Golden grains for your health - the benefits and harms of corn

It is difficult to meet a person who does not like “golden” ears with a soft sugar taste. Corn, the benefits of which were known in antiquity, is a real treasury of nutrients. This cereal crop contains more vitamins than rice, buckwheat and barley. It can be nibbled immediately after cooking or added to meat dishes, salads, pastries. In this article you will learn about the beneficial properties and potential dangers of corn for the body, as well as in what form it is better to use.

Vitamin and mineral composition

Scientists from Temple University (USA, Pennsylvania) believe that corn was cultivated almost 9 thousand years ago in Mexico. Ancient texts have been preserved that confirm that the Aztecs widely used grain crops in everyday life and medicine.

Why is corn good for health? It contains a huge amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements that support the proper functioning of internal organs. To meet the daily needs of the body for some substances, a person just needs to eat one ear per day. The chemical composition of the product is described in more detail in the table below.

Table 1. Substances present in corn grains

The name of the substance and% of the daily norm in 100 g of corn	Beneficial features	Problems that may arise in case of deficiency
Vitamin B1 - 25.3%	Supports a healthy metabolism, regulates the nervous system and mood	Memory impairment, fatigue, beriberi disease
Vitamin B4 - 14.2%	Reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood and improves fat metabolism, has a biliary effect, prevents damage to nerve cells	Chronic fatigue and irritability, frequent headaches, high blood pressure, impaired liver and kidney function
Vitamin B5 - 15%	Participates in the synthesis of fatty acids, cholesterol and hemoglobin, stimulates the production of adrenal hormones, has a positive effect on the brain	Chronic fatigue, insomnia, headaches and muscle pains, diseases of the digestive tract
Vitamin B6 - 24%	Helps the body properly absorb proteins and fats, removes excess fluid, relieves nausea, and prevents muscle spasms	Drowsiness and lethargy, poor appetite, bloating, erosion in the oral cavity
Vitamin B9 (folic acid) - 6.5%	Stimulates the production of red blood cells, normalizes the menstrual cycle in women, reduces the risk of premature birth and brain abnormalities in the fetus	Mood swings, hair loss, anemia, difficult pregnancy
Vitamin H (Biotin) - 42%	Improves the appearance of skin, nails and hair, increases efficiency, normalizes blood sugar	Sluggish skin, slow hair growth, muscle weakness, poor appetite
Potassium - 13.6%	Normalizes heart rate and blood pressure, relieves swelling	General weakness, muscle pain and cramps, jumps in blood pressure
Magnesium - 26%	Supports the health of the heart muscle, nervous system and brain	Chronic fatigue, anxiety, muscle cramps, lump in the throat, shortness of breath
Silicon - 200%	Increases the strength of bones, cartilage and teeth, enhances the action of certain vitamins	Weakened immunity, premature aging, diseases of the musculoskeletal system
Sulfur - 11.4%	It has antibacterial and anti-allergic effects, regulates blood coagulation	Chronic fatigue, constipation, weakened immunity
Iron - 20.6%	Supports the health of the nervous system, thyroid gland, helps supply tissues and internal organs with oxygen	Anemia, atrophic gastritis, fatigue, headaches
Selenium - 54.5%	Participates in the formation of many hormones and enzymes, prevents malignant tumors, strengthens the immune system	Infertility in men, muscle weakness, decreased protective functions of the body
Chrome - 16%	Normalizes blood sugar and reduces cravings for sweets.	Deterioration of glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes, mood swings, sudden attacks of hunger
Zinc - 14.4%	Strengthens the immune system, accelerates tissue regeneration, improves sexual function in men, stimulates collagen synthesis	Frequent colds, poor wound healing, irritability, infertility

Other valuable elements are present in the cereal culture: vitamins A, B2, E, PP, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, cobalt, copper. There are essential amino acids, in particular leucine and tryptophan.

Corn is a very satisfying product. The reason is the rich content of vegetable protein and dietary fiber. For most people, it is enough to eat only one ear to kill hunger for 2-3 hours.

Calorie content of corn is quite high: 100 g of grains contain 325 calories.

Health Benefits of Corn

The vitamins and minerals listed above, which are present in cereals, are well absorbed and have a complex effect on the body. Consider what is the usefulness of the product for different organs and systems.

• For the stomach and intestines

Corn is recommended for people with chronic constipation. It has a high content of dietary fiber, which normalize intestinal motility. A decoction of young corn positively affects the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa, and also removes harmful compounds from the body.

