Supersweet varieties of corn give you sweeter corn that retains sweet flavor longer than standard sweet corn types. Supersweet corn provides essentially the same nutritional benefits as other sweet corn types, although supersweet strains store more sugar in each kernel. Two classes of supersweet corn provide different processing qualities, and different colors of supersweet corn offer different levels of phytonutrients important to health.
History
Original sweet corn strains contained sugars that quickly changed to starch after harvest. Picking the crop at slightly the wrong stage or storing the corn too long before sale caused the corn to lose sweetness before reaching the table. Supersweet corn began with the research of botanist John Laughnan of the University of Illinois, according to an article in "Inside Illinois." In the early 1950s, Laughnan investigated an unusual strain of corn with shriveled grains and found a sugar content as much as 10 times normal. Almost a decade later, extensive crossbreeding yielded the first supersweet varieties.
Differences
The "sh2" supersweet strains developed from Laughnan's varieties contain high levels of sugar with a long shelf life. Supersweet corn's tougher skin and lack of polysaccharides makes it a good table variety, but less popular as frozen corn. Professor A.M. Rhodes of the University of Illinois developed "sugary enhancer" sweet corn with a short shelf life, creamy texture and double the sugar of standard sweet corn. New crosses combine both traits, giving supersweet corn better texture and creaminess. All sweet corn contains about the same total amount of carbs, but supersweet corn provides more sugar and less starch.
Nutritional Value
One cup of cooked yellow sweet corn cut from the cob provides about 31 g of carbs as both starch and sugar. This serving contains 3.6 g of dietary fiber that helps curb your appetite and keeps your digestive system working smoothly. You'll receive about 1 mg of sodium and about 325 mg of potassium. One cup of cooked corn provides about half your daily needs of magnesium and vitamin C, and significant amounts of iron and calcium. One cup of yellow supersweet corn provides more than half your daily minimum of vitamin A as beta-carotene.
Phytonutrients
The chemicals that give yellow corn its color also provide essential nutrition for your eyes. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin protect both retina and lens from the harmful blue light that contributes to age-related loss of eyesight. White varieties of supersweet corn lack the vitamin A of yellow types and also provide only trace amounts of phytonutrients -- 68 mcg per cup, compared with yellow corn's 1,350 mcg. Yellow corn contains far less of these carotenoids than do leafy greens such as spinach or kale. One cup of spinach provides about 20 times the phytonutrient content of one cup of sweet corn.
References
- "Inside Illinois"; "Supersweet Sweet Corn -- 50 Years in the Making"; Debra Levey Larson; August 2003
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Corn, Sweet, Yellow, Cooked, Boiled, Drained, Without Salt
- Linus Pauling Institute; "Micronutrient Information Center -- Carotenoids"; Jane Higdon et al.; December 2005
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