CORN: SOURCE OF FIBER
There are many different varieties of corn like white, light yellow, yellow, pink, black, red and blue or spotted. American native people utilized corn with ash of limestone. The limestone ash helps liberate the niacin not absorbed in the body. It was cultivated in central Mexico 9,000 years ago.
Corn is high in nutrients. Thiamine (vitamin B1) is used in the metabolism of carbohydrates. Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) has physiological functions. Folate helps the generation of new cells especially before and during pregnancy. Vitamin C fights against disease. Good source of fiber. Fiber helps lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of colon cancer. Fiber can lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. Yellow corn is high in carotenoid and lutein. The lutein in yellow corn can protect against macular degeneration, a condition of the eye in older age. Hadsgood source of vitamin C. The yellow kernels contain small amount of vitamin A in the form of beta carotene.
Lectin is a chemicals in corn, under a group of protein and glycoproteins attribute to various health benefits. Lectin possess anti-cancer properties used as therapeutic agents by binding to cancer cells membranes. Corn has highest concentration of phenolic content. It has an elevated anti-oxidant activity of sweet corn and has increased phytochemical contents such as ferulic acid and phenolic. Corn oil is the result of removing free patty acids and phospholipids from the crude corn oil. Development of corn starch resulted to the manufacture of corn syrup, ankydrous sugar, maitodextrin, dextrose, glucose and starch.
Refined corn oil is composed of triacyglycerols with polyunsaturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid and saturated fatty acid. The polyunsaturated fatty acid is linoleic acid with linolenic acid. Linoleic acid good for skin and cell membrane integrity and icosanoids production. This icosanoids is necessary for reproductive, cardiovascular, renal and gastrointestinal function. Corn oil has ubiquinone, alpha-and gamma-tocopherols (vitamin E). It contains polyunsaturated fatty acid that has benefit of cholesterol-lowering effects. Due to the presence of phytosterols in corn oil it reduces absorption of cholesterol.
Corn has vitamin B1 (thiamine). Good source of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin C and E, folic acid, dietary fiber, essential fatty acids and minerals magnesium and phosphorus. Anti-oxidant delay the advance occurrence of age-related macular degeneration. Yellow corn in carotenoid lutein can lower the risk of age-related vision loss, a gradual oxidative damage of the retina. Lutein is used to filter and protect the retina from the oxidative effect of blue light.
Corn has zeaxanthin. Increasing intake of lutein and beta-carotene-rich food slows the rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. Corn has high beta-cryptoxanthin to reduce risk of lung cancer. Corn can assist anyone to lose weight. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the body that if it elevate more than its level has higher incidence of heart disease.
Corn oil has excellent source of tocopherols as anti-oxidant, good source of vitamin E. Tocopherols were divided into alpha-tocopherol, beta tocopherol, gammatocopherol and delta-tocopherol.
