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Diet Plans: Is Corn Safe To Eat?

By Saleem Rana


Most people naturally assume that corn is a good diets food, but you should be cautious in adding it to your 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?

This question seems to be coming up more and more often...

Does corn help or hurt diet plans?

Unfortunately, as much as 60% of corn in the United States is genetically modified. In fact, the numbers may be higher because it is hard to get solid statistics on such a controversial topic. This practice of genetic modification of corn began as a way to allow farmers to grow a bigger crop and make more money because the crops could now fight off insects that were resistant to insecticides.

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.

The plain fact is that we do not know if any GMO foods are safe. Everyone is an involuntary guinea pig. In April 2007, a researcher from Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, UK, announced that rats had intestinal problems after eating genetically engineered potatoes.

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?

How Carbohydrates Affect 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.

How does microwave popcorn help or hinder a healthy diet?

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 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.




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