Corn Nutritional
A Quick Guide to Corn Nutritional Information
Not only does corn taste good, corn nutritional analysis shows that it is also an excellent source of several different nutrients. While there are those who believe that corn is nice for roughage, many of these people think this is corn’s only positive quality. The truth is that corn has over eighty nutrients and can be an important part of a healthy diet.
Corn is an excellent source of thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin C, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) as well as manganese, phosphorus and other nutrients. Corn is beneficial to heart health in several different ways. It is a source of dietary fiber, which has been found to reduce the bad cholesterol in our blood, protecting us from heart disease and some forms of cancer. Dietary fiber also helps to regulate blood sugar levels and control bowel movements.
However, corn is also high in folate, another nutrient that can help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Folate is known to help prevent birth defects but not as many people are aware of its importance to the heart. Folate helps to lower homocysteine, which is produced by a metabolic process known as the methylation cycle. Homocysteine damages blood vessels and is one of the risk factors for heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke. This substance is found in 20-40% of all heart disease patients. Scientists have estimated that if everyone got the daily recommended amount of folate, heart attacks in the United States would decrease by as much as 10%. Corn has 19% of our recommended daily intake of folate.
Researchers who studied corn nutritional content found that it contained beta-cryptoxanthin, which is an orange-red carotenoid, which may significantly lower one’s risk of lung cancer. This substance is highest in corn, red bell peppers, papaya, pumpkins, oranges, tangerines and peaches. A study conducted in China, which followed 63,000 people for eight years, found that those who at foods rich in cryptoxanthin reduced their risk of lung cancer by twenty-seven percent. Smokers decreased their risk of lung cancer by 37% over smokers who ate less of this substance.
Corn nutritional information tells us that corn is one of the best sources of thiamin (vitamin B1), with one cup containing 24% of the daily recommended amount. Thiamin is related to energy production but it is necessary for brain function as well. In fact, thiamin is needed for the synthesis of acetylcholine, which is essential for memory function. People who have Alzheimer’s disease have a decrease in acetylcholine, meaning that it is not being synthesized properly by the body. Making corn a part of your diet can help you elevate your levels of this necessary chemical.
Finally, research on corn nutritional content shows that it is an excellent source of pantothenic acid. This is a B vitamin that helps the adrenal glands to function and it’s especially needed when we are under stress. One cup of corn provides 14.4% of our daily need for pantothenic acid. The phytochemicals in corn are currently being studied to see if they have the same anti-oxidant benefits as those in other vegetables and fruits.