By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern
Growing up, one of my favorite things to do every summer was to husk the corn that we would get from our friends who grew some just down the road from us. Besides getting super itchy while doing it, it was fun to peel off all the husks and silk and see how many worms we found inside. After we finished husking it all, we always threw away the silk and husks. But did you know that corn silk is actually full of nutrition and offers quite a few health benefits?
Make sure you don’t miss out on the Arizona sweet corn season coming up in the valley as early as late May! (photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)
Corn silk is that long, stringy stuff that surrounds a corn cob and helps to trap the pollen that fertilizes the cobs and promotes kernel growth. While it is definitely a weird one to think about, corn silk has long been used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of health issues thanks to its nutritional profile.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, corn silk contains carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and a variety of minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, sodium, and chloride.
Some of the health benefits that corn silk has to offer are:
- Helps to prevent UTI’s
- Helps to prevent kidney stones
- Lowers blood pressure
- Fights inflammation
- Lowers blood sugar
- Improves cholesterol levels
Now, if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering what it even tastes like and how you would even go about consuming it. Apparently, it tastes just like corn, and is great for making tea, both hot and iced. It is also used fresh as a topping on salads, or dried and used as a powder to sprinkle on other foods.
Check out our other articles on sweet corn and especially Arizona’s sweet corn season!