One of my favorite summer treats is corn. It is boiled, and cooked on the grill, and even in the microwave. Like everything tasty, it is considered not very healthy. Isn't it time to figure out which of the known things about corn are myths? Corn is used not only in the food industry. A few years ago, the corporation even out of it.
Dietitian Jennifer McDaniel, public relations spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics), told The Huffington Post columnist Amanda Chan a lot of interesting things about the delicious food that children and adults used to enjoy during the summer.
Myth #1: Corn is unhealthy
This is not true! Corn contains many nutrients. The idea that corn is unhealthy most likely came about because it contains a lot of starch, which is a carbohydrate. According to the nutritionist, corn, along with the beloved potato, has suffered from a mass carbohydrate phobia that has spread in the past few years.
Myth two: The human body does not absorb corn
Yes, there are a lot of indigestible fibers in corn that just pass through the intestines. But that's not a bad thing, since non-digestible fiber serves as a breeding ground for beneficial bacteria in the gut. That is, in fact, these fibers are needed. While not food for humans, they feed beneficial bacteria.
Myth #3: Corn is not rich in nutrients.
Needless to say, reputation and spinach among connoisseurs healthy lifestyle life is much higher than that of corn. These foods are considered the most nutritious. But corn contains a lot of what is needed human body. These are vitamins B, and vitamin C, as well as magnesium and potassium. Yellow corn is a good source of two antioxidants (antioxidants), zeaxanthin and lutein, which are good for eye health.
Myth #4: Corn is genetically modified
Jennifer McDaniel says it's not. Most sweet corn is not modified. If they are modified, then, basically, not sweet corn, but the one that is harvested later and processed into oil. This is not to say that genetically modified sweet corn does not exist, but it is rare.
Myth #5: You can't eat corn because it's too high in sugar.
In order to understand how this myth is not true, you just need to compare corn ... with a banana. Thus, a banana, which is considered very useful and even dietary. Few people consider a banana to be too saturated with sugar. Meanwhile, one banana contains about 15 grams of sugar, while a corncob has only 6 to 8 grams.
Corn is just food. No great benefit, no great harm
Obviously, even after these explanations from a nutritionist, corn has to be considered a product that should not be consumed in large quantities, especially if there is a tendency to be overweight. But the main issue has been clarified - corn is not some particularly harmful product that no one should ever eat. However, nowadays everything tasty is considered to be harmful. This is partly true, but not always true.
In fact, in nutrition, as in everything, it is desirable to have a sense of proportion. Good nutrition is a varied diet, in which there are foods that contain a maximum of nutrients that are beneficial to the body.
If you think about it, you can come to the conclusion that the "bad reputation" of corn went to her "at the same time" with another popular product - potatoes. This starch-rich root crop has been (and remains) the basis of the diet of different peoples for many centuries.
Meat with potatoes, fish with potatoes, vegetables with potatoes. Fried, boiled, baked and french fries. And, of course, chips, the addiction to eating which has become such a massive phenomenon that. In a word, potatoes are always, everywhere and for every taste! This is because potatoes are easy to grow and prepare and are cheap enough to be nutritious and tasty. Possessing all necessary qualities for mass popularity, it became the main dish dining table. Then it turned out that one should not eat potatoes every day, just as one should not eat one thing at all all the time.
As a result, some supporters of a healthy lifestyle decided that it is better to exclude potatoes from the diet altogether. And also corn! Then the experts began to find out how the mass ideas about these products correspond to reality. And it turned out that there is only a small grain of truth in them, nothing more. Corn - ordinary product, which, like all other foods, should be consumed in moderation and alternating with other foods. And from the diet completely exclude only what there are direct medical contraindications.
What do our readers think about corn? Should you not eat it at all, allow yourself a treat only occasionally, or can you eat it, especially in season, without thinking about what myths have developed about it? Have you ever had to reconsider your opinion about a particular food product or method of preparation? What foods do you consider the most harmful, and which are the most beneficial for humans?
It is not for nothing that this crop ranks third among the cultivation of cereals after wheat and rice.
