Become an Ayurvedic Clinician:Explore our Certification Courses

School of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

Become an Ayurvedic Clinician:Explore our Certification Courses

MORE OPTIONS

AYURVEDIC FOODS

CORN

Health Benefits & Uses

Take your body type quiz to see how Corn affects you Match foods that have helped me.

SERVING SIZE: 1/2 c

EAT IN: SPRING

REVIEW INGREDIENT

SAVE IT

PRINT PAGE

Share Content with Friends & Clients

SHARE IT

Share Content with Friends & Clients

"I love corn chips,corn nuts, popcorn... My quiz results say Vata but I sure love some of those no no foods for Vata..."

- Lily, QU

SEE MORE REVIEWS & COMMENTS
About the Author: John Immel, Asheville, NC

How Can This Ayurvedic Food Make You Feel Great?

AYURVEDIC ANALYSIS

Reduce Water Retention & Blood Pressure

Adding corn to your diet may be an ideal way to reduce water retention and blood pressure. Corn contains a sizeable amount of potassium. A high potassium diet just may be the ideal low sodium diet. As a diuretic, potassium actually reduces water retention and thus counteracts the action of sodium in the body. Corn is thus a boon for those with high blood pressure, especially in spring when water congestion in the body reaches a peak. The best form of corn for Kapha is popcorn because popcorn's dryness absorbs excess Kapha fluids in the stomach.

The Dark Side of Corn

As the poster child for the modern industrial food complex, corn cultivation also has a dark side. Traditionally, native central Americans grew many varieties of corn side by side with vegetables from other plant families. Today, most corn fields are grown as a mono-crop, depleting soils and requiring heavy use of pesticides. The inability of cultivated plants to survive without pesticide and fertilizer use is a testimony to their lack of vitality. Edible weeds, on the other hand, bring their revitalizing life force to the table.

Corn is also a victim on GMO. Ayurveda recommends you avoid all genetically modified life forms.

Corn Syrup & the Obesity Epidemic

The conversion of corn into corn syrup may be responsible for the obesity epidemic in American. The FDA, infiltrated by corporations such as Monsanto, gave its rubber stamp approval to genetically modified (GMO) corn. As of 2009 GMO corn comprised up to 85% of corn sown in the United States, despite ongoing controversy over potential health and environmental hazards.

ABOUT CORN

Meso-Americans domesticated corn (also known as maize) in pre-historic times, spreading through much of the Americas between 1700 and 1250 BCE. While most corn stands at 8.2ft, at least one variety of corn grows to 39 feet in length.

BUYING & PREPARATION

Considering the heavy use of pesticides and GMO corn product, Ayurveda recommends you eat organic corn only. Fortunately, frozen organic corn is generally inexpensive.

COOKING CORN

Browse Recipes Corn may be eaten on or off the cob, cooked into a thick porridge, as grits, polenta or stuffed into tamales. It may be served dry as in tortillas, chips, and popcorn. It may be baked into cornbread or fermented into an alcoholic beverages. Traditionally corn, beans and squash formed the three sisters, widely cultivated by native American peoples. The three sisters, when planted together, help build fertile soil while providing a diverse nutritional profile.

Learn about the health benefits of Corn for FREE

You'll receive free access to our entire website including healthy recipes, nutritional diet plans, medicinal uses of ingredients, & ayurvedic health tips. Sign in once and you can use our website indefinitely..

Please complete the following information if you have not registered or sign in to continue.

e-mail address*

confirm your e-mail*

enter a password*

Want our top Ayurvedic recipes and health tips? Click YES to subscribe to our newsletter!

(

find out more

Frequency: You'll receive our most popular Ayurvedic health tips every day for a week, and then 1-2 emails a week ongoing.

).
Yes No

I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its

User Agreement

The materials in this site are provided 'as-is' and without warranties of any kind either expressed or implied. Joyful Belly does not warrant or make any representations regarding the use or the results of the use of the content or other materials in this site in terms of their correctness, accuracy, reliability, or otherwise.

and

Privacy Policy

We respect your privacy. We will NEVER sell, rent or share your email address. That's more than a policy, it's our personal guarantee. Click here to view our privacy policy. Thank you!

WHY EAT AN AYURVEDIC DIET?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. An Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body type and the specific imbalances you are working with at any given time. Ayurveda shows you your specific body type’s needs and what should be favored in your Ayurvedic menu. Watch as you eat less but feel more satisfied because what you are eating truly nourishes you. Since Ayurveda believes all disease begins in the digestive tract, food is your first medicine. By eating a healthy diet that’s ideal for your body, you experience optimal health.

LEARN MORE

Is Corn Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether Corn is a good fit for you. Time to complete: approximately 1 minute.

AYURVEDIC MEDICINAL BIOCHARACTERISTICS

What is the biocharacteristic theory of medicine?

INCREASES

Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)

Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.

Learn More

DIFFICULT

ABOUT DIFFICULT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT

DRY

ABOUT DRY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY

HOT

ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT

TASTES

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

Learn More

SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET

DOSHAS

The Three Doshas / Body Types

According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.

The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. Catabolic people tend to be easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic people tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic people are heavy, stable and grounded, but if they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion.

Learn More

PACIFIES	AGGRAVATES

HAS THE FOLLOWING

EFFECT:

Acidifying

ACIDIFYING

An herb that creates an acidic pH in the blood chemistry.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ACIDIFYING

Ojas

OJAS

Ojas is the essence of healthy tissue, immunity, stable energy and happiness. Substances that improve ojas are recommended after long-term illness, debility, emotional and physical trauma, and even sadness.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OJAS

Rajasic

RAJASIC

Rajasic foods stimulate desire or nervous energy. Red meat, high protein food, garlic and onions stimulate desire. Rajasic foods include chili peppers, coffee, and anything that stimulates movement.

LEARN MORE ABOUT RAJASIC

TYPE:
Grains
CONTAINS:
Allergens, Corn
ELEMENT:

Earth

EARTH

Resembles earth (prithvi) in quality - heavy, dense, solid, stable, hard.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EARTH

Fire

FIRE

Resembles fire (tejas) in quality - hot, sharp, penetrating, light, dry.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FIRE

NUTRIENT:
Carbohydrate
NOURISHES:

Plasma

PLASMA

Plasma (Rasa Dhatu) includes plasma, white blood cells, and lymph.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PLASMA

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Experiences are Personal

Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Here are the herbal actions of Corn:

Energy Vitality Strength:

Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NUTRITIVE

Kidney & Urinary:

Diuretic

DIURETIC

Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DIURETIC

Corn Research & Clinical Trials

In each clinical research trial below, students from the Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda ate the selected food for 3 days and reported the pharmacological effects.