Start of Autumn has passed, marking the end of the summer heat.
During this solar term, what should we eat for better health? Chief TCM health expert, Professor Yang Li from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, suggests that corn is suitable for eating during the Start of Autumn period.
Corn, also known as "maize," "Indian corn," "sweet corn," or "ear," is sweet in flavor and neutral in nature. It functions to regulate the middle energizer, stimulate appetite, benefit the lungs and calm the mind, clear damp-heat, promote the function of the liver and gallbladder, and delay aging. According to historical research, corn originated in South America and was introduced to China around the mid-16th century. Currently, China has a large planting area for corn, with varieties including yellow corn, white corn, waxy corn, and mixed corn. It is one of the staple foods for people in northern China, southwestern mountainous areas, and other dryland regions. Corn can be boiled for soup or tea, and can also be ground into cornmeal or made into corn cakes and pastries. Corn can delay aging
Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that corn is neutral in nature and sweet in flavor, and it influences the liver, kidney, and bladder meridians. It has functions such as promoting urination to reduce edema, calming the liver and promoting bile secretion, strengthening the spleen to drain dampness, regulating the middle energizer to stimulate appetite, benefiting the lungs and calming the mind, and clearing damp-heat. Eating corn during the Start of Autumn season not only helps to dispel autumn dryness but also aids in delaying aging. Prevention of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases:
Modern medicine considers corn to be rich in nutrients such as unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, trace elements, and amino acids. Modern research has confirmed that the unsaturated fatty acids in corn, especially linoleic acid, account for over 60% of its content. Working in synergy with vitamin E in the corn germ, it can lower blood cholesterol concentrations and prevent its deposition on blood vessel walls. Therefore, corn has certain preventive and therapeutic effects on coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Corn can improve eyesight:
Corn contains flavonoids, which have a certain effect on the macula of the retina, so eating more corn can improve eyesight. Corn can prevent cancer and resist aging.
The selenium and magnesium in corn have anti-cancer properties: when selenium works together with vitamin E, it can prevent more than ten types of cancers, especially the most common breast and colorectal cancers. Additionally, selenium can regulate thyroid function and prevent cataracts; on one hand, magnesium can inhibit the development of cancer cells, and on the other, it can strengthen intestinal wall peristalsis, promoting the excretion of waste from the body, which is also important for cancer prevention. It contains a longevity factor—glutathione. With the participation of selenium, it generates glutathione peroxidase, which has the function of restoring youth and delaying aging. Corn silk also has beauty and weight-loss functions.
Because the vitamin E in the corn germ can also promote human cell division and prevent skin wrinkles; corn silk has a diuretic effect, which is also beneficial for weight loss. Puffed corn kernels are very bulky, and after eating, they can satisfy the hunger of obese people, but they contain very low calories, making them one of the diet foods. Regulating Hormones:
The vitamin E rich in corn can increase hormone secretion through the gonads, improve sexual function, and prevent miscarriage. Brain-healthy:
The glutamic acid in corn also has a certain brain-healthy function.