Did you know that corn is not a vegetable? And the fact that her “reputation” is now far from ideal? Corn is a grain, and a pretty bad one…
This grain has the worst ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. Omega 3 promotes the production of anti-inflammatory hormones. Omega-6s produce hormones that support inflammation in the human body. When omega-6s begin to outnumber omega-3s, they interfere with the body's ability to control the inflammatory response. This can lead to health problems: immune system disease, diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and depression.
According to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, “We are like walking pieces of corn because it is really, really big in our diet. In fact, there is nothing you can do about it, because so many products contain corn.” Ketchup, salad dressings, soda, cookies, and chips typically contain corn (usually high fructose corn syrup).
“I think the danger that comes with corn is that most of it is currently grown in North America, and then turns into high fructose corn syrup,” says another scientist, Dr. Dawson.
"So corn itself isn't bad, but the sweeteners that are made from corn, which are found in many foods, lead to obesity and heart disease and type 2 diabetes."
6 reasons not to eat corn
- Corn is not a vegetable!
Corn is a very harmful grain, because it is the most cloying, starchy, empty. Corn has been domesticated and cultivated by humans for over 6,000 years. Corn is the first genetically modified food. Today, researchers continue to genetically modify corn in a variety of ways. - Corn can activate autoimmune diseases
Although corn is gluten-free, it can irritate the lining of the intestines. This is because your body actually thinks that corn proteins are gluten, which can immune system. In addition, corn has a high glycemic index, meaning it is easily converted into sugar in the body, which can trigger an insulin response and promote inflammation. - Corn is not digested
According to Health.com, humans cannot fully digest corn because it contains cellulose fiber. The human digestive system cannot fully digest cellulose because it lacks the necessary enzymes to do so, causing the body to not fully digest corn. Like all grains, corn contains prolamins, which are a class of proteins that the body also cannot properly digest. - Corn contains lectins
Lectins are proteins that our bodies cannot digest. The human body normally digests proteins and forms amino acids, and they are absorbed through the walls of the small intestine, which, as a result, is used by the body to create cellular structures and components. However, since we cannot digest lectins, they pass through the intestinal wall undigested as complete proteins. This damages the intestines and causes inflammation. - Today's corn contains pesticides
Most of the corn on the market today is not organic, which means it contains Bt insecticide (Bacillus Thuringiensis) and other harmful poisons. In 2011, one study (Canada) showed that Bt toxin accumulates in human blood. In the blood system, Bt toxin can lead to organ failure as well as long-term health problems. - 85% of corn is genetically modified
Unfortunately, about 85 percent of the corn grown in America is genetically modified. In a study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, analyzing the effects of genetically modified foods on mammalian health, researchers found that GM corn from agricultural giant Monsanto leads to organ damage in rats.
This simple vegetable, which grows in almost everyone in the country, is much healthier than ginseng, aloe, celandine, plantain and cyclamen! Which healing properties corn has it, who needs it in the diet, and against what it helps - read on!
Benefits of corn and what it contains
In fact, there are many more vitamins, macronutrients, and minerals in corn than you might think. More than 30 vitamins that affect human health and are essential in the daily diet. 100 g of young corn (on the cob) contains 16.5 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fat, 3.6 grams of protein and 3 grams of dietary fiber.
As for vitamins, the cobs contain niacin (aka B3) and thiamine the most, they have a positive effect on the immune properties of the body. The vitamin content is much more concentrated than in the echinacea tincture, which is prescribed in the hospital for anyone who needs to quickly and effectively boost the protective properties of the immune system.
It is also worth noting that 1 ear of young corn contains beta-carotene and riboflavin, and in sufficient quantities to provide the body with these components for several weeks in advance! Together with carotene (which is also found in corn), these components have a positive effect on human vision and 100 grams of cooked cob equates to 4-5 kilograms of carrots, which are known for their healing properties for vision.
Pyridoxine with pantothenic acid is also important (the content in mature corn is 0.76 mg and 0.05 mg, respectively), they improve the metabolism in the body, have a beneficial effect on the human nervous system - the best sedative! Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which is contained in 100 g of fresh corn in the amount of 7 mg, has a general strengthening effect on the body! Thus, corn is the most useful vegetable for strengthening the body and preventing viral diseases!
