Top 10 Health Benefits of Corn You Must Know

Popped corn or popcorn is a popular snack for parties and movie nights. One can also turn pop seeds into cornmeal for crackers, tortillas and chips. Corns come in four different forms- sweet corn, which has a sugary taste; popcorn, Indian corn, mainly used for fall decorations; and dent corn, used to feed animals and make manufactured food items.

Corns are tasty and nutritious at the same time. If you wish to know more about the health benefits of eating corn, read along!

Here are the health benefits of corn that one can derive from consuming a healthy amount of corn.

1. Rich in Potassium

Corn is rich in potassium, and it is important for maintaining adequate blood flow, regulating the circulatory system, and maintaining a strong heartbeat. In addition, by consuming the correct proportions of potassium, one can prevent hypokalemia, which is a potentially serious health condition.

2. Improves Digestive Health

Corn contains high amounts of indigestible fibre, which helps regulate bowel movements, manage blood sugar levels, and more. This indigestible fibre is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This fibre is the bulk that one's body cannot digest and are present in plant-based foods.

3. Improves Eye Health

Corn is rich in lutein, a carotenoid similar to Vitamin A and is essential to prevent developing cataracts, macular degeneration and other eye conditions.

4. Prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Corn contains the antioxidant quercetin, which according to some scientists, protects neuron cells, thereby reducing neuroinflammation. Although more research is required, quercetin help reduce the risk of developing dementia.

5. Helpful in Prostatitis Treatment

According to research, quercetin might be able to play a big role in treating prostatitis, a condition where an inflammation of the prostate in men occurs. Corn is rich in quercetin; thus, it can help treat prostatitis.

6. Provides Essential Minerals to the Body

Corn contains high amounts of minerals like zinc, phosphorus, copper, iron, magnesium, and selenium, which are not commonly found in other vegetables. Phosphorus is essential for the body to perform various tasks like inducing normal bone growth, regulating kidney function and maintaining bone health. Magnesium helps boost bone density and maintain a healthy heart rate.

7. Can Control Diabetes

Although diabetes is a deadly disease and it can only be controlled but not cured, therefore maintaining a healthy diet is important for people with diabetes. Corn contains an adequate amount of phytochemicals which help regulate the insulin in one's blood. Regulating insulin levels can help control the drop and rise of sugar in one's body. This can help control diabetes as well.

8. Promotes Overall Growth

Corn contains good amounts of thiamine, niacin, and vitamin B constituents that promote the body's growth. Niacin effectively prevents problems like dermatitis and dementia. At the same time, thiamine helps one's body improve cognitive functions and nerve health. Corn is also good for pregnant women since it is rich in folic acid. Corn also helps the body to grow without any hindrance from diseases because it is rich in vitamin E and protects the body from different illnesses.

9. Prevents Anaemia

Corn helps prevent anaemia since it is extremely rich in iron. Iron helps one's body to form new blood cells, which is important for preventing anaemia. Therefore, the benefit of eating sweet corn in an adequate amount is that it helps the body to avoid symptoms of anaemia such as dizziness, exhaustion, weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath.

10. Helps Prevent Cancer

Corns can also prevent cancer since they are a rich source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are important in the prevention of cancer since they get rid of the free radicals in one’s body. Cancer is often caused due to the build-up of free radicals in one’s body. Moreover, corn can also induce apoptosis in cancerous cells and leave the healthy cells unaffected.

Here is the nutritional value of 100 grams of boiled corn. If consumed in a moderate amount, one can derive the following nutritional benefits of it.

• Calories: 96
• Protein: 3.4g
• Sugar: 4.5g
• Fibre: 2.4g
• Water: 73%
• Fat: 1.5g

Corn is a highly nutritious vegetable and can be enjoyed in numerous ways. One can enjoy corn in the following ways:

• Boiled corn can be an excellent topping for pasta, soups, bread, pizzas and sandwiches.
• One can even roast or microwave corn, add a pinch of lemon and salt to it and have it as a snack.
• One can even add corn to salads and prepare a healthy meal. Individuals can even sauté corn with other vegetables and add some chicken to it to make it even tastier.
• Apart from that, corn grains are used to make breakfast cereals and even nachos and tortillas. Corn has multiple uses, and one can enjoy corn in various ways.

Although corn is highly nutritious, it can also cause side effects among individuals if consumed in large amounts. Here are a few side effects associated with corn.

• Due to the presence of indigestible fibre, corn can cause asthma attacks and anaphylaxis among individuals. It can also cause allergic reactions in individuals and cause symptoms like mucous membrane swelling, vomiting, and rashes on the skin.
• Overconsumption of corn can also cause bloating in some individuals since it contains a large amount of starch, and when it breaks down in the large intestine, it can produce a lot of gas.
• Consuming large amounts of indigestible fibre present in fibre can lead to indigestion and stomach cramps.
• Corns are also rich in sugar; thus, overconsuming it can cause tooth decay among individuals. Therefore, after eating corn, individuals should practise good oral hygiene.
• Since corn contains very few amounts of calcium in it, only depending on corn diets can lead to osteoporosis among individuals. Thus, it is important to have a balanced meal containing all important nutrients.
• As mentioned before, corns contain a substantial amount of starch. Overconsumption of corn can lead to drowsiness and lethargy.

Consumption of corn in a healthy amount is good and nutritious for most individuals. However, there are few individuals who should avoid the consumption of corn.

• People who have diabetes should avoid corn as it might increase the sugar level in the blood due to its high carbohydrate content.
• Corn contains a high amount of carbohydrates and sugar; thus, people prone to obesity should avoid the consumption of corn.

In conclusion, one can derive enormous health benefits of corn by consuming it healthily. However, overconsumption of anything is harmful to the body. Thus, to get the maximum nutritional value from vegetables, one needs to have everything in the correct proportions. Any single vegetable or food item will not make the perfect balanced meal; thus there should be a combination of all.