Corn, Corn on the Cob and More
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Corn, a Diverse Food Source 
A highlight of every summer in New Jersey is the most delicious corn on the cob in the world, okay, I'm a little prejudiced, being a New Jersey native all of my live. We call it simply "Jersey Corn". Corn is used in so very many ways, that it has become a food that many are allergice or sensitive to, but thankfully, many more of us can eat corn to our hearts content with no ill effects. Here is an article that I enjoy on corn.
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. Thank you to the Wholefood Farmacy for this interesting article, a source of delicious organic snacks.
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