Whole
Grain 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.
Wholefood Farmacy foods which are made
with whole grain Corn include Veggielicious, Veggielicious Spice, Cornucopia,
Cornaborealis, Corn of Plenty, V-10 Creamy Yam Soup and V-12 Creamy Vegetable
Soup. We encourage you to make Corn and other whole grains a part of your food
choices each and every day!