Q: Is corn a healthy choice?

A: Though sometimes dismissed as a nutrient-poor starch – both a second-rate vegetable and a second-rate grain – corn is lately being reassessed and viewed as a healthy food. A new study shows that corn has the highest level of antioxidants of any grain or vegetable.

One cup of whole-grain corn flour has only 5 grams of fat and nearly 16 grams of dietary fiber. It also contains high levels of many important vitamins and minerals, including potassium, phosphorus, zinc, calcium, iron, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B-6 and folate. The high fiber content of whole-grain corn aids bowel health and, studies have shown, can help reduce blood LDL cholesterol levels, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

The absence of the amino acids lysine and tryptophan, however, make half of the niacin in corn indigestible. The vitamin niacin is necessary to prevent pellagra. The reason tryptophan is related to niacin status is that the amino acid can be converted to niacin if the body needs it.

In corn, niacin is found naturally in a tightly bound form called niacytin. This form is unavailable to the human unless the corn is treated with lime (the chemical -CaO). Lime is used with corn meals traditionally prepared in Latin American countries. This process frees the niacin, making it available. If corn is being used as a major source of niacin, it is important that it be prepared with lime or that the same flour used to make corn tortillas known as masa harina is commonly used. And as a bonus, the lime also contributes calcium to the diet. In addition, eating corn with beans creates a complementary mix of amino acids that raises the protein value to humans.

Avoid labels that say “degerminated” when you’re looking for whole-grain corn.

Q: Isn’t polenta made from corn?

A: Yes, polenta (poh-LEHN-tah), a staple food of northern Italy, is a mush made from cornmeal. It is made by stirring boiling water into cornmeal and can be cooked, boiled or fried. Polenta is sometimes mixed with cheese such as Parmesan, Gorgonzola or Romano. It can be eaten hot with a little butter or cooled until firm and cut into squares. Once it is cut into squares, it can be eaten as an appetizer or fried on a griddle or in a pan and served for breakfast with maple syrup. It also can be topped with your favorite spaghetti sauce and sprinkled with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Here are a couple of recipes for polenta. Obviously, the first one is a much healthier choice.

Basic Polenta I

3 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup cold water

Place 3 cups water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix cornmeal and cold water together in a separate bowl. Gradually stir in the cornmeal mixture into the boiling water. Continue to boil and stir constantly until thick. Cover. Lower heat and cook slowly 10 minutes or longer.

Basic Polenta II

4 cups milk

8 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

Spray a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with nonstick vegetable spray. In a large saucepan, bring the milk and butter to a boil. Add the sugar and salt. While the milk is boiling, slowly add the cornmeal, stirring constantly to eliminate possible lumping. Cook for a couple of minutes or until the texture is smooth.

When the polenta is done, remove from heat and spoon into a casserole dish. The polenta can be served immediately after it has set, or it may be refrigerated and reheated later. It is best if served within a few hours.