benefits of maizes

Studies have shown that a high intake of lutein and zeaxanthin is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of a chronic eye disease called macular degeneration. Age related macular degeneration (ARMD) is not some obscure medical condition

Cornmealoris made by grinding whole corn. The coarsest meal is called grits, which is used to make corn flakes. A somewhat finer grade is sold in stores to make cornbread, deep fry batter, and hushpuppies. Even more finely ground meal is calledorcorn cones, and is used for baking and for dusting pizza dough. The finest grade of ground corn is corn flour, used for pancakes, donuts, breading, and baby food. Another type of cornmeal is calledormasa flour, which is made byortreating cornorwith lime (alkalai). This releases the corns niacin into a form the body can use. The resulting whole corn is calledorhominy, and ground treated corn is dried and powdered to make masa flour, which is then used to make tortillas and tamales.

Corn Starchoris made from theorendospermorof the corn, the part of the seed that exists to nourish the potential new plant. After the hull and germ are removed, the endosperm is ground up and the gluten is separated from the starch, leaving nothing but carbohydrate. Corn starch is used as a thickening agent for liquid food and an alternative to talc in body powder. It is mixed with sugar to make confectioners sugar and was once used to make clothing keep a nicely pressed look. Corn starch is also the main ingredient inorbiodegradable plastic.

Corn syruporis made from corn starch. Starch is a carbohydrate, a molecular chain of sugars. Enzymes are added to the starch to break the chains into sugars, mainly glucose. Further processing can change the sugars intoorhigh fructose corn syrup. HFCS is used to sweeten a variety of products, most notably soft drinks. Corn syrup is much cheaper and sweeter than cane sugar. A number of studies have linked the use of HFCS to the rise in obesity. Whether this correlation (which does not prove causation) is due to any organic differences between HFCS and cane sugarorororto the quantity consumed is still under debate. The Corn Refiners Association has asked the FDA for permission to change the term used for high fructose corn syrup toorcorn sugar.

People have made liquor from their crops for thousands of years, and in the western hemisphere that meant whiskey distilled from corn. During the settlement of the Appalachian Mountains by European immigrants, farmers found it much easier to transport their corn crop to distant markets when they distilled it first (and just as profitable,orif not more so). Taxes imposed during the Civil War and later liquor prohibition laws split the corn whiskey industry into the legal distilling oforBourbonorand the illegal distilling oformoonshine, so called because it was produced at night to evade notice.

Distilled alcohol from grain is called ethanol. The word in modern usage usually refers toethanol fueloror biofuel made by distilling corn. Regular gasoline powered cars can run on gas blended with up to 10% ethanol. Corn is a renewable resource, so biofuels are seen as a replacement for fossil fuels. However, the growing use of corn for biofuel raises concerns about theordiminishing availability of corn for food. Also, the production of biofuels usesoras much or more energy than it produces.

Tea brewed from cornsilkoris used as a remedy for urinary tract infections, as it has diuretic properties. The tea has been marketed to help everything from bedwetting to diabetes to cancer, but the medical community says there isorinsufficient evidenceorfor such claims. Cornsilk is not harmful to most people, but there are someorwarningsorfor those with some health conditions or who are takingorcertain medications.

Corn cobs might seem like the throwaway part of corn, but have their uses and more uses are discovered or developed all the time. Ground cobs are used for livestock feed. Traditional farm uses include animal bedding,ortoilet paper substitute, landfill, fuel, and to makeorcorn cob jelly. Modernorindustrial productsormade from corn cobs include absorbents for oil and hazardous waste, insecticides, fertilizer, and grit for tumbling and blasting. Cobs, as well as corn stalks, are starting to be used to produceorethanol. And you can stillormake a pipeorout of a corn cob.

Oil is produced by squeezing the germ of the corn. It is used as a food ingredient and for frying food in (most appropriately for popping popcorn). Margarine is often made from corn oil, althoughorother oils are usedoras well. Corn oil is also used in many cosmetics, soaps, medicines, and other products.

Corn germ is a waste product of the separation of corn components. It isorwhats leftorof the plant germ after the oil has been pressed out, and is used for livestock feed. However, components of corn germ can be used toormake industrial glue stronger. This reduces the amount of resin required in the glue formula, which should make the adhesive less expensive to produce.