Thursday, July 28, 2011

Monsoon Food Corn : Health Benefits & Nutrition

With the arrival of rainy season, monsoon food - Corn is seen everywhere in the market. As well, most of the people are fond of eating corn. Though you are eating corn due to your fond or your favorite item, it is fact that you are getting loads of health benefits. Corn is one of the healthiest foods of the monsoon season. Many researches have been done on corn which shows that including corn in diet can help to protect the problems of the kidney, stomach and heart amongst others. Many delicious ways are available to add corn in the regular diet. Corn is one of those uncommon vegetables that offer taste along with lots of health benefits. As corn is a decent source of several nutrients, this most popular food deserves one place on any healthy table.
Monsoon Food Corn : Health Benefits & Nutrition
Low-fat, high-fiber complex carbohydrate, corn kernels are satisfying diet food that offers necessary calories for metabolism. The various carotenes and flavonoids present in corn are responsible for the different colored varieties of it, including yellow, pink, red, black and blue. Yellow corn is a rich source of the carotenoid, lutein that provides protection against heart disease and macular degeneration. Other health benefits of corn include controlling hypertension, heart ailments, diabetes, and prevention of neural-tube defects at birth. The fat-fighting kernels of corn taste the best and are generally the least expensive.

Corn - Nutrition

Corn is rich source of minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, iron, copper and selenium. Also, it contains small amounts of potassium.

Vitamins in Corn: Corn is a good source of B vitamins such as Vitamin B6, Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, and Riboflavin. As well, corn has trace amounts of Vitamin A and Vitamin E.

Calorie Content: 100 gm corns provide 342 calories, similar to the calorific value of other cereals.
As well, corn is a good source of fiber, complex carbohydrate, and healthful essential fatty acids. One cup of cooked yellow corn provides 3.6 g of dietary fiber that helps to control your hunger and keeps your digestive system functioning smoothly. Corn kernels contain minimal amount of the amino acids tryptophan and lysine.

Health Benefits of Corn

Improves Memory
Corn is a very good source of thiamine, vitamin B1 which is very essential for the brain cell function. Human body requires thiamine for the synthesis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter i.e. essential for the memory and deficiency of it can cause impairment in the brain function and Alzheimer’s disease.

Good for Cardiovascular Health
Folate and fiber content of the corn are great for cardiovascular health. Both soluble and insoluble fibers are present in corn; it provides 18.4% of the daily requirement of fiber, which has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels. Thus, prevents the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Anaemia Prevention
Folic acid and vitamin B12 present in corn helps to prevent anaemia caused by the lacking of these vitamins.

For Diabetics
Eating of corn kernels helps to manage non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Also, fiber content of it helps to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics. Corn kernels are also effective against hypertension as they contain phenolic phytochemicals.

Treats Digestive Problems
As corns are good source of fiber, they help to alleviate digestive problems like haemorrhoids and constipation. As well, they help to decrease the risk of colon cancer.

Improves Kidney Function
For the normal kidney functioning, phosphorus is very essential mineral and it is present in corn kernels in very good amount. Consumption of boiled corn kernels with honey or sugar helps to improve the kidney function well.

Good for Production of Energy
Corn is a very good source of pantothenic acid and thiamine. Pantothenic acid helps in the metabolism of carbohydrate, lipid and protein. Thus, it helps to produce energy and alleviate the stress.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More