat were in the first positions. This crop reached its peak of cultivation in our country in the 60s and XNUMXs during the “corn campaign” launched by Nikita Khrushchev.
Once upon a time, corn was credited with many useful properties and was even used to treat diseases. Not only fruits were used, but also oil: its antioxidant-rich composition was used to treat inflammation and prevent viral diseases.
Since ancient times, corn has been famous for its medicinal properties. For example, corn stigmas have a good choleretic and antioxidant effect. It is believed that corn hairs in water infusions of various concentrations dissolve kidney stones, – says gastroenterologist Ayaru Kulakova.
Maize contains particles of real gold: in the past, grains were included in diets for the treatment of tuberculosis and lupus due to this.
The composition and calorie content of corn
Vitamins of group B, vitamins A and E, vitamin C are part of corn and benefit the human body. They support the nervous system, have a positive effect on vision and the condition of the skin. And, of course, keep the body in good shape.
In addition to vitamins, corn also contains a whole range of trace elements and minerals. 100 grams of the fruit contains more than 15% of iron from the daily requirement. This plant is also rich in phosphorus: it contains as much as 301 mg – this is a third of the daily norm. In addition to these substances, corn contains potassium, silicon, molybdenum and selenium.
The fiber in the plant has a positive effect on the condition of the intestines and is included in diets for people with digestive problems. At the same time, a high percentage of sugar carries a high carbohydrate load, the same can be said about the starch in corn (1).
| Caloric value on 100 g | 86 kcal |
| Proteins | 10,3 g |
| Fats | 4,9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60 g |
The benefits of corn
The anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties of corn make it possible to include it in the diet of people with kidney problems. Boiled cobs help speed up metabolism, strengthen blood vessels and even restore muscle fibers due to their high protein content.
“Corn is a source of dietary fiber that is essential for our digestion and intestinal health,” adds gastroenterologist Ayaru Kulakova. – Just one glass of corn kernels contains almost a fifth of the daily requirement for dietary fiber. And to normalize the metabolism in corn there are nonessential and essential amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids.
Corn grains reduce the viscosity and density of bile, reduce the level of bilirubin in the blood and have heteroprotective properties. And with the constant consumption of corn oil, rich in vitamin E, there is a dissolution of gallstones and a decrease in blood cholesterol levels (2).
Enzymes contained in corn fruits prevent the risk of developing cancer cells in the large intestine. This plant is also actively involved in the normalization of the production of sex hormones (3).
The benefits of corn for women
Corn oil contains not only a large amount of vitamin E, but also vitamin A. This combination is excellent for the prevention of diseases of the reproductive system. In addition, vitamins have a positive effect on the skin, hair and nails.
The content of selenium in the composition of the grains of the plant reduces the risk of developing malignant tumors, and choline helps the cells of the body to renew themselves more actively.
During pregnancy, women will benefit from boiled corn for digestion and reducing swelling. In addition, the cobs also contain folic acid – an indispensable substance for the normal development of the fetus.
The benefits of corn for men
Corn is rich in fatty acids, they help lower blood cholesterol levels: this is a plus for men who have problems with the cardiovascular system.
Corn cob fibers can be used to improve urinary function and shrink the prostate gland. Corn will be an excellent addition to the diet of athletes: both men and women. It will help muscles recover faster after training and saturate the body with the necessary amount of protein.
The benefits of corn for children
For young children, corn is not only a delicacy, but also a storehouse of nutrients.
Vitamins A and E help the visual system to develop properly, have a positive effect on the skin. Calcium is an assistant for the formation of the skeleton, iron actively transports oxygen throughout the growing body. The only negative is the high sugar content in the composition. There is a lot of it in canned corn.
You can introduce corn into the diet of a child from the age of 3 years. Until this age, it is better to give the baby corn porridge or cornmeal pancakes.
Harm to corn
It is worth refusing to eat corn for people with individual intolerance to the product, with an excess of vitamin K in the body, as well as for those who suffer from thrombosis or varicose veins.
Caution should be taken with the vegetable for people with peptic ulcer or disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. When eaten in large quantities, this fruit can cause flatulence (4).
– Corn can be used in various diets, but due to the high glycemic index, patients with insulin resistance and diabetes are advised not to abuse this product. You should not eat it for people who have poor blood clotting, thrombophlebitis, have a tendency to thrombosis, exacerbation of stomach ulcers, an allergic reaction and individual intolerance, explains Ayaru Kulakova.
The use of corn in medicine
Corn silk is used to treat urolithiasis, kidney disease and nephritis. They have antitumor properties and accelerate blood clotting – vitamin K plays a major role in this process.
The copper, magnesium, calcium contained in the fruits in the long term contribute to the prevention of atherosclerosis, lower cholesterol levels.
Corn can be an addition to the diet for nervous disorders, as it contains B vitamins. Due to the antioxidant properties of grains, they help in the fight against toxic hepatitis, and the high content of vitamin E accelerates the outflow of bile from the body.
