from corn, Zea mays, and is one of the two
main eye-protecting antioxidants). There are
also white varieties with low carotenoid
levels, as well as anthocyanin-colored red and
blue varieties, and green ones too.
Fresh Corn Carbohydrates and Qualities
Fresh corn contains three different forms of
carbohydrate that contribute different
qualities, and that are present in different
proportions depending on the variety. The
corn plant produces sugars and sends them to
the seed, where they are temporarily held as is
and impart sweetness until the cells string
them together into large storage molecules.
Very large sugar chains get packed into starch
granules, which have no taste and lend a
chalky texture to uncooked corn. Then there
are medium-sized, tasteless sugar aggregates
called “water-soluble polysaccharides,” which
have many short branches of sugar molecules.
These bushy structures are small enough to