Health Facts

Corn is a member of the cereal grass family, related to other grains such as wheat, oats, barley, and rice. It's one of our most delicious and versatile foods, and it's a healthy addition to a balanced diet. When you eat sweet corn, you're consuming a 100-percent whole grain, deriving benefits from its natural starches, proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Sweet corn is also a significant source of natural antioxidants, which are surprisingly increased by as much as 44% as a result of cooking, according to a study by Cornell University.¹

Here are more health facts about corn, as described by the University of Illinois Extension:

Sweet corn is high in fiber, niacin, folate and some vitamin A. Folate has been found to prevent neural-tube birth defects and current research suggests that it helps to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Fiber, of course, helps to keep the intestinal track running smoothly.

Nutrition Facts (Serving size: 1 ear yellow sweet corn)

• Calories 83.16
• Protein 2.56 grams
• Carbohydrates 19.3 grams
• Dietary Fiber 2.15 grams
• Potassium 191.73 mg
• Vitamin A 167 IU
• Niacin 1.24 mg
• Folate 35.73 mcg

Source: Watch Your Garden Grow:

Want to learn more about corn and health? Check out the the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, which has an informative online publication that's full of information, including recipes:
Vegetables For Health — Corn

¹ Source: Processed sweet corn has higher antioxidant activity by Dewanto V, Wu X, Liu RH, Department of Food Science and Institute of Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, Stocking Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.