Corn is a delicious cooking vegetable if you grill it in the oven or on a barbecue. Chewing on a corn cob is a pleasure for the chewing muscles. The fibers are very healthy for digestion and it is nice to know that popcorn also contains fiber and is therefore a relatively healthy snack. Corn originally comes from America, but Columbus initially overlooked the fact that corn was eaten. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.

Contents

• Corn, food of the Mayans and Olmecs
• Vitamins in corn
• Minerals in corn
• Starchy = healthy
• Corn against high blood pressure
• Phytonutrients in corn
• Corn is good for the eyes
• Corn, good for digestion and blood sugar levels
• Fructose from corn
• Corn eating tips

Corn, food of the Mayans and Olmecs

Corn is a vegetable that originates from North and Central America. The Olmecs and the Mayans had corn on their menu almost every day. The Indians in North America also knew corn. Columbus was the first European to come into contact with corn. At first the explorer ignored this healthy vegetable. Corn was used by the North American ethnic peoples to make cornmeal and the vegetable was eaten straight.Baby corn / Source: Brian Snelson, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-2.0)

Vitamins in corn

Corn contains a lot of vitamin B1 or thiamine. 100 grams of corn contains 13% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for B1. Only 14% of the RDI contains slightly more pantothenic acid (B5). Niacin (B3), foilic acid (B11) and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) are all represented in the corn cob at 11% of the RDI. Furthermore, corn contains 7% of the RDA of pirydoxine (B6) and 6% of the RDA of vitamin A. Corn contains 4% of the RDA of riboflavin (B2). There are more vitamins in corn kernels, but these are all marginal values, lower than 4% of the RDI.

Minerals in corn

Minerals are evenly represented in corn. Magnesium is found most in corn. One ounce of corn accounts for 9% of the RDA of magnesium. The healthy mineral manganese is also found in corn; namely 7% of the RDA in 100 grams. For copper and iron, each corn cob contains 6% of the RDA. Corn contains 4% of the RDA of zinc. Other minerals all have lower percentages than 3%.Corn plant / Source: Jalyton, Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Starchy = healthy

Corn is healthy because it is a naturally starchy product. Other vegetables high in starch include potatoes and peas. Natural starch products contain a lot of fiber. If these fibers are eaten regularly, they have a preventive effect against diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. Food experts say that a starchy product fills you up more quickly than other types of food, which means you are less likely to overeat. In this way, eating corn prevents obesity. Fiber-rich products stimulate digestion and prevent many problems such as constipation and indigestion.

Corn against high blood pressure

Corn may not contain many vitamins and minerals, but it is nevertheless very healthy due to the large number of fibers and phytonutrients contained in the corn cob. The combination of phytonutrients provides additional health benefits that were not often studied in the past, but are now increasingly subject to scientific research. Phytonutrients in the corn cob stimulate the production of angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE), a glycoprotein that reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.Red corn or strawberry corn / Source: Andrew Butko, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Phytonutrients in corn

• Anthocyanins,
• beta carotene,
• Hydroxycinnamic acid,
• Ferulic acid,
• caffeic acid,
• Lutein,
• syringic acid,
• Protocatechuic acid,
• Vanillic acid and
• Zeaxanthin.

Corn is good for the eyes

Not only beta-carotene from carrots is healthy for the eyes. The list above mentions lutein and zeaxanthin. These are both substances that are good for the eyes. Eyesight can deteriorate, especially as you get older. There is a disease called ‘age-related cataracts’. Lutein and zeaxanthin prevent these age-related diseases.Maisveld / Source: Andy Pearce, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-2.0)

Corn, good for digestion and blood sugar levels

Fibers promote digestion. Fibers reduce the risk of colon cancer. Fiber also ensures that blood sugar levels do not fluctuate excessively, because the food is digested more evenly. The latter is good news for diabetes patients. In addition, vitamins B1, B5 and B11 plus the protein in corn also have positive effects on blood sugar levels. An extra nice fact is that the fibers are not only found in fresh corn or the corn cob, but also in popcorn, which is of course made from corn.

Fructose from corn

A lot of corn is grown in the world, but only 1% of the corn grown is sweet corn that is suitable for human consumption. Other corn is used as animal feed. It is much more common for corn to be planted for the fructose industry. Fructose is an extremely sweet substance obtained from a specially cultivated type of corn. This sweetener is isolated and then added to cakes, cookies, candies, soft drinks, sandwich fillings, prepackaged meals and sometimes even meat products.

Corn eating tips

Corn makes a meal more nutritious. Some people even add corn to a pasta or rice meal. Corn fits in a vegetable mix. Canned corn is not recommended because all canned food contains fewer nutrients than the fresh variety. Corn kernels are delicious on a salad and the cheerful yellow color also gives the eye something nice to look at. Don’t forget that there is also baby corn that is completely suitable as a salad vegetable. If you like baking, it is a good idea to partially or completely coat cookies and cakes with corn flour. Pancakes made from 50% corn flour have a very different taste. Make your own popcorn with a little olive oil and make sure that you consume less bad fats than pre-packed popcorn. It remains best to grill the corn on the cob on a barbecue and then eat it. Corn on the cob are among the tastiest grilled vegetables.

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