In a smaller amount, the cobs contain the following vitamins:
- B5 - is indispensable component to speed up the metabolism of fats in the body, as well as for the absorption of carbohydrates.
- B6 is a replenishable vitamin in the human body, needed for proper metabolism and assimilation of protein in the body.
- E - improves the absorption (absorption) of oxygen by muscle tissues, it is necessary during training and other types of physical activity.
- K - vitamin is necessary for optimal blood clotting, accelerates metabolism and the dissolution of fats.
The usefulness of corn does not end there for the body, since the cobs still contain a lot of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium and other macronutrients that are necessary for a person, especially at an early age. Corn is indispensable for children, it contributes to better formation bone tissue, and the amount of phosphorus is not less than in fish!
The vegetable contains the most necessary trace elements for humans: magnesium, zinc, iron, without which proper metabolism and normal work are impossible. nervous system. In addition to the above, cobs contain more than 20 vitamins that play an important role in human health!
Corn - harm and benefit, or what is still more?
In addition to a large list of benefits of corn and useful substances, it can also cause harm to the body, especially if consumed in excessive amounts in your diet. It is contraindicated to eat a lot of corn in food if:
- There is a tendency to thrombosis and increased blood clotting. As mentioned above, corn contains a lot of vitamin K, which improves blood clotting, so for people who have a tendency to form blood clots, corn is very dangerous.
- Had gastritis or stomach problems. As a food, corn is quite heavy and the absence of stomach problems and the release of enzymes is important for its digestion.
- There are exacerbations of ulcers or problems with the duodenum. Corn grains can cause bloating in the intestines, which will aggravate the patient's condition and may injure him.
People who have a body weight below normal are not recommended to eat corn, as it significantly reduces appetite. Moreover, it has been proven that people with a lack of weight do not digest corn well due to a lack of the necessary enzymes for its decomposition. People who have severe allergic reactions are also advised not to eat corn - it exacerbates the reaction to allergens.
Benefits of corn for weight loss
Corn is very satisfying, it is enough to eat only 200-300 grams until you are completely saturated, but its main advantage is that 100 grams of the product contains only 95 calories. That is, eating on the cob, you reduce the average calorie intake for 1 day by several times.
Due to the fact that most of the macronutrients and vitamins found in corn contribute to a better metabolism in the body, the body is naturally cleansed of toxins. Thus, after 10-15 days after you started using cobs only once a day, you can feel a significant lightness. The weight will gradually return to normal.
One of the main benefits of corn for weight loss is the ease of the process. You can eat it in any form, be it porridge, fresh boiled corn or cereals - there is no difference. Thus, you can lose weight not only quickly, but also quite pleasantly and without any effort and maximum stress on the body. Moreover, it is hardly possible to find a means for losing weight tastier than fresh corn cobs!
Is corn good for pregnancy?
This question is asked by every expectant mother, especially when you want to eat sweet young cobs, and the gestational age is already quite long. But few people know how useful corn is for a pregnant woman! Consider the benefits of corn for the body of the mother and child in more detail.
- The cobs contain folic acid, which is needed not only by a young mother, but also by the fetus.
- Corn is very useful for toxicosis - its main property is precisely to reduce the toxic effects on the body, it significantly improves the well-being of the expectant mother, and with the periodic use of the cobs, toxicosis will stop in the shortest possible time.
- The sensitivity to fried foods and fish is reduced, so if you have not excluded corn from the diet, then you can eat all other foods without any problems at all!
- It has been repeatedly proven that it is corn that affects the amount of milk after childbirth in the mother. If you want your child to have good immunity and nutrition, then you must eat corn!
- As you know, during pregnancy, almost all calcium leaves the body, since the fetus requires it to form the skeleton. Corn cobs will easily restore its deficiency, as well as saturate the body with other necessary macronutrients.
- There is a strengthening of the walls of blood vessels, which prevents many diseases that can occur both during childbirth and after them.