• For liver and kidney

Vitamins B1, B4, B5 and B6, which improve fat metabolism, thereby reducing the burden on the main detoxifying organ, have a positive effect on the liver. With regular use of the product, kidney stones dissolve and inflammatory processes decrease.

• For the heart and blood vessels

Sweet corn increases the elasticity of blood vessels and prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques on their walls. The product is especially useful for people with hypertension, because it contains the optimal amount of potassium and magnesium.

• For the nervous system

Almost all vitamins that make up corn support a healthy nervous system and brain. Sweet boiled stigmas can be given to children from 3-4 years. The product will improve memory and mental abilities, prevent mood swings and fatigue from intellectual work.

• For musculoskeletal system

In this regard, corn is practically not inferior to dairy products. Although 100 g contains only 3.4% of the daily intake of calcium, but a lot of silicon and phosphorus. These elements strengthen bone tissue, prevent the destruction of tooth enamel and stratification of nails. Doctors recommend consuming corn in the elderly to reduce the risk of fractures and other injuries.

• For hormonal system and metabolism

Due to its rich mineral composition, corn normalizes hormonal levels in men and women. In particular, the trace element selenium is involved in the production of thyroid hormones. The functioning of the thyroid gland and the well-being of a woman depend on them. And zinc stimulates the secretion of testosterone - the main male hormone.

Eating corn in reasonable amounts can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.Grain crops also help in the process of losing weight, because they support a healthy metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

• For the immune system

Properly prepared cobs increase the body's defenses. And because of the high sulfur content, cereal accelerates the recovery of a person with bacterial infections.

Who can harm corn?

The rich chemical composition of corn has a downside. This cereal is digested for a long time in the stomach. Therefore, do not eat it at night or in excessive quantities - more than 2 ears of corn per day. If you ignore this advice, you will experience bloating and a feeling of heaviness.

Corn has the following contraindications for use:

• increased blood coagulability, the presence of blood clots;
• peptic ulcer and gastritis in the acute stage;
• underweight.

There is no prohibition for pregnant women. On the contrary, while the baby is waiting, the need for vitamins and minerals increases, and corn makes up for their deficiency. In nursing mothers, a grain crop enhances lactation and improves the chemical composition of breast milk.

How does the cooking method affect the benefits of corn for the body?

Which corn will bring more health benefits - boiled, steamed, baked or canned? Consider each option.

• Steaming

Corn cooked in a double boiler is the most wholesome and delicate to taste. The steam is hot enough to turn raw cobs into soft and juicy, as well as increase the digestibility of the product. At the same time, the processing temperature is not as high as when cooking or baking. Consequently, almost all vitamins, macro- and microelements are preserved in grain crops.

• Cooking

Boiled corn is also good for the body. After heat treatment, most of the vitamins and other substances are retained in its composition due to the dense shell of grains.

The best taste is obtained when cooking milk of ripeness maize with ears and leaves. But salt is not recommended during cooking. Salt will make the finished product tough.

• Roasting

In terms of body benefits, baked corn occupies an intermediate position between steamed and boiled. But without the use of oil, it turns out to be rather dry.

• Preservation

Canned corn still retains macro- and micronutrients, as well as B vitamins (in particular folic acid), but in smaller quantities than boiled or steamed. In addition, unhealthy salt and sugar are present in the can along with the main product.

Manufacturers sometimes add sodium benzoate (E211) to canned corn. This substance increases the shelf life, causing the death of microbes. However, sodium benzoate is harmful to human health: it provokes allergic reactions, inflammatory processes, increases the load on the liver.

Violet corn - a unique superfood from America

Recently, an exotic product has appeared on the markets of the CIS countries - a powder from grains of purple corn. It is mainly used for preparing raw food desserts or added to smoothies, smoothies, juices, and vegetable milk.

Purple corn is grown in the southwestern United States. Externally, the grains practically do not differ from the yellow cultivar. But in a boiled form they are tasteless.

Purple corn is considered superfood due to its high content of anthocyanins. They give the product a rich color. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants. These substances protect the cells of the body from the negative effects of free radicals. Anthocyanins reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of cancer, slow down the aging process, and help a person to feel energetic.

Thus, the healing properties of corn are not in doubt.With regular use, this nutritious product makes a person more healthy, beautiful, healthy and emotionally stable. Vitamins from boiled or steamed grains are absorbed much better than from pharmacy preparations. Be sure to include corn in your diet and recommend it to loved ones.