CORN: HISTORY, USES, AND BENEFITS

Corn, also called maize, is one of the world's most widely distributed cereal grains. Corn is derived from teosinte, a species of wild grass that is prevalent in Mexico. Indigenous peoples in southern Mexico were the first to domesticate the mentioned cereal. Since Christopher Columbus and other explorers and colonizers introduced corn to Europe, it has expanded to every region of the world that is appropriate for its growth. Corn is the most important crop in the Americas and is a staple ingredient of many dishes.

Most of us have enjoyed corn as part of a delicious meal. But did you know corn is grown as food for humans and livestock, alcoholic beverages, crude material, and biofuel? Corn can be used to make masa (corn dough), cornbread, polenta, mush, roasted or boiled on the cob, popcorn, corn oil, cereal, etc. In terms of biofuel, corn can be used to produce ethanol. In the industrial field, corn oil has been incorporated into soaps, inks, and paints and can be used to make corn husks.

Corn has a lot of different benefits! It is good for:

• Eye health: Antioxidants like zeaxanthin and lutein may boost eye health which can help prevent macular degeneration.

• Preventing diverticular disease: Corn, mostly popcorn, protects against this disease, a condition characterized by pouches in the walls of your colon.

• Free radical protection: Corn contains many antioxidants to help prevent free radical damage.

Here at Front Porch Pantry, we like to use corn in many of our entrees, primarily Mexican and Texan-style entrees! Corn is an excellent cereal that adds a tasty touch to our meals and has many good benefits.