It is useful to eat corn at any stage of pregnancy, both for the mother and for the child. The only thing to remember is not to abuse the vegetable, as it is very difficult for the stomach!
Because of the cellulose and lectins in corn, it is a food that is not digested in the stomach. Therefore, cereal is forbidden to be used in disorders of the digestive system. It irritates the walls of the stomach and intestines, reduces their functionality. Patients with stomach ulcers or duodenum and with gastritis, it is strictly forbidden to eat porridge from corn. The cereal has many useful components that have a positive effect on human health.
Grain composition
Corn contains the following ingredients:
- Starch.
- Cellulose.
- Alimentary fiber.
- Fats.
- Squirrels.
- Carbohydrates.
- Vitamins:
- group B;
- Trace elements:
- magnesium;
- phosphorus;
- calcium;
- potassium;
- sodium.
- Macronutrients:
- zinc;
- iron;
- copper;
- selenium;
- manganese.
The composition of the cereal allows it to be used in food and light industry. This is a high-calorie product that is not recommended for all people. The composition of the grain does not allow it to be completely digested in the body of an adult.
Benefit and harm
The use of this product contributes to weight loss, as it quickly saturates the body.
Positive properties of corn grain:
- reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood;
- quickly saturates the body, which contributes to getting rid of excess weight;
- improves blood clotting and increases the formation of platelets;
- reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and diabetes;
- has a diuretic and choleretic agent;
- reduces puffiness;
- increases blood pressure;
- restores blood and relieves inflammation.
It should not be eaten by patients with an ulcer of the digestive organs, with gastritis, thrombophlebitis and a predisposition to thrombosis. Corn porridge can reduce immunity and irritate the gastric mucosa. In industrial production, cereal is treated with chemicals, so it contains pesticides that poison the human body. Since most of the grain is genetically modified, its effect on the body is not fully understood.
Corn is the most commonly grown grain in the world. It outstrips even rice and wheat. The problem is that the current corn is bad for our health. Although corn has never been good choice in terms of healthy eating.
Proven Methods!
For starters, it has a lot more omega 6s than omega. Omega-3 is good and produces anti-inflammatory substances in our body. It is different from omega-6, which stimulates the production of hormonal substances that cause inflammation.
When omega-6 outpaces omega-3 in the body, it impairs the body's ability to control all inflammatory activity.
This inflammation can cause irreparable damage, including:
- Diabetes
- Immunological diseases
- Elevated cholesterol
- Asthma
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Depression
The worst part is that it is almost inevitable to live without consuming this ingredient. We are not talking about the corn itself, which we eat in the summer, which we grow ourselves, but its derivatives, which are part of many industrial products.
For example, ketchups, salad dressings, soft drinks, and cookies all contain corn syrup, a very harmful sweetener found in most of the foods Americans eat on a daily basis.
5 reasons not to eat corn:
Corn is GMO
Over 9,000 years ago, it was domesticated from a plant known as teosinte, a kind of herb. Although corn was most likely the first genetically modified food, it is still being restructured to this day.
To give you an idea, about 90% of all corn grown in Brazil is GMO.
In a study published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, analyzing the effects of genetically modified foods on mammalian health, researchers proved that transgenic corn is responsible for damage to the animal's organs.
Corn can activate an autoimmune disease
Although corn does not have gluten, it can be lousy for the intestinal lining.
This is because grain proteins act like gluten, knocking down the immune system.
What's more, corn has a high glycemic index, which means it easily turns into sugar.
And it's no secret that sugar fires up our body cells, right?
Corn is not fully digested
Humans cannot fully digest corn because it contains cellulose fiber.
Another detail is that grains have prolamins, which are a class of proteins that our bodies cannot completely break down.
Corn contains lectins
Lectins, for those who don't know, are other proteins that we can't digest.
It then passes through an almost complete intestinal wall, which damages the organ, causing inflammation.
Corn is full of pesticides
Of course, this was not always the case. However, today most of the corn sold is far from organic. It is full of Bt insecticide (Bacillus thuringiensis) and other harmful poisons.
Some studies have shown that Bt toxin accumulates in the blood, making it difficult for the organs to function properly, leading to serious long-term illness.