The earliest records of corn as food date back to about 3400 BC, when the Indians in Central America grew it. Today there are more than 200 varieties of corn, and it is an important food in many countries. Americans eat about 25 pounds of corn per person every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC.
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Although corn does not contain especially high amounts of either vitamins or minerals, it does contain a lot of water, and its fiber content makes you feel full. Corn is a carbohydrate with a moderate glycemic index, so your body breaks it down more slowly than it breaks down higher-glycemic foods such as white bread. Corn causes a more gradual rise in blood glucose and a steadier release of energy, according to Consumer Reports.
Ferulic Acid
Ferulic acid is a natural antioxidant that occurs in plants and that helps you to neutralize free radicals, which can damage your cells. Unlike other plants and vegetables, which contain low amounts of ferulic acid, corn and cereal grains have high levels. In addition, cooking corn can increase its levels by up to 900 percent; in raw corn, it is bound to cell walls, according to ScienceDaily.
Vitamin C
Corn is a good source of vitamin C, although cooking destroys some of it. Forms of processed corn such as popcorn and cornmeal are typically less nutritious than corn on the cob.
Additional Information
Corn is an extremely versatile food. You can cook corn and eat it fresh off the cob or as kernels. You can can it, freeze it, dry it or grind it into flour or meal to make other products such as tortillas, cornbread and corn muffins. Store fresh corn in a cool area or in your refrigerator; according to the CDC, this prevents the sugar in the corn from converting to starch, which makes it taste less sweet.
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