Corn is famous for its versatility. It is loved in boiled and canned form, added to salads, flakes are made from it, and corn grits are used in baking bread, tortillas, buns, cookies, it is added to casseroles and pies are stuffed with it. But a special place among these corn dishes is occupied by corn porridge, the beneficial properties and harm of which have been known since the time of the Aztecs and Mayans.

This porridge is popular all over the world, while in Russia it is not often seen on the table. For some reason, corn porridge has not “taken root” in our country, although stores do not experience a shortage of this cereal. And the abundance of useful properties, in which corn porridge is superior to wheat or rye dishes, as well as the minimum calorie content and a positive effect on the figure, only increase the misunderstanding of why we do not like corn porridge?

Perhaps the fault is the lack of public awareness about this amazing product. Therefore, now we will talk about the composition, benefits and dangers of corn porridge.

In its raw form, the calorie content of corn grits is quite high - 326 kcal per 100 g of product. If you boil it in water, then the calorie content of 100 g of the resulting porridge will be only 78 kcal, in milk without butter - 120 kcal.

But the calorie content of corn flakes is high - as much as 365 calories per 100 g of the product.

The energy value of 100 g of corn porridge is:

• 8.3 g protein
• 1.3 g fat
• 71 g carbohydrates
• 5 g fiber

What is the composition of corn porridge?

The value of corn grits is not only in the most pleasant taste, but also in its biochemical composition, thanks to which it received the name "queen" of cereals.

It contains many vitamins - retinol, beta-carotene, niacin, biotin, tocopherol, folic and pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, thiamine, riboflavin.

The mineral complex is also impressive - calcium, magnesium, copper, boron, potassium, phosphorus, silicon, manganese, nickel, iron, sodium, sulfur, zinc, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum.

Corn porridge contains vegetable proteins, arginine, tryptophan, histidine, lysine, cysteine, unsaturated fats (arachidonic, linoleic and linolenic acids).

Due to this composition and the absence of gluten in it, corn porridge belongs to the class of low-allergenic products, which makes it recommended for use in baby food and the diet of people with celiac disease (gluten intolerance).

It cannot be emphasized that the benefits are preserved in thermally processed cereals.
All vitamins, substances and minerals enter directly into the body along with porridge. That is why it is so in demand among Europeans and Americans, who consider it one of the main dishes.

Consumption of corn porridge helps:

• remove bad cholesterol and fats,
  preventing a number of cardiovascular diseases;
• speed up metabolism;
• eliminate intestinal slagging, remove toxins and decay products;
• normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• maintain the beauty of hair and nails;
• make the skin elastic and healthy;
• improve brain activity, increase the ability to concentrate and memorize;
• recharge your batteries and feel cheerful all day;
• stop aging;
• resist viruses and infections;
• neutralize the action of free radicals;
• increase hemoglobin;
• prevent age-related memory impairment and the development of Alzheimer's;
• effectively work the nervous system, preventing the development of neurological diseases and depression.

When you can not eat corn porridge, contraindications

The dangers of corn porridge are also known, so it’s worth starting to consume it.
only after careful study of all its contraindications. There are not so many of them in this product:

1. The main thing to know is that corn porridge belongs to the category of high-glycemic foods. Its glycemic index is 70 units. After heat treatment, this figure increases. It also depends on the size of the grains - in the smallest cereal, the glycemic index will be much higher. This indicates an increased ability of the product to turn into glucose when ingested. Caution should be taken in the consumption of corn porridge and all dishes based on it for diabetics.
2. Immeasurable consumption of corn porridge is not recommended for people with increased blood clotting ability.
3. With weight loss, poor appetite, porridge should also be excluded from the diet - it is low-calorie and quickly saturates, so there will be no benefit from it in such cases. If you are underweight, give preference to high-calorie foods.
4. With gastric ulcer, gastritis, diseases of the duodenum, it is worth minimizing or completely eliminating corn porridge, especially during an exacerbation.

And remember: in order for corn porridge to bring you only benefit, consult with a specialist regarding the possibility of its consumption by you personally.

If you have the slightest doubt or negative reactions of the body, you should consult a doctor!

Video on this topic:

Cooked corn grits rich in vitamins and minerals such as: vitamin B6 - 12.5%, vitamin H - 13.2%, phosphorus - 13.6%, iron - 15%, cobalt - 45%, manganese - 20%, copper - 21% , molybdenum - 16.6%, chromium - 45.4%

