Table of contents:
- Explore the nutritional content of corn
- What are the benefits of corn for health?
- 1. High in sugar, but safe for blood sugar
- 2. Maintain eye health
- 3. Protect against the risk of heart disease
- 4. Lowering the risk of colon cancer
Many eat it as a crunchy snack for movie-watching friends. Not a few also prefer the "traditional" version, grilled over charcoal with a spread of butter or sold warm with boiled peanuts on the side of the road. Yes, corn is one of the staple foods of Indonesians. Unfortunately, this plant is often considered to have no nutritional goodness for the body, apart from being filling because it is high in carbohydrates. In fact, there are many surprising things about the health benefits of corn.
Explore the nutritional content of corn
The yellow sweet and savory which has a Latin name Zea maysThis is actually classified as fruit because it is produced through the fertilization process.
Per 100 grams (gr) of corn contributes about 69.1 grams of carbohydrates, 9.8 grams of protein, 7.3 grams of fat, 2.2 grams of fiber. This fruit is also equipped with various vitamins and minerals, such as 30 mg of calcium, 538 mg of phosphorus, 2.3 mg of iron, 79.3 mg of potassium, up to 3 mg of vitamin C.
What are the benefits of corn for health?
Source: Pillsbury
Here are four benefits of corn that you may never have known before.
1. High in sugar, but safe for blood sugar
The main nutritional composition of corn is carbohydrates, which almost meet 6-7% of the daily requirement. However, unlike the refined carbohydrates in bread or white rice, which quickly drain energy, the carbohydrates in this fruit provide a stable and long-lasting supply of energy.
This is because the carbohydrates contained in corn are complex carbohydrates. In addition, this fruit also contains fiber and protein. The combination of these three nutrients is digested slowly by the body, and at the same time is useful for controlling blood sugar levels because fiber slows down the speed at which the body breaks down carbohydrates (glucose) to be released into the bloodstream.
Although the sugar content in this fruit is high (2 grams per 100 grams), this fruit is not a food with a high glycemic index. That is why if you eat this fruit whole, it will not cause your blood sugar to spike dramatically.
Conversely, eating the fruit in moderation has been shown to be associated with better blood sugar control in people with diabetes.
2. Maintain eye health
This sweet and savory yellow is enriched with vitamin C (8% of the daily requirement), magnesium, and B vitamins. Vitamin C is important in supporting cell repair, enhances immunity, and has anti-aging properties, while vitamin B plays an important role in processing. energy.
Not only that, magnesium is also important to support the performance of the nervous system and the contraction of the body's muscles. Interestingly, although it may sound surprising, corn is a food source that is rich in antioxidants than many other cereal grains, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, ferulic acid, and beta-carotene.
Carotenoids (lutein, beta-carotene, and zeaxanthin) are known to support the body's immune system and have been shown to play an important role in eye health. High levels of these two carotenoids in the blood are strongly associated with a reduced risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.
3. Protect against the risk of heart disease
These foods also provide phenolic phytochemical compounds that are beneficial for heart health and control high blood pressure. Most studies that have focused on the effect of antioxidant intake on disease and risk reduction have not specifically examined the benefits of corn and its antioxidant content.
However, in several small-scale studies, this fruit was touted as an important food in protecting and reducing risk factors for heart disease. Some of the mechanisms for a reduced risk of heart disease may be related to other properties of corn phytonutrients that go beyond the antioxidant properties in it.
4. Lowering the risk of colon cancer
For those of you who are big fans of corn, you must understand very well the sensation of a super satisfying full stomach even though you only eat one ear. The benefits of this filling corn are thanks to its fiber content, which can reach 2-4 grams per 100 grams, equivalent to 9% of daily fiber needs.
It is common knowledge that fiber is one of the key nutrients for maintaining the digestive system. Recent research has shown that this fruit can support the growth of friendly bacteria in the colon and can also be converted by these bacteria to become short-chain fatty acids, or SCFAs.
SCFAs can help lower your risk of many digestive disorders, including the risk of colon cancer. Corn's benefits to the digestive system may also come from its gluten-free nature.
Gluten consumption is associated with a variety of negative symptoms, including flatulence, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, to fatigue and skin problems. In fact, this effect is not limited to those who have Celiac disease or a gluten allergy.
This makes corn or cornstarch a good alternative to wheat or other gluten-containing foods. Uniquely, the benefits of corn on the health of the digestive system were reported to be greater in popcorn. Men who ate the most popcorn were 28% less likely to develop indigestion than men who ate popcorn rarely or never.
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