Corn is a staple food that contains enough quantity of carbohydrates. There are many ways to enjoy corn due to its nutritious benefits. It can serve as snacks when cooked or roasted and eaten with coconut or native pear.
Corn can also be blended and prepared as pap or cornmeal. Corn is generally recommended for both? infants, children, adults as well as the elderly. There are two major varieties of corn, such as yellow, purple and white, but each selected variety depends on the individual choice since they perform the same function.
Health benefits of corn
According to Organic Facts.com, corn contains large quantity of folic acid needed by pregnant women since deficiency of folic acid leads to birth of underweight infants and may also result in neural tube defects at birth.
It is useful in the prevention of haemorrhoids and Colorectal Cancer due to the fibre content. Thus, it aids in alleviating digestive problems such as constipation and haemorrhoids as well as lowering the risk of colon cancer.
Yellow corn is a rich source of beta-carotene that provides the body with vitamin A which is essential for the maintenance of good vision and healthy skin.
The kernels of corn are rich in vitamin E and serves as a natural antioxidant required for growth.
It contains abundant phosphorus apart from magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron and copper, likewise traces of? minerals like selenium. While phosphorus is essential for the maintenance of healthy bones and kidney, magnesium is necessary for strengthening the bone and ensuring normal heart beat.
Cooked corn is an anti-cancer agent which has been shown to be effective in fighting tumours in patients suffering from breast cancer and liver cancer.
Corn oil contains anti-atherogenic effect on the cholesterol levels, thus preventing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The vitamin B12 and folic acid present in corn prevent anaemia caused by the deficiency of these vitamins.
Consumption of corn assists in the management of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and is effective against hypertension due to the presence of phenolic phytochemicals.
Corn starch is used in the manufacturing of cosmetics and may also be applied externally to soothe skin rashes and irritations.