Hello friends! Lena Zhabinskaya is with you. It is difficult to imagine a family on whose table there would be no place for corn. The oldest cereal has been known to mankind for 12 thousand years. It was first tasted in pre-Columbian America, after which it spread throughout the world. The product has saved humanity more than once during famine. Porridge was cooked from it, bread was baked, and later starch was made.
The modern food industry has gone even further and offered its consumers popcorn, salad preserves, or simply boiled cobs. This is where young mothers began to think about whether corn could be consumed while breastfeeding. Today's article can answer this question.
Why is it useful?
Corn is a dietary product, therefore, ideal for the mother of a newborn. In 100 gr. boiled – 96 kcal. Corn flour has a higher calorie content - about 328 kcal, and cereal - about 331 kcal per 100 grams. A canned product contains an average of 58 kcal, but everything is individual, as it depends on the ratio of water and sugar.
The vitamin composition of corn is also impressive, which is more relevant than ever during lactation. Judge for yourself, it contains a lot of vitamins:
- N;
- RR;
- AT 6;
- E;
- IN 1;
- AT 5;
- AT 2;
- AT 9;
- A.
Corn is rich in minerals:
- zinc;
- calcium;
- iron;
- magnesium;
- phosphorus;
- chrome;
- molybdenum;
- cobalt;
- copper;
- boron;
- gray.
Fresh cobs contain choline and vitamin C, which are not found in cereals or flour. But the most important thing is corn protein. It consists of 18 amino acids, of which 8 are essential.
In other words, corn is simply necessary for a nursing mother, as it provides her with everything that helps to quickly replenish reserves and return to her previous life.
The product has the following properties:
- normalizes metabolism;
- stabilizes blood sugar levels;
- relieves unpleasant symptoms of allergies;
- prevents the development of anemia, diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver;
- gives nursing mothers a long-lasting feeling of satiety and provides energy;
- normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- improves the quality composition and nutritional value of breast milk;
- increases immunity.
Another advantage of the product, which makes it indispensable during breastfeeding, is the absence of gluten in its composition. This is a dangerous protein that affects the condition of the small intestine in people suffering from celiac disease.
The composition of corn and its effect on the body
The amount of certain substances in corn depends on the method of its preparation.
The content of certain nutrients in corn depends on the method of its preparation. A raw cob contains 13 to 83 times more vitamins than cereal, cornflakes, popcorn or canned food.
Table: content of nutrients, vitamins, macro- and microelements per 100 g
Name | Canned corn | Sweet corn | Raw young corn on the cob | Corn pads | Cornflakes | Corn grits | Corn sticks | Microwave popcorn with butter | ||
Calorie content | 3,4 | 20,5 | 20,1 | 13,3 | 19,3 | 19,5 | 30,8 | 34,6 | ||
Squirrels | 2,9 | 15,7 | 13,6 | 11 | 10,9 | 10,9 | 7,9 | 9,6 | ||
Fats | 0,7 | 10,8 | 8,2 | 1,5 | 2 | 2 | 47,4 | 72,6 | ||
Carbohydrates | 5,3 | 30,1 | 32 | 40,6 | 35,5 | 33,6 | 29,9 | 21,4 | ||
Alimentary fiber | 2,5 | 13,6 | 10,5 | 39,5 | 4 | 24 | 26,5 | 40,5 | ||
Vitamins | A | 0,4 | 33,3 | 33,3 | 0,4 | 22,2 | 3,7 | — | 0,9 | |
IN 1 | 1,3 | 26,7 | 26,7 | 0,7 | 6,7 | 8,7 | 1,1 | 8,9 | ||
AT 4 | — | 4,6 | 14,2 | 3,6 | — | — | 2,4 | 2,5 | ||
AT 6 | — | 25 | 25 | 7,6 | 15 | 12,5 | 5,9 | 5,5 | ||
E | — | 36,7 | 36,7 | 2,8 | 18 | 4,7 | 9,1 | 16,2 | ||
N | — | 42 | 42 | — | 13,2 | 13,2 | — | — | ||
RR | 5 | 20,4 | 19 | 13,7 | 12,4 | 10,5 | 1,8 | 6 | ||
microelements | Iron | — | 22,8 | 22,8 | 15,5 | 15 | 15 | 7,3 | 11 | |
Cobalt | — | 53 | 53 | — | 45 | 45 | — | — | ||
Manganese | — | 54,5 | 54,5 | 7 | 20 | 20 | 21,7 | 31,5 | ||
Copper | — | 29 | 29 | 24,8 | 21 | 21 | 21,7 | 16,2 | ||
Molybdenum | — | 40,6 | 40,6 | — | 16,6 | 16,6 | — | — | ||
