Corn and calories

Factual Questions
1

Most of us are aware that corn, when consumed, passes directly though a human’s digestive system relatively unscathed. The individual kernels appear to be exactly the same when exiting our body as it did entering our body.

(I remember from high school science that calories are the amount of energy created when burned. So technically corn does have calories but it seems the corn is not “burned” in our body like other food.)

Therefore, why is corn counted as part of our recommended daily caloric intake? The same question holds for sunflower seeds as well.

Thanks!

2

We digest parts of corn. There is some stuff inside the kernel that we humans can make use of.

Corn isn’t full of nutrients, but then it really isn’t bad for you either. Topping your corn in copious amounts of butter is.

3

From Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, by Jean A. T. Pennington & Helen Nichols Church

cooked corn on the cob, 4 inch ear

100 calories
3.3 g protein
1.0 g fat
21.0 g carbohydrates
0.7 g fiber

400 IU vitamin A
9 mg vitamin C
.12 mg vitamin B-1
.10 mg vitamin B-2
1.4 mg niacin
196 mg sodium
3 mg calicum
89 mg potassium
.60 mg iron

Now shut up and eat your vegetables. They’re good for you.

4

Still waiting for you to serve some.

Corn is a grain. :smiley:

5

Also, dont forget to chew your food well. If you chew your food, you wont have whole corn kernals coming out… well, you know.

Chewing your food mixes it with saliva and breaks it down into small pieces so you can digest it in your stomach.

You will get more of the corn’s nutrients this way.

You could also, of course, eat cornmeal or corn chips or corn bread. The whole corn is already ground into flour and therefore easier to digest.

6

Mmmmmmm…corn on the cob with copious amounts of butter. And salt. Don’t forget the salt.