Don’t be afraid of corn

Corn has been given a bad reputation in recent years, but it’s now late August, the season when you can pick up fresh cobs from the side of the road. You shouldn’t be so quick to write-off one of the most prolific foods on earth. Right now corn is cheap and at its sweetest.

For those looking to lose weight, corn has been avoided because it is high in calories and does contain lots of fatty acids. Relative to weight, there are few cereals that have as many calories. It’s long been used as a food some turn to when they’re looking to gain weight, but this shouldn’t turn you off. There are plenty of great benefits to corn and most runners don’t need to worry about the calories as much.

One of the larger problems with corn is simple to avoid. The food is usually served slathered in butter and salt, but it’s also delicious without those. Cook and eat the cobs with only a light layer of butter or none at all for a healthier option.

Further, the calories for some of us can be a good thing. Good, healthy calories aren’t always bad for you if you’re body needs them, and the calories in corn are generally pretty healthy. It’s also an excellent source of fibre and, in turn, provides a breadth of B-complex vitamins and offers great digestive benefits, promoting the growth of healthy gut bacteria.

More important to some runners still is the high levels of folic acid in corn. It’s important to keep your B12, iron and folic acid levels balanced, something which is even more important to endurance athletes. A folate deficiency can be a cause of anemia, something that many runners struggle with. Low levels of folic acid, although not the only cause of anemia, means your body will struggle to recover after workouts and rebuild red blood cells.

If you’re still skeptical, many of the best distance runners in the world eat a diet based in corn. Kenya and other east African countries — and in turn their world-class runners — live off diets where upwards of 20 per cent of the calories come for corn and corn-based products, they just call it maize.

So, don’t be afraid to pick up a dozen off the side of the road. It’s delicious at this time of year and doesn’t deserve the bad reputation.