Yay..... It's Weekend....:D.... And It's time to refreshing myself today... Now I want to tell you about one kind of whole grains... that's Corn, You know corn right? What, but you don't know corn is one of cereal? Oh how poor you are...:D Ok now, I will tell you....
Corn or Zea Mays or Maize is one of the most successful cereal grasses of all time. It has been under human cultivation for over 10,000 years and has spread itself into every niche of commercial agriculture. Like most grain producing grasses, corn is an annual that must be replanted each year. While the plant originates in the New World, it is grown all over the world and used for a staggering array of products. It is far more productive than most cereal crops and able to sustain a higher population than relatives like wheat, rye, or rice.
Corn is often considered to be a starch, but the fact is that whole versions are technically grains. Whole grain corn contains bran, cereal germ, and endosperm. In some commercial grains, the refining process takes away portions of corn that no longer constitute the food as being whole. When consumers shop for unrefined grains, they can easily identify it so long as the label indicates that the corn used is “whole.” Whole grain corn is traditionally eaten off of the cob, but it is also used to make a variety of cakes, snacks, and tortillas.
CORN AND HEALTH
Each whole grain offers different nutrients, and in the case of corn, its high point is Vitamin A – with more than 10 times that of other grains. Recent research shows that corn is also high in antioxidants and carotenoids that are associated with eye health, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. As a gluten-free grain, corn is a key ingredient in many gluten-free foods.
In many traditional cultures, corn is eaten with beans, as they have complementary amino acids that work together to provide complete proteins. In Central and South America, corn is often nixtamalized for better health – soaked in an alkaline solution (often lime-water) – then drained and made into masa flour, tortillas and other foods. The nixtamalization process makes many of the corn kernel's B vitamins hugely more bioavailable, while also adding calcium. (The only downside: a small amount of bran is lost in the soaking, but the US Department of Agriculture still considers masa to be whole grain.) Hominy, a corn product eaten in the southern United States, is also nixtamalized corn.
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