There is a saying in folklore that the whole body of corn is a treasure. Whether it’s the corn kernel, corn silk, or cob, they all have great uses in life. Corn silk is known as a natural health product. It contains rich trace elements, minerals, and vitamins. It is a food with both medicinal and nutritional value. Some people say in folklore, “A strand of corn silk is worth a thousand pieces of gold.”
What are the nutritional components of corn silk?
Although corn silk is common in daily life, it is rich in nutritional components essential for the human body, such as calcium, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese.
In particular, it has a high potassium content, which can help with diuresis, reduce swelling, accelerate metabolism, and eliminate toxins. The volatile alkaloids it contains have significant benefits for overall health.
Can “corn silk” treat illnesses? Many people are unaware; don’t waste it when eating corn
Corn silk itself is very nutritious, and its cooking method is simple. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, “corn silk tastes sweet, is easy on the spleen, appetizing, promotes secretion of saliva, promotes urination, activates blood circulation, and removes blood stasis.”
1. Helps regulate blood sugar
Corn silk contains abundant corn silk extract, which can inhibit the rise of adrenaline and prevent blood sugar from continually rising. For individuals with diabetes, it has additional benefits, as it not only helps regulate blood sugar but also prevents kidney damage, avoiding the occurrence of diabetic nephropathy.
2. Anti-inflammatory and diuretic
If the body’s metabolic rate decreases, harmful substances cannot be smoothly eliminated from the body, which can seriously affect one’s health over time. If you also experience this condition, consider drinking corn silk tea. When the special substances in corn silk enter the body, it aids in reducing inflammation, promoting diuresis, facilitating the excretion of harmful substances, and relieving mental and physical burdens.
3. Protects the cardiovascular system
Cardiovascular diseases are quite common nowadays, and drinking corn silk tea is beneficial for such individuals. Corn silk contains a component called volatile oil, which can help dilate blood vessels, improve blood circulation, soften blood vessels, prevent the occurrence of diseases like arteriosclerosis.
4. Liver and gallbladder care
Corn silk promotes bile metabolism and helps detoxify the liver. It plays a significant role in excreting bile from the body, aiding in detoxification and maintaining good health.
5. Hemostatic properties
Due to the nature of some individuals’ occupations, they frequently have various minor wounds on their bodies. Drinking corn silk tea can help stop bleeding, effectively preventing hemolytic anemia.
When using corn silk to make tea, avoid using very hot water as it could harm the respiratory tract. Using warm water is more effective and less harmful to the gastrointestinal tract.
What are the perfect partners for corn silk?
1. Corn silk + tangerine peel
Both of these can help soothe the liver, regulate qi, harmonize hormones, clear dampness, and promote urination, effectively eliminating internal impurities. Drinking tangerine peel with corn silk tea can help lower uric acid levels.
2. Corn silk + goji berries
Corn silk benefits spleen and boosts qi, while goji berries nourish yin, strengthen the kidneys, nourish the liver, and improve vision. When used together, they have a synergistic effect on strengthening the spleen and tonifying the kidneys.
You can choose these Chinese herbal ingredients to make tea in your daily life. If you exhibit symptoms of spleen and kidney deficiency, such as weakness in the limbs, loss of appetite, insomnia, poor digestion, or fatigue, you can use these herbs.
3. Corn silk + dandelion
Both dandelion and corn silk have excellent diuretic properties, helping to eliminate excess water from the body, reduce swelling and edema.
Corn silk contains rich flavonoids, which aid in lowering blood sugar and regulating insulin release. Moreover, dandelion is known for its blood sugar-lowering effects. Both ingredients contain various fibers and other nutrients, promoting gastrointestinal health, aiding digestion, relieving constipation, and gastrointestinal discomfort. They have detoxifying properties, assisting the body in eliminating toxins and waste, maintaining good health.
4. Corn silk + astragalus
Many people usually discard corn silk when consuming corn, but it has significant medicinal value. Drinking corn silk tea can help reduce swelling and promote diuresis, speeding up the removal of toxins and waste from the body.
Combining astragalus with corn silk as a powerful pair can promote liver health, help detoxify the body, accelerate the excretion of toxins, reduce the burden on the liver, repair damaged liver cells, and maintain liver health, resulting in a happier liver.
What are the taboos of drinking corn silk tea?
1. Do not drink excessively
When drinking corn silk tea, it is essential to consume it in moderation, using three to five grams per brew. Do not drink excessively or too frequently as corn silk has diuretic, hypoglycemic, and hypotensive effects, which could be uncomfortable for the body.
Although corn silk is beneficial, using it to alleviate bodily discomfort should be done in moderation to prevent harm to one’s health.
2. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach
When the body is on an empty stomach, blood sugar levels tend to be low, requiring proper meals to provide energy to the body and maintain adequate blood sugar levels.
Drinking corn silk tea on an empty stomach can lower blood sugar levels due to its hypoglycemic effect, leading to low blood sugar symptoms like sweating, palpitations, exacerbating hunger symptoms, which are not beneficial to overall health.
3. Low blood sugar patients should avoid drinking
Although drinking corn silk tea moderately can help stabilize blood sugar to some extent, lower blood sugar is not always better.
For individuals already experiencing low blood sugar, drinking corn silk tea indiscriminately may further lower blood sugar levels, causing fatigue, weakness, and in severe cases, fainting.
4. Allergic individuals should not drink
While corn silk tea may not have any distinctive taste, some individuals may be allergic to it. For those who experience allergies, it is not recommended to continue consuming it. Allergic reactions may manifest as diarrhea, weakness, among others.
If such conditions occur, do not ignore them. Cease consumption immediately, monitor your body’s reactions, and seek medical treatment if the situation worsens.
