Sweet corn kernels are normally yellowish or whitish in color. Have you seen sweet corn kernels that are purple? I just did recently, from my regular organic veggie seller and out of curiousity, I bought a bag of these sweet corns with purple kernels to try. To my surprise, these sweet corns tasted different from the regular yellowish – whitish ones. The texture is very chewy and a tad ‘rubbery’, the kernels detach very easily from the cob and they have a very aromatic sweet corn taste. Very sweet too. No wonder these purple sweet corns are selling like hot cakes! I am so going to buy some more soon as my girls loved them.

Food For Thought:

Health Benefits of Sweet Corns:

Cancer Prevention
Sweet corn contains a chemical known as beta cryptoxanthin. Beta cryptoxanthin is chemically similar to the well known chemical beta carotene. The human body converts beta cryptoxanthin to vitamin A when consumed in foods. According to a study performed by Jian-Min Yuan published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, there is an inverse relationship between consumption of beta cryptoxanthin and lung cancer development. This means the greater amount of beta cryptoxanthin that is consumed, the lower the prevalence of lung cancer development.

Memory Enhancement
Sweet corn contains high levels of thiamine, or vitamin B1. According to WHFoods.org, thiamine is an essential nutrient required for brain cell and cognitive function. Consumption of thiamine is necessary for the body to produce acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is essential for the maintenance of memory capabilities. One of the primary factors associated with Alzheimer’s disease is low levels of acetylcholine.

Vision Protection
According to AusFoodNews.com.au, sweet corn contains the antioxidant zeaxanthin. Zeaxanthin is the yellow pigment that naturally occurs in sweet corn. Consumption of zeaxanthin can have a protective effect against age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration. In addition, sweet corn also contains folate and beta carotene, which also may protect against macular degeneration.

But beware of sweet corns too! They are very high in sugar content. So if you are diabetic or are on a diet, stay off from sweet corns.