I was just discussing with a friend about the dangers of corn–duh duh duh. Yeah, I know, you are reading this and probably thinking “What is he talking about?”. I know, it may seem crazy but is really not. Sometimes the truth seems crazy.
The fact is there is way too much of this grain in the American diet (you noticed I said grain) I tried to make you notice–notice it). Corn is not a vegetable and has been hybridized again and again over the years. In fact real corn or “maize” has gone through so many changes and was a contributing factor to so much malnutrition when the crop was first introduced to places where they were not used to it due to the specific way it had to be cultivated. The Europeans had never even had corn until coming to America and seeing how it was cultivated. It was first cultivated from teosinte.
So now that you have that overview. Let me say that every now and then I enjoy some corn on the cob, HOWEVER, corn is being way overused today. It is in everything. If you eat a burger most likely the cow was fed corn instead of grass as they should be. If you have fries most likely they were fried in corn oil or vegetable oil which usually has a blend of corn oil in it. If you eat almost anything from a conventional grocery store it will have high fructose corn syrup in it… everything from drinks, to peanut butter, to “nutritional bars”, to chicken wings, to YEAH YOU NAME IT. Ethanol is being processed out of corn. Do you get the picture? Canola is becoming similar.
What is happening is that these cultivars or cultivated crops are cheap and easy to grow and so they are pushed on a public that does not take the time to learn and think about what they eat, but instead eat whatever big business or the government tells them is good for them. Again, corn is a grain. Many grains are high in phytates which can inhibit the absorption of nutrients in the body. SO what should you do about it?
1) Eat meat that comes from free-range, grass-fed/pastured animals. Avoid grain fed.
2) Avoid high fructose corn syrup. Do not buy anything with it. See my earlier my post if you like here.
3) Eat corn in limited moderation. It is good to eat all grains in moderation and to have them either sprouted or fermented but this is even more true with corn as corn is not an excellent food source no matter what anyone says.
Like I mentioned earlier, I enjoy having fresh corn on the cob, but I probably have it only a few times a year and have cut out almost every other source of corn except when I am out with friends or end up having chips and salsa. Of course there are ways to get around the chip thing and make pita chips or something else.. but keep reading and I will tell you what I like to use. It is the type of thing where I would allow it where I would not allow other things like pork or shellfish (among other things) even though I do not think it an excellent food choice. In fact, where it is used, it contributes to vastly imbalanced ratios of omega fatty acids and all sorts of disease both in animals and humans.
So again, let me say, treat it as a grain to have in limited moderation as there are better grains. For an example of an organic and sprouted corn product that would be a good choice for those times you choose to have it I would recommend something like Food For Life’s Sprouted Tortillas. You can cut them up and bake or fry them in coconut oil and have chips that are so much better for you than anything in the store. Not only that, but they taste ten times better. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid and contains medium chain fatty acids which your body burns very easy. OR you can buy the store brands that are all made with a vegetable oil like sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, or cottonseed oil and go rancid really easily and have long chain fatty acids that will not burn easily, that will clog your arteries, that will not digest as easily, and that will not stimulate and enhance your immune system or metabolism.
Tim is a health researcher and educator based out of Nashville, TN. Connect with him on Instagram @eattodaytolivetomorrow.