Selenium | — | 54,5 | 54 | 30 | — | — | 12,2 | 4 | ||
Chromium | — | 16 | 16 | — | 45,5 | 45,4 | 1,3 | — | ||
Zinc | — | 14,4 | 14,4 | 13 | 4,2 | 4,2 | 13,2 | 25,8 | ||
macronutrients | Potassium | — | 11,7 | 11,7 | 1,8 | 5,9 | 5,9 | 5,4 | 7,3 | |
Calcium | 4,2 | 4,6 | 4,6 | 4,2 | 2 | 2 | 16,4 | 0,4 | ||
Silicon | — | 200 | 200 | — | — | 21 | — | — | ||
Magnesium | — | 26 | 26 | 16 | 9 | 7,5 | 21 | 19,8 | ||
Sulfur | — | 11,4 | 11,4 | — | 6,3 | 6,3 | — | — | ||
Sodium | 30,8 | 2,1 | 2,1 | 0,5 | 4,2 | 0,5 | 41,9 | 81,4 | ||
Phosphorus | — | 37,6 | 37,6 | 9 | 13,6 | 13,6 | 3,8 | 24,9 |
Thanks to the content of vitamins, macro- and microelements, corn promotes normal growth and formation of bones, muscle tissue, the functioning of the nervous and circulatory systems, increases intestinal motor activity, promoting the elimination of cholesterol, and strengthens the immune system. Corn is not a highly allergenic product.
However, you should not abuse this product, since the high silicon content in raw corn is fraught with inflammation of the mucous membranes. Also, the large amount of fiber in processed corn can cause flatulence.
According to the latest recommendations from the World Health Organization, a nursing mother, like a pregnant woman, can and should eat a varied diet. The sooner a small person encounters this or that type of food, the less chance he has of reacting to it as something dangerous and alien.
Why is it harmful?
Corn can cause enormous harm to the body of a young woman undergoing breastfeeding if it is consumed in large quantities. So:
- with thrombosis and increased blood clotting, it aggravates the situation;
- even in a healthy person it causes increased gas formation. Needless to say, it is subsequently transmitted to the baby, who begins to experience colic;
- Abuse of corn in all people provokes headaches and digestive problems.
The absence of gluten in cereals is not a reason to introduce baked goods made from corn flour into your diet, especially if there are prerequisites for the development of celiac disease. This is explained by the fact that during the production of corn flour, particles of rye, barley or wheat flour inadvertently get into it, which can subsequently cause a deterioration in the condition.
In order to protect themselves and their newborn, doctors recommend that women who are breastfeeding avoid baking with corn flour altogether, even if the child is not suspected of developing celiac disease. After all, the first signs of the disease usually appear at 6–12 months of age.
Rules for choosing a product in a store
When choosing canned corn, you need to pay attention to the packaging. It is advisable to buy the product in small glass jars - after opening the grain should be used within 24 hours.
The lid on the jar should be without bulges, intact, without dents or damage. The marinade should be transparent, without sediment and turbidity, the grains should be light yellow or straw in color. They must be intact, without damage or stains.
The label must be carefully inspected. You should pay attention to the manufacturer - whether there is its full name, whether the country of origin of the product is indicated. The packaging must contain information about the composition, weight, date of manufacture and expiration date of the product.
When choosing fresh cobs for canning, you need to pay attention to:
- variety of corn - it must be intended for human consumption (table), and not for animal feed or industrial processing;
- condition of the outer leaves - they should be fresh and dense, easily separated from the cob;
- freshness of corn silks - dried stigmas on an overripe and stale cob;
- The grains of a good cob are milky ripe, soft, with a pleasant aroma.
When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the presence of rotten, moldy, blackened grains on the cob. If they are, you should refuse the purchase.
How long during breastfeeding and how much can you eat?
