The seeds of the herbaceous plant corn in the family Graminae. It is cultivated throughout China. In summer and fall, the mature fruit is harvested, and the seeds are threshed and dried in the sun; they can also be used fresh.

Alias: corn, Siamese rice, bracteate, Yu Shu, Yu Zizania millet, corn, stick, bracteate, bracteate, jade ling, jade wheat, thin wheat, jade sorghum, imperial rice, imperial wheat, jade beans, six valleys, reed millet, pearl millet, red-faced wheat, barley package, golden beans, jade grain.

Some parts of the country are called in dialect: Siam (xian) rice, because of the important grain trade with Thailand, Siam is the ancient name of Thailand, so it is called: "Siam rice".

Families and Sources

1. Corn is also known as bale, bracts, pearl rice, Gramineae, annual herbs.

2. The origin of corn is Mexico or Central America, 1492 Columbus found corn in Cuba, and later until the whole of North and South America are cultivated. 1494 to bring corn back to Spain, and gradually spread to the world. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, corn cultivation has reached more than ten provinces, such as Jilin, Zhejiang, Fujian, Yunnan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Anhui and other places.

Geographic distribution

Maize is one of the most widely distributed food crops in the world, with the area under cultivation ranking third after wheat and rice. It is grown from 58° north latitude (Canada and Russia) to 40° south latitude (South America). Corn matures every month of the year throughout the world. Corn is the most important food crop in the U.S., producing about half of the world's output, about 2/5 of which is for export. China's annual corn production is the second largest in the world, followed by Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.

Originally from Central America, is a major food crop, like high temperature, the sixteenth century when introduced to China, corn in China's sowing area is very large, the distribution is also very wide, is China's northern and southwestern mountainous areas and other dry valleys of the people's one of the main food. Laixi City in Shandong Province is one of the important production areas for corn, and the quality of corn in Kailu County is very high.

Nutritional value

1. High available energy. Corn also contains a large amount of magnesium, magnesium can strengthen the peristalsis of the intestinal wall, promote the excretion of body wastes. Corn above composition and function, for weight loss is very favorable. Corn ripening cob corn husk, diuretic effect, is also beneficial to weight loss. Corn can be boiled in soup to drink instead of tea, can also be crushed and made into cornmeal, corn cakes and cakes. Puffed corn flower volume is very large, after eating can eliminate the hunger of obese people, but after eating contains very low calories, is also one of the substitutes for weight loss.

2. Higher linoleic acid content. Corn linoleic acid content of 2%, is the highest content of cereal feed. If the ratio of corn in the diet of more than 50%, only corn can meet the pig, chicken linoleic acid needs (1%).

3. Protein content is low, and poor quality. Corn . Protein content of about 8.6% or so, and amino acid imbalance, lysine, tryptophan and methionine content is insufficient.

4. About 80% of minerals are present in the embryo, calcium content is very small, about 0.02%; phosphorus contains about 0.25%, but about 63% of the phosphorus in the form of phytate phosphorus, monogastric animals have a low utilization rate. The content of other mineral elements is also low.

5. Vitamins in vitamin E is more, about 20mg/kg, yellow corn contains more carotene, vitamin D and K is almost none. Water-soluble vitamins contain more thiamine, less riboflavin and niacin, and niacin is present in bound form.

Medicinal value

Modern research has confirmed that corn is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid content of up to 60% or more, it and corn germ in the synergistic effect of vitamin E, which can reduce blood cholesterol concentration and prevent its deposition in the blood vessel wall. Therefore, corn on coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia and hypertension have certain preventive and therapeutic effects. Vitamin E can also promote human cell division and delay aging. Corn also contains a longevity factor ---- glutathione, which is involved in selenium to generate glutathione oxidase, with the function of restoring youth and delaying aging. Corn contains selenium and magnesium have cancer prevention and anti-cancer effects, selenium can accelerate the decomposition of peroxides in the body, so that malignant tumors do not get the supply of molecular oxygen and inhibited. Magnesium on the one hand can also inhibit the development of cancer cells, on the other hand, can promote the body's waste discharge, which is also important for cancer prevention. The glutamic acid it contains has a certain brain function.

A study by the German Association for Nutritional Health showed that corn has the highest nutritional value and health effects of any staple food.

Can prevent heart disease and cancer, in this year-long study, experts on corn, rice, wheat and other staple foods, the nutritional value and health effects of the comparison of various indicators. The results found that the vitamin content of corn is very high, 5-10 times that of rice and wheat.

At the same time, corn contains a large number of nutritional health substances also surprised experts. In addition to containing carbohydrates, proteins, fats, carotene, corn also contains riboflavin, vitamins and other nutrients. These substances are very beneficial in the prevention of heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

Studies have also shown that the nutritional value of specialty corn is higher than that of regular corn. For example, sweet corn protein, vegetable oil and vitamin content than ordinary corn 1-2 times higher; "life element" selenium content is 8-10 times higher; it contains 17 kinds of amino acids, 13 kinds of higher than ordinary corn. In addition, fresh corn moisture, active substances, vitamins and other nutrients than the old mature corn is also much higher, because in the storage process, the nutrient content of corn will rapidly decline.

Corn is coarse grains in the health care products, on the human body's health is quite favorable: corn in the vitamin B6. niacin and other components, with the stimulation of gastrointestinal peristalsis, accelerated baked stool excretion characteristics, can prevent and control constipation, enteritis, intestinal cancer and so on. Corn is rich in vitamin C, etc., have longevity, beauty effect. Corn germ tip contains nutrients have enhanced human metabolism, adjust the function of the nervous system. Can play to make the skin tender and smooth, inhibit and delay the wrinkle effect. Corn has adjusted the stomach and lower blood fat, lower serum cholesterol effect. Central American Indians are not easy to suffer from high blood pressure and they mainly eat corn related.

Eat corn should be eaten corn kernels of the embryonic tip of all eaten, because many of the nutrients of corn are concentrated here. Corn is better when eaten cooked, and cooking gains higher antioxidant activity that is more nutritious, despite the fact that it loses some of the vitamin C.

Corn mold can produce carcinogens, so moldy corn should never be eaten, so be sure to use products produced by large manufacturers.

Eating corn (staple food) will lead to malnutrition, is not good for health, if it is eaten as a snack, because corn is coarse grains, naturally help gastrointestinal motility, good health, as for weight loss, it is certainly very little effect.

The therapeutic value

Corn oil is rich in multiple unsaturated bonds fatty acid fats, is a cholesterol absorption inhibitors, to reduce plasma cholesterol and prevent coronary heart disease has a certain role.

[Properties] It is sweet in flavor and flat in nature. It can regulate the stomach and diuretic.

[Reference] Containing protein, fat, starch, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1.B2.B6, niacin, pantothenic acid, carotene, quercetin and other components.

[Usage] Used for spleen and stomach, loss of appetite, reduced diet; water-dampness stagnation, urinary incontinence or edema; hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease.

[Usage] Decoction, boiled food, or powdered porridge.

[Square]

1, corn and prickly pear soup: 30g of corn, prickly pear 15g. add water to decoction soup or tea.

This product is paired with prickly pear, which has the effect of strengthening the stomach, eliminating food and clearing the summer heat. Used for spleen and stomach is not healthy, dyspepsia, diet reduction or diarrhea, and summer heat is particularly suitable.

2, corn tea: 30g of corn, cornhusk 15g. Add the right amount of water, decoction tea.

Corn, corn, corn husk are diuretic effect to corn husk stronger, so with the application. It is mainly used for chronic nephritis, edema, urinary incontinence.

Food Cooking

I. Three-color corn