Corn, also known as maize, is an incredibly delicious vegetable which is full of nutrition and contains plenty of health benefits for your entire body. It’s a summer treat that is so simple to prepare and easy to immediately incorporate into any diet, offering fiber, vitamins, minerals and plenty of energy-giving carbohydrates.
Many people have fallen for the claim that corn is bad for your health, either due to its GMO (genetically modified) profile or its perceived sugar load. It’s important to keep in mind that raw, whole, organic corn is an entirely different product to corn syrup, GMO field corn and maize products like chips and bread. Only 3-4% of US corn is GMO, which means that 96-97% is ready for you to get your hands and teeth on for better health.
While corn does contain excellent amounts of carbohydrates and natural plant sugars, it also contains a heavy dose of dietary fiber, offering as much as 50% of the daily requirement per cup serving. This prevents any blood sugar imbalances and allows your body to absorb the sugar at an optimum rate, making it a healthy choice even for diabetics.
Here are 10 compelling reasons to eat more corn:
1. Speeds Up Weight Loss
Corn is a low fat, high fiber treat that helps to kick metabolism into gear for faster weight loss. It also contains fewer calories than rice, potatoes and pasta which serves as an excellent replacement to cut daily caloric load while maintaining flavor and satiation.
The rich water content additionally helps to keep you hydrated, while flushing out toxins and excess waste, helping to rid your body of unnecessary weight.
Just one cup of corn contains as much as 12 grams of dietary fiber, which meets 40-50% of your daily required amount, depending on whether you are male or female.
Fiber is essential in maintaining a healthy digestive system and a diet deficient in fiber can lead to chronic constipation, poor nutrient absorption and colon cancer.
By eating more corn you’ll be getting plenty of fiber, which will drive your digestive system back to health and regularity.
3. Brilliant for Eyesight
There are two particular phytonutrients contained in corn that are excellent for eyesight, and they are known as lutein and zeaxanthin.
These two powerful carotenoids help to protect the eye from light damage, as well as reducing oxidative stress caused by external factors to the retina of the eye. A diet rich in these two substances helps to prevent blindness, cataracts and age-related eye diseases, which makes corn your top pick for keeping eyes bright and healthy.
4. Helps to Lower LDL Cholesterol Levels
Two types of cholesterol, known as LDL (bad) and HDL (good) need to be monitored and balanced for optimum health. LDL levels, in particular, need to be kept in check to prevent heart disease, stroke and heart failure.
Corn is the perfect antidote, offering a rich supply of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber to scrape out excess plaque and LDL cholesterol while supplying a steady stream of healthy fatty acids to increase the HDL levels and get back into balance.
5. An Excellent Pre-Biotic
32 healthy adults participated in a study at the University of Reading in England where researchers observed the effect of corn on the balance of bacteria in the gut. It was found that after just 21 days of regular intake of corn, consisting of only 48 grams per day, the participants had expelled an increased amount of harmful bacteria from the gut, and had, in turn, increased the amount of good bacteria in the gut.
A good balance of pre and probiotics in the gut helps to reduce inflammation, candida overgrowth and multiple health conditions, making corn the perfect supplement for better intestinal health.
6. Prevents Anemia
Anemia is a condition caused by a deficiency of iron, which leads to fatigue and poor circulation. Just one cup of corn contains as much as 25% of the daily requirement of iron, which helps to increase red blood cell count and boosts oxygen supply to the brain, heart and other vital organs.
Regular intake of corn can treat and prevent anemia, keeping your blood healthy and full of life-giving oxygen.
Protein, also known as amino acids, can be found in either plant or animal based foods, and is essential for maintaining a strong and healthy physique.
Corn offers as much as 16 grams of pure, natural and easily absorbable protein per cup, making it one of nature’s top choices for building strong and healthy muscles. It also contains no cholesterol and is very low in fat, an added bonus when compared to animal sourced protein. Protein helps to improve workout recovery and helps to build a strong and healthy body full of power and energy.
8. Helps to Keep Blood Healthy
Each cup of corn contains 41% carbohydrates, 32% protein and 28% fiber, which makes it the perfect food for balancing blood sugar.
This amazing ratio helps to not only prevent blood sugar spikes and dips but also helps to lower overall blood pressure, reducing the risk of developing diabetes and hypertension. Corn also contains powerful antioxidants and an intense dose of vitamins and minerals, which help to purify blood and improve its condition.
9. Keeps Nerves and Muscles Healthy
Corn is an excellent source of magnesium, a mineral that is responsible for over 300 functions in the body. In particular, magnesium is excellent for maintaining healthy nerves and muscles, preventing stress and helping to reduce tension throughout the body.
Just one cup meets 52% of the daily required amount of magnesium, leading to cool and calm nerves, relaxed muscles and a happier brain.
10. Extremely Nourishing for Your Body
Corn is so full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that it serves as an extremely nourishing source of staple nutrition. The folate, carotenoids, manganese and essential vitamins and minerals make corn an excellent choice in nourishing every living cell in your body, leading to better overall health when consumed frequently.
Antioxidants help to reverse aging, prevent cancer and keep your vital systems operating at full force. Eating corn will increase the level of so many multiple and essential nutrients that you will feel healthier and stronger the more frequently you have it.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maize#Nutritional_value
https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/magnesium
https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/health-benefits-of-corn
https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/caring-for-your-vision/diet-and-nutrition/lutein?sso=y
https://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/colorectal-cancer-facts-figures