Corn is the seed of a plant in the grass family and is also known as maize. It is a very popular cereal grain and can be transformed into a variety of other foods like popcorn, sweet corn, etc.
In several parts of Nigeria, it sure is regularly consumed, whether roasted or boiled. Some of us cannot even go a week without it.
As we should have figured out, it is used in the production of most breakfast cereals and also acts as a major ingredient in some processed foods. Refined corn products include cornmeal, corn flour, corn syrup and corn oil.
It is usually yellow in color but it could sometimes be red, purple, orange, blue, white or black. It is also mainly composed of carbohydrates, low in fat, rich in fiber, moderately low in low-quality protein (plant protein) and has a host of other nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (the antioxidants present include ferulic acid, anthocyanins, zeaxanthin, phytic acid and lutein).
When boiled, it is excellently enriched with different nutrients and sweet corn contains a higher proportion of vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B6, niacin, and also potassium.
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Refined corn oil has its major components as linoleic acid and a polyunsaturated fatty acid. The rest of it composed of monounsaturated and saturated fats. (Gentle reminder; saturated fats are not healthy and they cause a whole lot of problems when taken in excess.)
Popcorn is one snack we all love to eat when watching a movie or going to a fair with friends and it comes with some goodnews; popcorn is very rich in minerals like manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and copper and they all contribute positively to our health and body development. Therefore, feel free to eat your popcorn but bear in mind that things are best done moderately to avoid daring consequences.
In conclusion, the regular whole-grain corn we consume has several health benefits like improving eye health, preventing diverticular disease etc, but as we all know whatever is good and beneficial will also have its potential downsides. The downsides are that it contains phytic acid and mycotoxin, both of which are somewhat threatening to our health.
Remember to eat in moderation.