Sweet corn helps improve heart and eye health... but should be eaten in moderation, especially for diabetics.
Benefits of sweet corn
Sweet corn is as nutritious as any whole grain. Sweet corn can be eaten every day as part of breakfast but should be eaten in moderation to receive the benefits.
1. Helps lose weight and improve cardiovascular health
Sweet corn is rich in fiber, 100 g of sweet corn contains 2.7 g of fiber. Fiber is beneficial for overall health, including the digestive system. In addition, it can reduce the risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.
People who consume a lot of fiber can significantly reduce their risk of heart disease. Additionally, death rates from heart disease are lower in people who consume more fiber. According to a 2018 test above Nutrition Magazine, You can also get the same heart health benefits with corn oil.
Furthermore, fiber provides a feeling of fullness. At the same time, sweet corn has resistant starch, a slow-digesting carb that helps control weight. It ensures that you feel fuller and keeps you from overeating. It can be used as part of a diet for weight maintenance.
2. Antioxidant
The cells in your body face significant threats. These dangers range from nutritional deficiencies to viral infections, which cause cell damage. In high concentrations, they can even lead to the destruction of genetic material. Physical activity, exposure to cigarette smoke and air pollution can also create free radicals, causing various diseases. These could be heart disease, cognitive decline, cancer and vision loss. Therefore, our body constantly has to fight and eliminate harmful free radicals.
Foods like sweet corn are rich in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your cells from damage, preventing heart disease and cancer. Sweet corn also contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin which are antioxidants that can help fight free radicals.
3. Prevent diverticulitis
Diverticulosis is a common health problem that affects your digestive system. Its complications can even lead to long-term health problems. Consuming corn can prevent diverticulitis and is beneficial for intestinal health.
According to the sheet healthline, An 18-year study in more than 47,000 adult men who ate popcorn at least twice a week had a significantly lower risk of diverticulosis than those who ate popcorn less often.
4. Enhance eye health
Free radical damage can lead to poor vision. Sweet corn contains the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids that fight free radical damage. Together, two phytochemicals help promote healthy vision, according to a 2018 review in Magazine Nutrients.
These substances are beneficial for eye health because they reduce damage to the lens. According to Healthline, a study conducted on 365 adults showed that those with the highest intake of carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin, had a lower risk of age-related macular degeneration than those with the lowest intake. This substance. Therefore, regularly eating corn can improve eye health, especially for people at risk of age-related macular degeneration.
5. Enhance memory
Eating corn can promote cognitive function. It may reduce the risk of dementia, especially in the elderly. Corn has high vitamin B1 content. This vitamin is commonly known as thiamine. Thiamine is needed to make acetylcholine in our bodies. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that helps people remember. So, having good acetylcholine levels can improve memory. In addition, it also reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, eating corn can help enhance memory.
6. Additional benefits in corn
Sweet corn contains 42 micrograms of folate. Folate is commonly known as vitamin B9 or folic acid. It is an essential nutrient that is especially important during pregnancy.
Vitamin B6 refers to a group of vitamins, the most common of which is pyridoxine. It performs many different tasks in your body. It can help reduce depression and improve brain health. This vitamin is also found in sweet corn.
Corn has 270 mg of potassium. This is an essential mineral. Potassium is essential for blood pressure regulation and may promote heart health.
Sweet corn has many health benefits. Image: The Health Site |
What are the disadvantages of sweet corn?
If you eat too much corn, it can lead to weight gain because it is rich in calories and carbs. Sweet corn (100 gm) contains 18.70 g of carbohydrates. Your body converts carbs into glucose (sugar). Therefore, people with diabetes should eat sweet corn according to the recommended serving size. Sweet corn also has toxins and phytates that can be dangerous.
1. High in calories
Sweet corn can be a nutritious addition to your diet when consumed in moderation. But remember that corn is a starchy vegetable. So it contains a lot of carbohydrates. Therefore, it can cause your blood sugar levels to increase. If you have diabetes, you should control your portion size when eating corn.
2. Contains phytate
Corn contains phytic acid (phytate). Phytic acid reduces the ability to absorb nutrients such as iron and zinc from the same meal. You can reduce phytic acid levels by soaking, sprouting, and fermenting corn.
3. Contains mycotoxins
Mycotoxins often contaminate corn. It is a type of fungus that produces toxins. Eating a lot of corn contaminated with this substance can be dangerous to your health. It can lead to liver and lung problems, decreased immunity and increased risk of cancer.
4. Immune response in people with celiac
Celiac disease creates an immune response when they consume any type of gluten. Corn can also cause symptom flare-ups if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Hang Tran (According to Healthifyme)
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