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?
More and more people are raising the question...
Should corn be included in diet plans?
Although it has been estimated that about 60% of crops are genetically modified, this is only a conservative figure and the numbers are much more likely to be higher. The practice was implemented to produce a bigger crop so farmers and national revenues from the agricultural sector were higher. Genetically modified corn could now kill insects that had become resistant to pesticides.
Sweet corn, also called Bt-corn, has been genetically modified so that it secretes a poison that kills insects.
This may sound like progress--especially from the perspective of the farmer and the national income--but there is a reason to be concerned. The new foods may have long term effects on ruining our health.
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).
In humans, too, intestinal problems are not uncommon. Doctors frequently treat people with irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive issues. It's not too far fetched to consider processed foods and GMO foods play a part in these problems.
Ok, so what if you're able to get non-GMO corn? (Which it is difficult to know which brands and items are GMO and which are not) where does corn fit into diet plans?
How Carbohydrates Affect Weight Loss
The most important thing to be aware of is that your body processes corn as if it were a carbohydrate rather than a vegetable. This means that you should not consider meal with brown rice and corn as a carbohydrate and vegetable meal. Instead, it is more accurate to classify corn as a grain. Thus, a meal with corn should be counted as a meal with a serving of carbohydrates.
What about microwave popcorn?
Microwave popcorn is not healthy. There are two reasons for this. It has preservatives and the bag is coated with chemicals used in non-stick cookware that rubs on the kernels.
How about air popped popcorn?
This is the better choice when it comes to pop corn. However, you have to only enjoy this snack occasionally because your body will not lose weight if you consume too much carbohydrates.
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: By Saleem Rana
Saleem Rana recommends you learn more about diet from the free information offered by renowned nutritionist Isabela De Los Rios
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