While corn is a popular food and appears to fit well into most diet plans, there are some things you have to consider about it.
There's nothing like a good piece of corn on the cob at your summer barbeque or your buttered popcorn to go along with your favorite movie, right? Or wrong?
What a lot of people want to know is...
Does corn help or hurt diet plans?
It's been approximated that about 60% of the corn, now in the U.S., is genetically modified (although, I do think this number is higher now). The practice of genetically modifying corn began in an attempt to make corn crops resistant to certain pesticides. This helps the farmer because they are then able to grow a larger crop because it is easier to fight off pests (they can spray the crops with pesticides and get rid of insects without damaging their crop).
Sweet corn, also called Bt-corn, has been genetically modified so that it secretes a poison that kills insects.
There is not enough evidence to show that this new type of corn is safe to consume. While farmers may make more money, it raises the question about the real value of corn.
Well, because the introduction of GMO (genetically modified organism) foods is still relatively new, we're in a way being used as "guinea pigs" in a massive experiment (Yikes!). In April 2007, Arpad Pusztai, from the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, UK, announced that experiments had shown intestinal changes in rats caused by eating genetically engineered potatoes (and I don't know about you, but I'm not happy about anybody trying to mess with my intestines).
Doctors frequently deal with patients who have irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive problems. GMO foods may be playing a significant role in this issue.
Since GMO rather than corn itself is the main problem, would diet plans with non-GMO work?
Carbohydrates And Weight Loss
It is more accurate to classify corn as a grain rather than a vegetable, because the body "reads" corn as a carbohydrate. So a meal of corn with brown rice will actually be a meal with two carbohydrate servings. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, you should not consume an overabundance of carbohydrates if you are not an active athlete and plan to lose weight.
What about microwave popcorn?
Even organic microwave pop corn is not healthy for you. The bag is lined with the same chemical coating that is used in non-stick cookware and the pop corn contains preservatives.
Is air popped popcorn better for you?
This is your best bet and can definitely be used as an occasional snack. But notice I said "occasional". Remember most people lose weight faster by decreasing (not necessarily eliminating) many grains. Snacking on popcorn every day could and most likely will, impede your weight loss efforts.
Here is the main takeaway from the article: one, stay away from GMO corn; and, two, include corn as a grain and not as a vegetable when making diet plans.
There's nothing like a good piece of corn on the cob at your summer barbeque or your buttered popcorn to go along with your favorite movie, right? Or wrong?
What a lot of people want to know is...
Does corn help or hurt diet plans?
It's been approximated that about 60% of the corn, now in the U.S., is genetically modified (although, I do think this number is higher now). The practice of genetically modifying corn began in an attempt to make corn crops resistant to certain pesticides. This helps the farmer because they are then able to grow a larger crop because it is easier to fight off pests (they can spray the crops with pesticides and get rid of insects without damaging their crop).
Sweet corn, also called Bt-corn, has been genetically modified so that it secretes a poison that kills insects.
There is not enough evidence to show that this new type of corn is safe to consume. While farmers may make more money, it raises the question about the real value of corn.
Well, because the introduction of GMO (genetically modified organism) foods is still relatively new, we're in a way being used as "guinea pigs" in a massive experiment (Yikes!). In April 2007, Arpad Pusztai, from the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, UK, announced that experiments had shown intestinal changes in rats caused by eating genetically engineered potatoes (and I don't know about you, but I'm not happy about anybody trying to mess with my intestines).
Doctors frequently deal with patients who have irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive problems. GMO foods may be playing a significant role in this issue.
Since GMO rather than corn itself is the main problem, would diet plans with non-GMO work?
Carbohydrates And Weight Loss
It is more accurate to classify corn as a grain rather than a vegetable, because the body "reads" corn as a carbohydrate. So a meal of corn with brown rice will actually be a meal with two carbohydrate servings. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, you should not consume an overabundance of carbohydrates if you are not an active athlete and plan to lose weight.
What about microwave popcorn?
Even organic microwave pop corn is not healthy for you. The bag is lined with the same chemical coating that is used in non-stick cookware and the pop corn contains preservatives.
Is air popped popcorn better for you?
This is your best bet and can definitely be used as an occasional snack. But notice I said "occasional". Remember most people lose weight faster by decreasing (not necessarily eliminating) many grains. Snacking on popcorn every day could and most likely will, impede your weight loss efforts.
Here is the main takeaway from the article: one, stay away from GMO corn; and, two, include corn as a grain and not as a vegetable when making diet plans.
About the Author:
Saleem Rana, who has been studying better eating habits for twenty years, recommends that you check out the free diet tips offered by renowned nutritionist Isabela De Los Rios