Have you ever heard about corn silk before? We wouldn’t be surprised if you said no. However, corn silk is much more common than you probably know, and what we are about to discuss in this article.
What Is Corn Silk?
Are you ready for the very simple answer to this question? Because it is simply the name for the thread like fibers that usually grow along with corn flowers.
Corn silk is actually an accessory of the flower, and are known as the style which is attached to the ovaries. Initially, there was nothing really special about corn silk, until it was discovered that it possesses several interesting benefits that can help to improve your health by leaps and bounds.
Corn silk had actually been used for many centuries, long before it was recently “rediscovered” by scientists. In fact, you’re likely to find evidence of its use in ancient Chinese, French, Turkish and even Native American medicine, but its utility is likely to spread significantly as the general public becomes familiarized with it.
How To Make Corn Silk Tea
To make corn silk tea, all you need still is to add chopped corn silk to water. One tablespoon of corn silk to about 1 cup of water works well. Allow it to boil, leave for about 15 minutes to steep in the water and then cool.
You can then feel free to sweeten with honey if desired. Simple enough right? One batch prepared this way can be kept for up to 72 hours in your refrigerator.
9 Amazing Benefits Of Corn Silk Tea
You probably never expected anything remotely related to corn could help with management of blood sugar, but it turns out that there are specialized flavonoids inside corn silk that improves blood glucose control.
While these studies have only been conducted in rodents, the good news is that it is likely to cross over to human studies as well. There is also evidence that corn silk can even help prevent complications associated with diabetes such as kidney disease.
1. May Assist With Management Of Blood Pressure
Corn silk can be very helpful with management of blood pressure, working via several different mechanisms. For instance, one of its working attributes is the fact that it functions as a diuretic. This could help to reduce your reliance on prescription diuretic medications, being a much safer option as well.
In addition to this, there is also evidence that it can help to inhibit an enzyme known as angiotensin converting enzyme, which causes constriction of blood vessels. Inhibition of this enzyme is one of the mainstays of blood pressure control, since it allows the blood vessel a greater degree of flexibility.
And the best part of all? There doesn’t appear to be a mandated maximum allowance of corn silk, which means that as the dose gets progressively higher, better blood pressure control is obtained.
2. May Help Optimize Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol levels can have a negative impact on many aspects of health, raising your risk of cardiovascular disease significantly. While many prescription medications already exist to reduce cholesterol, the fact of the matter is that they usually occur along with several undesirable side effects.
Corn silk may be just the thing you need, as studies conducted in mice show simultaneous reductions in bad LDL cholesterol levels, while increasing levels of the desirable HDL cholesterol. Even in the presence of mice being fed a high-fat diet, these effects persisted.
While this appears extremely promising, more studies will need to be conducted on humans before it can positively be published.
3. Helps Promote Skin Health
Corn silk tea is a rich source of vitamin C, which plays an important part in the regulation of overall skin health. Vitamin C is involved in the natural production of the protein collagen, one of the body’s key structural proteins and found abundantly in skin.
This and the many other antioxidant vitamins also help confer some degree of resistance to UV damage that may prematurely cause aging and skin deterioration.
4. May Assist Management Of Arthritis Pain And Symptoms
There are actually several different types of arthritic disease, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis, which cause intense swelling and tenderness along with pain. Corn silk tea consumption might be of particular benefit in dealing with gout, as it can help you reduce uric acid accumulation.
It is recommended to start with three glasses of corn silk tea daily and slowly reducing the consumption as pain relief sets in to one cup daily.
5. Facilitates Normal Blood Clotting
Many people take normal blood clotting processes for granted, but in other people there are instances where blood clotting disorders may spell death if they are not careful. Conditions such as thrombocytopenia can cause severe bleeding that may require vitamin K to manage.
Corn silk tea supplies copious amounts of vitamin K that is necessary to the blood clotting process. This also helps ensure that you do not lose an excessive amount of blood in the event of an injury or accident.
6. Supports Bone Health
In addition to helping the clotting cascade vitamin K is also very important in the absorption of calcium and subsequent mineralization of bone tissue. The insufficient consumption of vitamin K can lead to an increased risk of fractures or osteoporosis in old age.
Consumption of corn silk tea offers a great insurance policy against related conditions.
7. May Help Cure Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections are often caused by bacteria, but may sometimes just be the result of inflammatory processes along the urinary tract. Consumption of corn silk tea can help ease discomfort and also suppress the growth of bacteria that may be worsening the infection.
8. May Help Prevent Kidney Stones
Urinary tract infections are often associated with kidney stones, but there is no rule that one is absolutely synonymous with the other. In many cases kidney stones are the result of insufficient water consumption, and crystallization of minerals in the structures within the kidney.
Left untreated, they can cause severe pain, blood in the urine or worse, but corn silk tea consumed regularly can help reduce the likelihood of this occurring since it possesses a diuretic action that promotes urination and frequent flushing of the kidneys.
The more often fluid it is removed from the kidneys, the less time allowed for precipitate to form.
9. Enhances Digestion
The digestive process can often be enhanced by consuming the right food, or beverage which in this case is corn silk tea. Consumption of this beverage helps to stimulate the release of bile acid and other enzymes which enhance the breakdown of food material consumed.
In turn, digestive disturbances such as excessive gas, cramping and other symptoms are minimized in like fashion.
Conclusion
Corn silk tea is not difficult to make or obtain so you scarcely have a reason not to give it a try. The many health benefits are rather surprising, so we would highly advise that you consume some on a regular basis.
References
[james]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_silk
https://www.livestrong.com/article/111684-benefits-corn silk/
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-140/corn-silk
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/corn-silk#dosage[/james]
