Cornmeal
is simply ground corn. There are three parts to a
kernel of corn:
1.
The endosperm - most of the kernel is made up of
the endosperm. The endosperm contains most of the
starch.
2.
The germ - the living part of the corn is called
the germ. It is at the center of the kernel and
contains most of the fat in
corn.
3.
The pericarp or the outer husk of the kernel.
To
make cornmeal, the kernels are dried and then
ground to a fine, medium, or coarse texture. The
stone-ground method, sometimes referred to as
water-ground, retains some of the hull and the
germ while steel-ground cornmeal has mostly the
endosperm.
One
cup of cornmeal has
586.7 calories, total fat 2.8 g, carbohydrates
125.8 g, dietary fiber 6.4 g, protein 11.5 g, no
cholesterol, and sodium 11.1
mg.
Corn
is a whole grain and includes “resistant”
starch. A resistant starch is a type of
fiber that resists digestion and passes from the
small intestine to the large intestine mostly
intact. It ferments in the large intestine
to produce a fatty acid that reduces toxins and
helps protect against digestive diseases.
Resistant starches boost immunity, improve blood
sugar control, and increase satiety.
Dyspepsia
is a medical term for stomach upset, indigestion,
bloating, and abdominal discomfort resulting in
poor stomach emptying. Delayed stomach emptying is
frequently accompanied by low pressures in the
lower esophageal sphincter (LES). When stomach
juice, that is acidic, refluxes into the esophagus
a burning pain is typically felt in the chest
which is described by most people as heartburn.
Many dyspeptic patients have a high prevalence of
GERD and reflux esophagitis.
Treatment
with a gluten-free diet has been shown to decrease
the rate of relapse of acid reflux symptoms. It
has been observed that a gluten-free diet results
in marked improvement of heartburn symptoms in not
just dyspeptic patients but in others too.
Cornmeal does not contain gluten and therefore can
be eaten by patients of dyspepsia as well as acid
reflux. However, acid reflux triggers differ from
person to person and some people may, in fact,
experience heartburn on eating cornmeal. Such
patients must avoid
cornmeal.
As health is a delicate
balance between the physical, emotional, and
spiritual aspect of the body, an imbalance causes
disorders like acid reflux. This imbalance can be
set right by holistic medicine which goes beyond
symptoms to rid the body of disease safely and
effectively.
