Is there any point to sweetcorn??

[Lisa40]

My LO absolutely loves sweet corn but it comes out exactly the same as it goes in so I was wondering if she's getting any nutritional content from it at all?

Do any of you ladies know?

x

 

[LDC]

You can digest what's inside the sweet corn cell (which is starch based) its just the outside shell of the sweet corn that we can't digest because our gut doesn't have the right enzymes to do this (cellulose).

So you do get the goodness from the inside of the sweet corn it's just the outside that you pass straight through as the stomach can't break it down.

ETA; when I was really poorly with a kidney infection a tuna sweet corn sandwich was the first thing I ate and my date told me my poo would be like traffic lights... After that I looked it up and it's been pointlessly stored in my brain since then. Until now that is!

X

 

[Lisa40]

Interesting LDC, thanks for the info

So am I better removing the outer shell for her then, or does it not matter too much?

& there's always a reason to learn something haha, you'll need it eventually even if its just to help out some crazy lady on the Internet

 

[LDC]

I'd leave it on, saves time and fiddliness and it does no harm

Pahaha I'm glad I'm of some use!! Xx

 

[SarahBear]

Babies don't have the same amount of pancreatic amylase as adults do. This is the enzyme that digests starch. So less enzyme to digest starch means less nutrition out of it. I'm sure she gets something, but grains and high starch foods aren't very nutritious for babies.

 

[DJJ]

its amazing how u notice things in nappies.when my LO has grapes the skin comes out whole,so do kidney beans and u can even see little pieces of carrot and things.

 

[Lisa40]

Haha, thought it was just me who over inspected nappies... I guess not

 

[susannah14]

Babies don't have the same amount of pancreatic amylase as adults do. This is the enzyme that digests starch. So less enzyme to digest starch means less nutrition out of it. I'm sure she gets something, but grains and high starch foods aren't very nutritious for babies.

Hi SarahBear- I was just wondering if you had any sources for this? I was googling around and the only reputable (i.e., medical sources) thing I could find says that babies amylase levels are the same as an adults by one year. https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/amylase-17444?page=3

There were plenty of blog posts and baby center articles but I was looking for something more scientific. I thought you might have something.

 

[cookette]

To my knowledge (someone please correct me if Im wrong!) but I was underastanding that corn isnt that nutritious, period. Lot of sugar/starch. As pp said, you cannot digest the outside but what you can digest leaves a lot to be desired.

Mmm...I do love me some buttered corn though....I'd beg for corn on the cob as a child over sweets!

 

[SarahBear]

Babies don't have the same amount of pancreatic amylase as adults do. This is the enzyme that digests starch. So less enzyme to digest starch means less nutrition out of it. I'm sure she gets something, but grains and high starch foods aren't very nutritious for babies.

Hi SarahBear- I was just wondering if you had any sources for this? I was googling around and the only reputable (i.e., medical sources) thing I could find says that babies amylase levels are the same as an adults by one year. https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/amylase-17444?page=3

There were plenty of blog posts and baby center articles but I was looking for something more scientific. I thought you might have something.

I just took a look at the book I read it in and honestly, they do a really poor job of siting their sources. I still believe it though. Besides, grains aren't particularly healthy for ANYONE and pasta tends to be white flour anyway which strips away the nutrients that are in it to start with.

 

[minties]

What about pasta made from semolina? They all seem to be made from that around here.

I feel like corn now! Might go raid the freezer.

 

[Emerald87]

Sweet corn is not useless. No vegetable is for the most part.

Sure, it contains "pesky" starch and there is cellulose but that's not the only content and in addition, there is nothing wrong with starch as a part of a balanced diet.

Maize, i.e. corn, is staple food in many places. For good reason, too. It is high in dietary fibre and will keep your baby regular. And it is filled with thiamine - a critical vitamin for healthy cell production, carb metabolism and neurotransmitters. Humans cannot make thiamine and must obtain it from their diet. Thiamine deficiency is a killer. Unsaturated fats are also essential for cellular growth and it is a good source while avoiding a huge amount of saturated fats. It also has about 11% of an adults' daily requirement of iron. Critical in babies (especially BF'ed ones). Your baby needs a high amount of carbs and corn will supply them from complex carbohydrates (starch and other polysaccharides). Better than a hit of sugar.

Honestly, sometimes it seems like bread, corn, pasta and other sources of complex carbohydrates are like feeding your baby coca cola in a bottle. Starch stabilises blood sugar longer term than a hit of sugar (low GI). While little babies don't have a full amylase supply early on, they still have a little (including salivary amylase) and do have the same levels as adults by the time they're 1.

Finally, babies playing with different textures and flavours is critical for physical and intellectual development. If you keep shielding your kids from things you see as useless (which I strongly differ from things like coke, lollies and other unhealthy foods) they're potentially going to be picky eaters.

 

[cookette]

Thanks Emerald, I had no idea!

 

[Lisa40]

Thanks Emerald, always a fountain of useful information
xx

 

[susannah14]

Babies don't have the same amount of pancreatic amylase as adults do. This is the enzyme that digests starch. So less enzyme to digest starch means less nutrition out of it. I'm sure she gets something, but grains and high starch foods aren't very nutritious for babies.

Hi SarahBear- I was just wondering if you had any sources for this? I was googling around and the only reputable (i.e., medical sources) thing I could find says that babies amylase levels are the same as an adults by one year. https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/amylase-17444?page=3

There were plenty of blog posts and baby center articles but I was looking for something more scientific. I thought you might have something.

I just took a look at the book I read it in and honestly, they do a really poor job of siting their sources. I still believe it though. Besides, grains aren't particularly healthy for ANYONE and pasta tends to be white flour anyway which strips away the nutrients that are in it to start with.

Thanks for looking. I tend to think that babies are able to digest grains just fine considering their amylase is the same level of adults by age one. Also, whole grains are very healthy for normal people. It is a food group after all. Agreed that white pasta and bread isn't very good for you. We always eat whole grain bread and pasta.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Great post Emerald!