What is useful Boiled corn grits

• Vitamin B6 participates in the maintenance of the immune response, the processes of inhibition and excitation in the central nervous system, in the transformation of amino acids, the metabolism of tryptophan, lipids and nucleic acids, contributes to the normal formation of red blood cells, maintaining a normal level of homocysteine ​​in the blood. Insufficient intake of vitamin B6 is accompanied by a decrease in appetite, a violation of the condition of the skin, the development of homocysteinemia, anemia.
• Vitamin H participates in the synthesis of fats, glycogen, amino acid metabolism. Insufficient intake of this vitamin can lead to disruption of the normal condition of the skin.
• Phosphorus takes part in many physiological processes, including energy metabolism, regulates acid-base balance, is part of phospholipids, nucleotides and nucleic acids, is necessary for the mineralization of bones and teeth. Deficiency leads to anorexia, anemia, rickets.
• Iron is a part of proteins of various functions, including enzymes. Participates in the transport of electrons, oxygen, ensures the occurrence of redox reactions and activation of peroxidation. Insufficient consumption leads to hypochromic anemia, myoglobin deficiency atony of skeletal muscles, increased fatigue, myocardiopathy, atrophic gastritis.
• Cobalt is part of vitamin B12. Activates the enzymes of fatty acid metabolism and folic acid metabolism.
• Manganese participates in the formation of bone and connective tissue, is part of the enzymes involved in the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, catecholamines; necessary for the synthesis of cholesterol and nucleotides. Insufficient consumption is accompanied by growth retardation, disorders in the reproductive system, increased fragility of bone tissue, disorders of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.
• Copper is part of the enzymes that have redox activity and are involved in the metabolism of iron, stimulates the absorption of proteins and carbohydrates. Participates in the processes of providing tissues of the human body with oxygen. Deficiency is manifested by violations of the formation of the cardiovascular system and skeleton, the development of connective tissue dysplasia.
• Molybdenum is a cofactor of many enzymes that provide the metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids, purines and pyrimidines.
• Chromium participates in the regulation of blood glucose levels, enhancing the action of insulin. Deficiency leads to decreased glucose tolerance.

A complete guide to the most useful products you can see in the application

It's time to evaluate calorie content of cereals. Note that the product is quite nutritious, and you should not get carried away. Mostly in the morning, ideally in the morning.

• Of course, the calorie content of different cereals is different (and we will see this).
• Also, when assessing nutritional value, it is necessary to take into account How do you cook it and what do you serve it with? Additives such as butter, condensed milk, honey, sugar, fruits and berries, dates, nuts, raisins, dried apricots and others significantly increase the calorie content of ready-made cereals.

Calorie content of cereals on water and milk also, of course, different. There are other options - 50 to 50 milk with water, porridge with water with cream, etc. And it’s easier for someone to calculate the calorie content of boiled cereals per 100 grams, for someone - dry cereals. We have foreseen this.

porridge calorie table

The calorie content of porridge with butter, honey, sugar or condensed milk is easy to determine: just add the calorie content of sugar or butter to the nutritional value of porridge.

• 1 teaspoon of butter "with top" about 33 kcal
• 1 tablespoon butter "with top" - 112 kcal
• 1 teaspoon of honey - 26 kcal
• 1 tablespoon honey - 32 kcal
• 1 teaspoon of sugar "with top" - 32 kcal
• 1 tablespoon of sugar "with top" - 99 kcal
• 1 teaspoon of condensed milk about 40 kcal
• 1 tablespoon of condensed milk is about 98 kcal.

When calculating the calorie content, do not forget that there is a calorie content of milk porridges or cereals on water and a calorie content of cereals, a dry product. These are two big differences.

you can weigh groats before throwing it into the cooking pot (in this case, we take the number from the first column). If you put it on a plate ready meal- from the third or second column, respectively.

The total calorie content of 100 grams of corn porridge on water is quite large and amounts to 141 kcal. 100 g of the product contains:

• proteins - 2.1 g;
• fat - 2.3 g;
• carbohydrates - 28.4 g.

The vitamin composition of corn porridge is represented by vitamins A, B, PP, E. The product contains a lot of iron, silicon, vegetable protein, arginine, nickel, copper, phosphorus and other useful substances and trace elements.

Calorie content of corn porridge in milk per 100 grams is 120 kcal. 100 g of the product contains 3.7 g of protein, 4.7 g of fat, 16.1 g of carbohydrates.

The benefits of corn porridge

Despite the fact that the calorie content of corn porridge is quite high, the product is considered very useful. It is appropriate to talk about the following benefits of corn porridge:

• the high content of unsaturated fatty acids makes porridge indispensable for normalizing blood cholesterol levels;

• the product is excellent for dietary nutrition, therefore it is recommended for people with pathological disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, diabetes, blood diseases, obesity;
• If you have a severe food allergy, be sure to include corn porridge in your diet. The product is low allergenic, therefore it is actively used even in baby food;
• porridge is saturated with fiber, does not cause problems with the stomach, promotes the active removal of toxins from the body;
• multiple studies confirm that daily consumption of corn porridge for breakfast helps to reduce the risk of heart and vascular diseases;
• It has long been proven that cereals, including corn, are an effective means for removing pesticides from the body;
• do not give up corn porridge for people suffering from flatulence. The product slows down putrefactive processes in the intestines.

The harm of corn porridge

Speaking about the harm of corn porridge, it is important to note that it is very insignificant and appears extremely rarely. Doctors and nutritionists recommend limiting this product in your diet during an exacerbation of duodenal and stomach ulcers.