Nutrition Facts
Aside from containing varying amounts of water, corn is mainly composed of carbohydrates, and has small amounts of protein and fat.
Corn(1) contains following healthy components.
Nutrition Facts: Corn, yellow, boiled - 100 grams
Amount
Calories 96
Water 73 %
Protein 3.4 g
Carbs 21 g
Sugar 4.5 g
Fiber 2.4 g
Fat 1.5 g
Saturated 0.2 g
Monounsaturated 0.37 g
Polyunsaturated 0.6 g
Omega- 3 0.02 g
Omega- 6 0.59 g
Trans fat ~
Like all cereal grains, corn is primarily composed of carbs.
Starch is the main type of carbs found in corn, making up 28-80% of the dry weight. Corn also contains small amounts of sugar (1-3%) .
Sweet corn, also known as sugar corn, is a special low-starch variety (28%) with a higher sugar content (18%), most of which is sucrose.
The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly carbs are digested. Foods that rank high on this index may cause an unhealthy spike in blood sugar.
Despite the sugar content of sweet corn, it is not a high-glycemic food, ranking low or medium on the glycemic.
Corn may contain a fair amount of several vitamins and minerals.
However, the amount is highly variable depending on the corn type.
In general, popcorn is rich in minerals, whereas sweet corn is higher in many vitamins.
Popcorn:
- Manganese: An essential trace element, found in high amounts in whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Manganese is poorly absorbed from corn due to its phytic acid content (12).
- Phosphorus: Found in decent amounts in both popcorn and sweet corn, phosphorus is a mineral that plays an important role in the growth and maintenance of body tissues.
- Magnesium: An important dietary mineral. Poor magnesium status may increase the risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease .
- Zinc: A trace element that has many essential functions in the body. Due to the presence of phytic acid in corn, its absorption may be poor .
- Copper: An antioxidant trace element, generally low in the Western diet. Inadequate copper intake may have adverse effects on heart health .
Sweet corn:
- Pantothenic acid: One of the B-vitamins, also called vitamin B5. It is found to some extent in nearly all foods and deficiency is therefore rare.
- Folate: Also known as vitamin B9 or folic acid, folate is an essential nutrient, especially important in pregnancy (19).
- Vitamin B6: A class of related vitamins, the most common of which is pyridoxine. It serves various functions in the body.
- Niacin: Also called vitamin B3, niacin in corn is not well absorbed. Cooking corn with lime can make it more available for absorption .
- Potassium: An essential nutrient that is important for blood pressure control and may improve heart health
Eating whole grain corn regularly may have a number of health benefits.
Eye Health
Macular degeneration and cataracts are among the world's most common visual impairments and major causes of blindness (33).
Infections and old age are among the main causes of these diseases, but nutrition may also play a significant role.
Dietary intake of antioxidants, most notably carotenoids, such as zeaxanthin and lutein, may have considerable benefits for eye health (25, 34, 35).
Lutein and zeaxanthin are the predominant carotenoids in corn, accounting for approximately 70% of the total carotenoid content. However, their levels are generally low in white corn (26, 36, 37).
Commonly known as macular pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the human retina, the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, where they protect against oxidative damage caused by blue light (38, 39, 40).
High levels of these carotenoids in the blood are strongly linked with reduced risk of both macular degeneration and cataracts (41, 42, 43).
Observational studies have also shown that high dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin may be protective (44, 45), but not all studies support this (46).
One study in 356 middle-aged and elderly people found a 43% reduction in the risk of macular degeneration among those with the highest intake of carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin, compared to those with the lowest intake (45).
Taken together, regular consumption of foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, such as yellow corn, may have beneficial effects on eye health.
Prevention of Diverticular Disease
Diverticular disease (diverticulosis) is a condition characterized with pouches in the walls of the colon.
They main symptoms are cramps, flatulence, bloating, and less often, bleeding and infection.
Despite lack of evidence, avoiding popcorn and other high-fiber foods, such as nuts and seeds, has been recommended as a preventive strategy against diverticular disease .
However, one observational study, which followed 47,228 men for 18 years, does not support this recommendation.
In fact, popcorn consumption was found to be protective. Men who ate the most popcorn were 28% less likely to develop diverticular disease than those with the lowest intake.
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