Nutritional Value of Maize.

Originally called hindi by Tanzanians, maize is a grain more commonly known Maize comes in several varieties, such as popcorn and dent corn, which is ground and used for products such as corn chips. Sweet corn is the variety that can be eaten right off the husk. It's a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and other vitamins and minerals.

The Basics

Sweet corn is a variety of maize with a high sugar content that softens when heated. It should be eaten as soon as possible after being picked because the sugar turns to starch, causing the kernels to lose flavor. Heat speeds up that process, so refrigerate or freeze corn until you're ready to use it. The nutritional values provided are for yellow corn, but white corn has essentially the same nutrients, except for vitamin A.

Basic Nutrition

One cup of sweet corn contains 125 calories, 5 g of protein, 2.9 g of dietary fiber and 27 g of energy-providing carbohydrates. The total fat content of 1.9 g includes no cholesterol and 1.4 g of healthy unsaturated fats.

Vitamins

A cup of sweet corn contains 10 mg of vitamin C, which is an important antioxidant and also necessary for the synthesis of collagen. It provides all of the B vitamins except vitamin B-12. A one-cup serving delivers 0.23 mg of thiamine, 0.08 mg of riboflavin, 2.56 mg of niacin, 0.14 mg of vitamin B-6 and 61 mcg of folate. Corn contains a small amount of vitamins E and K. Yellow corn contains 271 IU of vitamin A, while white corn only has 2 IU.

Minerals

One serving contains 3 mg of calcium, but this is just a trace amount based on the recommended daily intake of 800 mg/day established by the Institute of Medicine. Corn provides 0.8 mg of iron, 129 mg of phosphorus and 392 mg of potassium, compared with recommended adult daily intakes of 4,700 mg/day for potassium, 700 mg/day for phosphorus and 6 to 8 mg/day for iron. Corn also contains 0.24 mg of the trace mineral manganese, which functions as an antioxidant and is essential for metabolism.

Essential Fatty Acids

Omega-3 and omega-6 are essential fatty acids because they're needed for brain function and vision. Higher consumption of essential fatty acids is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Corn provides 0.84 g of omega-6 and 0.025 g of omega-3. The adequate intakes for omega-3 are 1.6 g/day for men and 1.1 g/day for women, and for omega-6 they're 17 g/day for men and 12 g/day for women, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.

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