Corn - A Fine Health-preserving Coarse Cereal
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is believed that food and medicine share the same origin. In the book "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic: The Fundamental Principles" from the Tang Dynasty era, it was written: "Eating on an empty stomach makes it a food; eating while sick makes it a drug." This reflects the idea of "food and medicine sharing the same origin." TCM also emphasizes that food has four properties and five flavors. Corn has a sweet taste and neutral nature, with functions such as regulating the middle energizer, invigorating the stomach, benefiting the lungs, calming the mind, clearing damp-heat, benefiting the liver and gallbladder, and delaying aging.
Corn contains abundant vitamins. Experts compared the nutritional value and health benefits of various staple foods such as corn, rice, and wheat. The results showed that the vitamin content in corn is very high, being 5 to 10 times higher than that in rice and wheat.
Which type of corn is more nutritious? Studies show that specialty corn has higher nutritional value than regular corn. For example, sweet corn has 1 to 2 times more protein, plant oil, and vitamins than regular corn; its selenium content is 8 to 10 times higher; and among its 17 amino acids, 13 are higher than in regular corn. Additionally, fresh corn has much higher water content, active substances, vitamins, and other nutrients compared to mature corn because during storage, the nutritional content of corn decreases rapidly.
Data will make you even more convinced of how high the nutritional value of corn is. Every 100 grams of corn contains 8.5 grams of protein, 4.3 grams of fat, 72.2 grams of carbohydrates, 1398.4 kilojoules of energy, 22 milligrams of calcium, 120 milligrams of phosphorus, 1.6 milligrams of iron, vitamin B1, B2, vitamin E, vitamin A precursor (carotene), niacin, and trace elements such as selenium and magnesium. Its germ contains 52% unsaturated fatty acids, which is 4 to 5 times higher than in refined rice and flour. Corn oil is rich in vitamin E, vitamin A, lecithin, and magnesium, with linoleic acid content reaching up to 50%.
Let's now delve into the health-preserving functions of corn:
1. Prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases
Corn has preventive and therapeutic effects on coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Because corn contains abundant unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid, whose content is over 60%, it works synergistically with vitamin E in the corn germ to reduce blood cholesterol concentration and prevent its deposition on blood vessel walls. Nutrients like vitamin B2 (riboflavin) in corn also have significant benefits for preventing heart disease and cancer.
2. Anti-aging
Corn contains vitamin E, which can promote cell growth and delay aging. It also contains a longevity factor - glutathione, which under the participation of selenium, forms glutathione peroxidase, having the effect of restoring youth and delaying aging. The glutamate in corn has certain brain-nourishing functions.
3. Anti-cancer
The "life element" selenium in corn can accelerate the decomposition of peroxides in the body, depriving malignant tumors of molecular oxygen supply and thus inhibiting them. Corn also contains magnesium, which not only suppresses the growth of cancer cells but also helps expel waste from the body, which is important for cancer prevention.
4. Prevention and treatment of constipation
Corn can prevent and treat constipation, enteritis, and prevent colon cancer, thanks to its content of vitamin B6 and niacin, which stimulate gastrointestinal peristalsis and accelerate defecation.
5. Longevity and beauty
Corn is rich in vitamin C. The nutrients in corn germ also enhance human metabolism and regulate nervous system function, making the skin delicate and smooth, inhibiting and delaying the formation of wrinkles.
Finally, it should be noted that when eating corn, one should consume the entire germ, as many of corn's nutrients are concentrated there. Cooking corn improves its antioxidant activity at the expense of some vitamin C loss, making it even more nutritionally valuable.
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