The timing of administration and the amount eaten is determined by its type. In other words:
- Boiled corn should be introduced into your diet no earlier than in the second month of the baby’s life. According to tradition, this should be done according to all the rules: try a little in the morning, and then observe the baby’s reactions throughout the day. You should be wary of colic, discomfort, restlessness of the baby, and changes in stool. For the purity of the experiment, it is better to abandon other new products at this time. If everything went smoothly, it’s time to increase the amount you eat and introduce it into your daily menu on an ongoing basis. The optimal amount of corn is 1 – 2 ears, eaten once every 7 days. Later it can be increased to 1 cob per day.
- In the form of porridge. This is exactly the kind of corn dish that a young mother can eat in the first month after giving birth. It is hypoallergenic and nutritious, so pediatricians recommend it to women whose babies are gaining weight too slowly. Subsequently, with the introduction of complementary foods, they themselves will also be offered it, albeit in the form of store-bought cereals. The optimal volume is a small plate a couple of times a week.
- In the form of popcorn. It's hard to imagine yourself watching your favorite movie in a cinema without the usual glass of popcorn. Women concerned about their health are wary of it, but doctors reassure them: it turns out that in this form corn retains even more nutrients than in the form of porridge or baked goods. True, this is still not a reason to run headlong for store-bought popcorn. Often it is too high in calories and contains a lot of fat, sugar, salt, and other food additives. Do you want to treat yourself to a treat? Make your own popcorn. When? It is best to introduce porridge into the diet. You can use it once a week.
- Canned. No matter how hard it is for a young mother, she simply needs to abandon conservation for the entire period of lactation. And there are good reasons for this.
- In the form of cereals and store-bought sweet sticks, corn can be eaten by young mothers only if they have prepared it themselves. This will eliminate the risk of harmful synthetic additives and protect the health of the baby. There are no exact recommendations regarding the frequency and quantity of the product consumed. Doctors simply insist that everything should be in moderation.
As for the advantages of all types of corn, they are indisputable: the product in most cases has a full range of vitamins and microelements, and therefore can boast of all its inherent qualities.
Is it allowed or not while breastfeeding?
It would seem that with such beneficial properties, corn can be safely eaten by a nursing woman.
However, like any other product, it must be administered according to certain rules. First of all, you need to make sure that this cereal does not cause any harm to the mother herself, she does not have allergic reactions or disorders of the digestive system. After all, if a grain has a negative effect on the mother’s body, the baby will probably react to it in the same way.
Some pediatricians advise mothers to start eating this tasty cereal only after 6 months of the baby’s life, because... This product causes gas formation in the intestines. The first time after birth, the child suffers from intestinal colic, and corn can further aggravate his condition. For the first time, it is better to use it boiled; it must be cooked for at least three hours. You need to start with one teaspoon, while carefully watching the baby; as soon as the mother notices a negative reaction, you must immediately stop consuming this cereal. You are allowed to consume no more than two ears of boiled corn per week.
Read also:
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About canned corn
Tasty, aromatic and attractive, canned corn is actually fraught with a lot of dangers. In order for it to remain fresh for a long time, manufacturers add preservatives, dyes, and flavor enhancers to it. At the same time, they do not even hide the presence of bisphenol A in its composition. This is a most dangerous substance, the harm of which has already been proven.
It negatively affects the functioning of the endocrine and reproductive systems, leads to disturbances in the development of the brain in children, and provokes the appearance of diabetes mellitus, autism and oncology.
Take a closer look at the tin can, if you still have one. There should be a label on the inside of the product indicating the presence of bisphenol A. The worst thing is that it can be added to drinks. You can also find such a mark on the packaging of a baby bottle.
Harm from taking corn during lactation
There are often cases when a child suffers due to an improperly balanced diet of the mother. Most often, he develops an allergy to food, which can be seen as redness, rash, itching, colic, constipation, gas formation, etc. In rare situations, the baby was poisoned by store-bought foods. Therefore, again, prepare your grains at home.
All doctors do not allow the purchase of the product due to the fact that it contains many preservatives, dyes, food additives, and flavor enhancers. Sometimes unscrupulous manufacturers add bisphenol to iron cans, which has a negative effect on the heart and blood vessels and can cause cancer.
