Most people would say that most fruits and veggies don’t digest well, but in reality, the issue is deeper than that. It’s not just a matter of how much you can chew or how many bites you take; it’s about why your body struggles with things like corn. To understand what makes corn so hard to digest, we need to explore every aspect of digestion. After all, no one piece of the puzzle is going to reveal everything we need to know about this process. Instead, there are a number of factors that impact our ability to digest foods like corn. Here are five reasons why corn doesn’t digest well:
Why Doesn’t Corn Digest?
1. You May Be Allergic to Corn
There are certain people who are allergic to corn. If you suffer from frequent and severe allergic reactions, you may be allergic to corn. If you suspect you may be allergic to corn, be sure to see your doctor right away. An allergist can test you to determine if corn is triggering your allergic response. If you aren’t allergic to corn, you may be experiencing symptoms of soy or gluten intolerance. Just like corn, soy and gluten are common food sensitivities. If you suspect you have one of these conditions, you can ease symptoms with a few simple lifestyle changes. That said, you should always seek medical advice before making any changes to your diet.
2. Your Stomach Doesn’t Produce Enough Hydrochloric Acid
One of the key factors in digesting food is hydrochloric acid or HCl, which is secreted from the stomach. This alkaline-forming substance has the important job of breaking down proteins. It does this by changing their chemical composition, which makes them easier for your intestines to absorb. If your stomach doesn’t produce enough HCl, proteins move through the digestive tract too quickly, which causes a few problems. First, these proteins aren’t broken down enough to be absorbed properly. Second, they aren’t broken down enough to be turned into amino acids. And third, un-digested proteins are toxic and can cause digestive issues like gas and bloating. If your HCl levels are low, your body can’t properly break down proteins like corn.
3. Corn Has Little Nutritional Value
Corn is a starchy carbohydrate with very little nutritional value. While it does provide some fiber and a small amount of protein, it doesn’t have much else to offer. Corn is also high in fiber, which can cause digestive issues in some people. The fiber found in corn is mostly insoluble fiber. This type of fiber isn’t broken down by the body and can cause digestive symptoms such as bloating, gas, and abdominal cramps. Insoluble fiber is also believed to raise cholesterol, so it should be consumed in moderation. Because corn is high in insoluble fiber, it doesn’t provide any real nutritional value. Corn is also high in a type of starch called amylose. Amylose is difficult for humans to digest, so it stays in the digestive tract for a long time. This slows down digestion and can cause digestive issues like gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
4. Corn Is Sticky and Difficult to Break Down
This may seem like a silly reason why corn doesn’t digest well, but it’s a big one. When food is chewed, salivary amylase is released. This enzyme breaks down the starch in corn into smaller glucose molecules. But when the corn is sticky and gooey, the enzymes can’t break it down. As a result, the starch doesn’t move through the digestive tract quickly enough. This slows down digestion and causes digestive issues like gas, bloating, and abdominal cramps. To make matters worse, sticky corn has a harder time moving through the digestive tract. When food is difficult to move through the body, it can cause digestive issues like gas, bloating, and abdominal cramps.
5. Digestive Enzymes May be Deficient
Digestive enzymes are responsible for breaking down food during the digestive process. When a person has a deficiency in these enzymes, they have trouble properly digesting foods like corn. When this happens, corn doesn’t break down into smaller pieces. Instead, it remains in large chunks and may even move through the digestive tract undigested. This is bad news for your digestive system because large chunks of food can cause digestive issues like gas, bloating, and abdominal cramps. A deficiency in digestive enzymes may be the result of a few different things. It could be a sign of an autoimmune disease, such as Crohn’s disease or celiac disease. It could also be caused by damage to the pancreas (which helps produce digestive enzymes).
How To Make Corn Easier To Digest?
- You can make corn easier to digest by breaking down the polysaccharides found in the corn. Luckily, there are a few ways to do this. First of all, to make corn easier to digest, you can choose the right cooking method. Roasting and boiling are the two best methods of cooking corn. Roasting corn brings out the natural sweetness and caramelizes the sugars. This makes the corn easier to digest by breaking down complex carbohydrates.
- You can also make corn easier to digest by serving it with other foods. Corn is commonly eaten with butter, which can help to digest the corn. You can also serve corn with other carbohydrate-rich foods, such as legumes, potatoes, and grains.
- While corn is a grain, it is also a vegetable. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you eat it in small amounts. If you do choose to eat corn, try to eat it with some kind of protein. This will help the body digest the corn better. Grains are easier to digest when they are cooked thoroughly. Soaking and cooking the corn will break down some of the hard-to-digest carbohydrates and make it easier for your body to absorb them. As previously mentioned, eating corn with some kind of protein will also help your body digest the food better.
- Try adding some chicken or fish to your meal whenever possible. If you do not like eating corn on its own, try mixing it into other foods such as soups or salads. This will help cut down on how much you are having at one time and make it easier to digest since there is more fiber in these other foods that will aid in digestion too!
- Corn is a very popular food that is commonly used in many recipes. It’s also one of the most difficult foods for the human digestive system to break down. However, with a few simple suggestions, it can be made easier to digest. The following are five ways to make corn easier to digest:
- Soak corn overnight in warm water. This will help to remove some of the starches and make it easier for your body to break down and digest.
- Cook corn thoroughly before eating it. This will help reduce the number of polysaccharides in the corn, making it easier for your body to digest and absorb nutrients from the food you eat. Cooking also helps keep in all of the nutrients that may have been lost during processing or storage over time.
- Add spices such as cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, or salt and pepper while cooking corn on the stovetop or grill (or roasting). These
What Benefits Of Eating Non-Digestible Carbs?
- Corn, and other foods that contain non-digestible carbohydrates, may actually be good for you, as opposed to bad.
- These non-digestible carbs are actually indigestible carbohydrates that contain fiber. These indigestible carbohydrates have many health benefits such as improved digestion, better regulation of blood glucose levels, and improved cholesterol levels.
- In fact, eating foods high in indigestible carbohydrates is actually recommended. It’s easy to overdo it on digestible carbohydrates and consume too many calories.
- Eating non-digestible carbohydrates can help you to get the right amount of nutrition without over-eating.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of reasons why corn doesn’t digest well. If you’ve had digestive issues after eating corn, you may be experiencing one of these five issues. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to fix these problems. The first thing you should do is cut back on the amount of corn you eat. Eating too much corn can cause digestive issues, even if you don’t have a corn allergy. You should also be sure to chew your corn thoroughly. If the food is chewed properly, your body is better able to break it down and digest it. You may also want to consider taking a digestive enzyme supplement. These supplements can help you break down foods like corn, even if you have a deficiency in enzymes.