The use of corn in cooking
The milky and sweet taste of corn makes the kernels and oil ideal for a variety of dishes. As an ingredient, it is found in Mexican, American, Asian, Italian and other cuisines.
During heat treatment, corn becomes juicy, soft. And if you use spices and marinades, then its taste is revealed in a new way every time.
tibu corn soup
Creamy, spicy, tibu soup is part of Asian cuisine. It’s best to serve it right away.
| header cover | 70 g |
| Water | 1,3 l |
| Fried corn kernels | 40 g |
| Adzhika | 35 g |
| Suluguni | 60 g |
| Olive oil | 2 Art. spoons |
| Pepper, salt | to taste |
Put 1 liter of water on the fire to boil. In a separate container, mix flour, adjika and 300 milliliters of water. After boiling water, add the mixture to it and mix thoroughly.
Cook until thickened for about 20 minutes. The consistency of the soup should be tender, not very liquid.
Remove from heat, pour into bowls and garnish. Grate the cheese over the soup, put the fried corn kernels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The final touch is a drop of olive oil. It is better to use a sprayer for this.
Corn muffins
Baking with corn can vaguely resemble cornbread. It’s all about flour. But in this recipe, not only she, but also grains are used.
| Canned corn | 150 g |
| header cover | 90 g |
| Wheat flour | 160 g |
| Baking powder | 7 g |
| Olive oil | 2 Art. spoons |
| Klenovыy syrup | 1 Art. a spoon |
| Salt and sugar | to taste |
Mix two types of flour with baking powder. Drain all the liquid from a can of canned corn, one third of the grains for decoration, grind the rest in a blender.
Put the resulting puree in a bowl, add sugar, salt and maple syrup to it. Mix thoroughly and add to flour mixture. Mix well again and pour in the olive oil. If the dough is too thick, you can add a little water.
Transfer the dough into a rectangular baking dish. First, it must be greased with olive oil, or better, laid with baking paper. Bake the cake for 25 minutes at 180 degrees.
Readiness to check with a skewer, it should be completely dry. Serve after cooling, drizzling with maple syrup.
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How to select and store corn
The color of grains in corn can be either pale yellow or bright, saturated. When buying, you should pay attention to the presence of husks. If it is not there, then perhaps it had black spots on it. This suggests that the fruit is grown using chemical fertilizers. It is better to buy corn in leaves, and then clean it before cooking.
The grains should not be dented. Another nuance is to choose those cobs in which there are no missing grains. If there are few of them, the plant could be affected by a fungus or pests.
You can store corn on the cob at room temperature for up to a month and a half. It is better not to clean it from the leaves. It is easy to freeze corn grains in special bags, and then use them for cooking various dishes.
Popular questions and answers
Popular questions are answered by Ayaru Kulakova, gastroenterologist, Hepato Medical Center, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
In what form is it better to eat corn: boiled, stewed or canned?
Boiled corn is tasty, but almost 30% of useful substances and vitamins are lost during its preparation. The main valuable elements are still preserved, so corn cannot harm. On the contrary, it will saturate the body and enrich it with valuable elements important for human life.
When preserved in corn, only 30% of the nutrients from the original amount are retained.
It is not true that during conservation the product is subjected to special processing, due to which all useful qualities and properties are destroyed. This does not happen with corn, and the amount of useful minerals, trace elements and vitamins remains practically at the same level, and the concentration of sodium, in spite of everything, increases. Sodium in our body is involved in the processes of water and acid-base balance, it also creates conditions for optimal functioning of the heart, muscle and hematopoietic systems. The only negative of canned corn is the high sugar content in the composition.
Can you eat corn all year round or just in season?
How many grams of corn can you eat in one day?
Adults can eat about 150-200 grams of boiled corn kernels or 2 small cobs per day. In children, the norm is reduced by 2-3 times – this is 1 cob. The rate can be increased if corn is consumed infrequently. If it is present in the diet regularly, it is worth eating it in small quantities.
It is important to consume corn in moderation, otherwise there is a risk of experiencing heaviness in the stomach, bloating, and flatulence. Breastfeeding women should remember these properties of corn. The product can provoke digestive problems in a child. Do not use it during periods of exacerbation of peptic ulcer. Corn contains substances that increase blood clotting. Therefore, people prone to thrombosis are advised to abandon corn altogether.
Sources of
- Stephanie Watson. Health Benefits of Corn // 2020, https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/corn-health-benefits#2
- R.S. Khalilova, I.D. Karomatov. Medicinal properties of corn. Bukhara Medical College // 2017, https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/lechebnye-svoystva-kukuruzy/viewer
- A. A. Saparbekova. Tableted milk and grain product // 2012, https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/tabletirovannyy-molochno-zernovoy-produkt/viewer
- Stephanie Watson. Health Benefits of Corn // 2020, https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/corn-health-benefits#2