Corn is a wonderful whole grain food that is a good source
of vitamin B1, Vitamin B5, folate, fiber, vitamin C,
Phosphorous, Manganese and a nutrient called beta-cryptoxanthin.
In addition to preventing birth defects, Folate can also
help to lower your risk of heart attack, stroke and
peripheral vascular disease. It has been estimated that
consumption of 100% of the daily value of folate would, by
itself, reduce the number of heart attacks suffered by
Americans each year by 10%. Folate-rich diets are also
associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.
Consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red
carotenoid found in high amounts in corn, may significantly
lower one's risk of developing lung cancer. A study
published in the September, 2003 issue of Cancer
Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reviewed dietary and
lifestyle data collected from over 63,000 adults in
Shanghai, China, who were followed for 8 years. Those eating
the most crytpoxanthin-rich foods showed a 27% reduction in
lung cancer risk. When current smokers were evaluated, those
who were also in the group consuming the most cryptoxanthin-rich
foods were found to have a 37% lower risk of lung cancer
compared to smokers who ate the least of these
health-protective foods.
Corn is also a good source of Thiamin which is a nutrient
essential to good brain cell health and mental function. The
brain uses Thiamin to make a neurotransmitter called
acetylcholine which is essential for good memory. In
addition, maintaining healthy acetylcholine levels may help
to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Research reported at the 2004 American Institute for Cancer
Research (AICR) International Conference on Food, Nutrition
and Cancer, by Rui Hai Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues
at Cornell University shows that whole grains, such as corn,
contain many powerful phytonutrients whose activity has gone
unrecognized because common research methods have overlooked
them. Dr. Liu's team measured the antioxidant activity of
various foods, assigning each a rating based on a formula.
Broccoli measured 80, Spinach 81, Apples 98, Bananas 65, but
Corn topped them all measuring a whopping 181.