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Pros and cons of other corn dishes
Thanks to its rich vitamin composition, corn porridge has almost all the beneficial properties of the cereal itself. She:
- strengthens cardiovascular muscle;
- calms the nervous system;
- strengthens bone tissue;
- normalizes digestive processes due to the increased fiber content;
- removes toxins from the body;
- relieves chronic fatigue and bad mood and these are not empty words, but the results of scientific research. According to them, corn porridge is an antidepressant that reveals all its valuable properties if consumed twice a week;
- cleans blood vessels from cholesterol;
- burns fat deposits, so it is often included in various diets;
- if there is a dressing made from butter or vegetable oil, it improves intestinal motility;
- satisfies hunger, gives a feeling of satiety;
- prevents fragility of hair, nails, teeth;
- is a preventative against rickets, therefore it is recommended to be introduced into complementary foods from 6 months of age.
Porridge can be harmful to people with anorexia. Since due to a prolonged feeling of fullness, they may skip recommended meals. At first, a corn dish can cause allergies in infants. Then you should remove it and return to it no earlier than in a month. If you have a peptic ulcer, you should consume porridge only after consulting a doctor.
Boiled corn relieves stress, calms the nervous system, normalizes heart function, and stimulates the production of red blood cells. It can only be harmful to people with thrombosis, increased blood clotting, low weight, and peptic ulcer disease.
Popcorn, or popcorn, prepared independently and without additives:
- normalizes sugar levels;
- reduces cholesterol levels;
- improves digestive processes;
- promotes weight loss;
- prevents the development of cancer and osteoporosis;
- helps prolong youth and beauty.
Excessive consumption may result in constipation, swelling, headache, worsening peptic ulcers and thrombosis.
How to choose correctly
To make popcorn, you should take corn with medium-sized grains with a reddish tint and a shiny surface. For cooking, you should choose cobs with green leaves tightly pressed to the grains. Products without leaves indicate that they were treated with pesticides, and in order to avoid damage to their presentation, they were simply cut off.
To cook at the same time, all cobs must be the same size. In fresh corn, the kernels are pierced with a fingernail, releasing the juice. They themselves should be plump, pale yellow or white, easily pressed with a finger, then restoring their shape. Of course, there should be no worms under the leaves.
Cooking your own corn
In order not to cause damage and to always have a healthy treat on hand that can be added to main courses and salads, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the canning recipe. The snack can be easily made at home, and the benefits from it will be greater than from store-bought products.
To make a twist, you will need half a liter of filtered water, lemon powder (3 pinches), salt (7 g), granulated sugar (25 g), young corn.
First, boil the cobs until they are ready. Then cut them off, move them into pre-sterilized jars and fill them with hot water combined with bulk ingredients. Pasteurize for a third of an hour, then close, wrap in an old sweatshirt or towel, wait 48 hours.
After a specified period, transfer the preservation to a place for long-term storage. Combine grains little by little with meat and fish dishes, seafood, fresh vegetables (fruits, berries), and other cereals.
From the above we can conclude that home-canned corn is acceptable. You can make it yourself by following the recipe. Always monitor your child's reaction to new products.
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Top 3 recipes for dishes with corn for nursing
Boiled corn
- To prepare it, the cobs are cleared of leaves and soaked in water for 60 minutes.
- Then place it in a container of boiling water under a lid and cook over low heat, depending on the type, for 30 - 120 minutes.
- Salt the water 5 minutes before it’s ready.
Popcorn
For preparation take:
- 15 ml vegetable oil;
- 120 gr. corn grains;
- salt.
- Place a pan of water over high heat and then add oil.
- Then add the corn, cover with a lid and shake.
- This must be done until the grains stop bursting.
It is much easier and safer, of course, to buy factory-packed popcorn for home cooking (usually sold in supermarkets next to chips), and cook it in the microwave according to the instructions.
Form of corn consumption during lactation
New mothers will like boiled corn on the cob or grains, cereals based on it, and canned grains.
In the first case, it is not at all necessary to stand at the stove for a long time and cook the cobs. You can pour hot water over them overnight and leave them, the dish will be ready in the morning. As for preserves, it is recommended to make them yourself rather than buy them in a store. Industrially canned corn is of little use. The composition contains harmful substances that prolong the shelf life of the snack and can harm the baby.
It is better to add canned grains to salads, first and second courses after cooking. You should not eat the product with spoons, so as not to provoke colic in the baby and constipation in the mother.
Relatively recently, studies were conducted that proved the value of the canned product for women who have lost milk. If lactation is poor, such a dish will strengthen it, increase the quality, quantity and fat content of milk.