Corn is rich in vitamin C and other nutrients, and has the effects of promoting longevity and beauty. Did you know that eating more corn can also help prevent colon cancer? Let's take a look at why corn helps prevent colon cancer.
As we all know, corn has a high fiber content, 10 times that of rice. A large amount of fiber can stimulate gastrointestinal peristalsis, shorten the residence time of food residues in the intestines, accelerate fecal excretion, and expel harmful substances from the body. It is of great significance for preventing constipation, enteritis, and rectal cancer.
Every 100 grams of corn contains 12 micrograms of folic acid, 3 times that of rice; 238-300 milligrams of potassium, 2.45-3 times that of rice; 96 milligrams of magnesium, 3 times that of rice; and various antioxidants such as carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, selenium, and vitamin E. Therefore, corn has multiple health benefits.
The greatest contribution of corn to humanity is its rich content of pigments that color it golden—lutein and zeaxanthin (a type of carotene). Although they are not nutrients, their effects are superior to nutrients. They are powerful antioxidants that can protect the light-sensitive area in the eye called the macula, preventing the occurrence of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
The macula is a tissue located in the center of the retina that controls vision. Due to aging, when the fat in the macula is oxidized and damaged, macular degeneration, decreased vision, and even blindness can occur.
With their powerful antioxidant effects, lutein and zeaxanthin can absorb harmful light that enters the eye and keep the macula healthy. However, it should be noted that only yellow corn contains lutein and zeaxanthin, while white corn does not.
Therefore, people who frequently use their eyes, such as taxi drivers, primary and secondary school students, editors, and writers, should eat more yellow corn.
Corn contains multiple anti-cancer factors, such as glutathione, lutein and zeaxanthin, trace elements selenium and magnesium, etc. Glutathione can use its own "handcuffs" to bind carcinogens, rendering them inactive and excreting them from the body through the digestive tract. It is also a powerful antioxidant that can accelerate the deactivation of aging free radicals, making it the most effective anti-cancer substance in the human body;
Corn also contains selenium and magnesium. Selenium can accelerate the decomposition of peroxides in the body, causing malignant tumors to die due to lack of oxygen supply;
Magnesium, on one hand, can inhibit the development of cancer cells, and on the other hand, can promote the rapid excretion of waste from the body, thereby playing a role in cancer prevention;
Furthermore, the lutein in corn can also prevent colon cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, and uterine cancer, while zeaxanthin can prevent skin cancer and lung cancer.
Dietary Tips:
When making corn congee, cornmeal paste, or cornmeal steamed buns, don't forget to add some alkali.
This is because 63%-74% of the niacin in corn is bound niacin that cannot be absorbed and utilized by the human body. Long-term consumption may lead to pellagra.
To avoid this situation, it is best to add a small amount of alkali when cooking corn congee, making cornmeal paste, or making steamed buns. This releases the bound niacin in corn, converting it into free niacin that can be used by the body, which is most beneficial for nutrition.