Overview
Corn is botanically known as maize (Zea mays), corn is one of the world’s most popular cultivated and consumed cereal grains.
Corn is a seed plant that belongs to the grass family, and a native to Central America but grown in countless species worldwide.
Varieties include popcorn, field/regular corn, and sweet corn, however, refined corn products are also widely consumed, and frequently used as ingredients in processed food.
Corn is typically yellow but might come in a variety of other colors, such as red, orange, purple, blue, white, and black.
In this article, we share insight into the Amazing Nutritional Health Benefits of corn and its types. Read along!
Nutrition facts about Corn
Below are the nutrition facts for about 3.5 ounces (that is 100 grams) of boiled yellow corn:
1. Calories: 96
2. Water: 73%
3. Protein: 3.4 grams
4. Carbohydrate: 21 grams
5. Sugar: 4.5 grams
6. Fiber: 2.4 grams
7. Fat: 1.5 grams
Great source of Carbohydrate
Just Like most cereal grains, corn is majorly made up of carbohydrates.
Its starch content is more, comprising about 28–80% of its dry weight. Corn also provides small amounts of sugar (1–3%) ).
Sweet corn is special because it is a low-starch variety with higher sugar content, at 18% of the dry weight. Most of its sugar is sucrose ( sucrose is a disaccharide that is made up of about 50% glucose and 50% fructose and has a glycemic index of 65. Sucrose is also digested rapidly).
Regardless of the sugar content in sweet corn, it is not categorized as a high-glycemic food, therefore ranking low or medium on the glycemic index (GI) [1] The GI is a measure of how quickly carbs are digested. Foods that rank high on this index may cause an unhealthy spike in blood sugar, leading to diabetes.
Rich in Fiber
Corn contains a considerable amount of fiber. About one medium bag (112 grams) of popcorn is approximately 16 grams of fiber.
This is about 42% and 64% of the recommended daily value (DV) for men and women, respectively. Although the fiber content of different types of corn varies, it’s generally around 9–15% of the dry weight [2, 3].
The chief fibers in corn are the insoluble ones, such as hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin [3]
Great source of Protein
Do you know that corn is mainly composed of carbohydrates and is considerably high in fiber? But, it also packs a decent quantity of low-quality protein. Therefore making it a decent source of protein.
This is, however, based on the variety, the protein content ranges from 10–15% [4] The most proteins in corn are known as zeins, ranging from 44–79% of the total protein content
The zeins protein has many industrial applications because they are used in the production of adhesives, inks, and coatings for pills, candy, and nuts [5]
Extraction of Corn oil
The oil found in corn has a tiny amount of fat content that ranges from 5–6%, making it a low-fat food
However, corn germ ( this is an abundant side-product of corn milling) is rich in fat and used to make corn oil, which is mostly a cooking product.
Corn oil which is already processed is solely composed of linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, while monounsaturated and saturated fats make up the rest.
It also contains a significant quantity of vitamin E, ubiquinone (Q10), and phytosterols, which can increase its shelf life and making it potentially effective at lowering cholesterol levels.
Abundant in Vitamins and minerals
Corn may indeed contain a fair amount of several vitamins and minerals. It is however important to note that, the amount highly depends on the corn type.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a very special and popular variety of corn that pops when exposed to heat and that is widely consumed.
The Kernel pops happen when water is trapped in its center, and turns to steam, thereby creating internal pressure, which makes the kernels explode.
Popcorn is one of the very few whole grains consumed on its own as a snack. More habitually, whole grains are consumed as food ingredients, such as in loaves of bread.
Whole-grain foods usually have several health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and a type 2 diabetes. Although, a regular popcorn consumption has not been linked to improved heart health
Unarguably, popcorn is healthy on its own, it is often eaten with sugary soft drinks and in most cases loaded with added salt and high-calorie cooking oils, all of which in return may harm the health over time
However, you might want to avoid adding oils by making your popcorn in an air popper.
Popcorn is a popular snack that is abundant in minerals, whereas sweet corn is higher in many vitamins.
Vitamins and minerals include:
- Copper. An antioxidant trace element, copper is generally low in the Western diet. Inadequate intake may have adverse effects on heart health.
- Manganese. An essential trace element, manganese occurs in high amounts in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. It’s poorly absorbed from corn due to this vegetable’s phytic acid content.
- Phosphorus. Found in decent amounts in both popcorn and sweet corn, phosphorus is a mineral that plays an important role in the growth and maintenance of body tissues.
- Magnesium. Poor levels of this important mineral may increase your risk of many chronic illnesses, such as heart disease.
- Zinc. This trace element has many essential functions in your body. Due to the presence of phytic acid in corn, its absorption may be poor.
Corn intolerance
Ever heard of corn intolerance? Also called gluten intolerance or celiac disease is a common health condition caused by an autoimmune response to gluten in wheat, rye, and barley.
The symptoms of corn intolerance might include fatigue, bloating, diarrhea, and weight loss [6]
However, for most people with celiac disease, the symptoms disappear on a strict gluten-free diet. while, in some people, the symptoms seem to persist.
In many cases, celiac disease may persist because of undeclared gluten in processed food. In other cases, a related food intolerance may be to blame.
In all, corn contains proteins known as zein that are related to gluten. A study has shown that corn zein caused an inflammatory reaction in a subgroup of people with celiac disease. Nevertheless, the reaction to zein was very much smaller than that of gluten.
Read the 3 Similarities between Sweet Corn and Regular Corn here!
Reference:
1. ‘Corn’. Healthline.com
2. “Nutritional Facts“. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019.
3. “Popcorn“. The National Library of Medicine. PubMed Central
4. “Corn Intolerance“. The National Library of Medicine. PubMed Central
