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Nowadays, people are more concerned with their health and would prefer doing it the natural way. The growing trend of utilizing medicinal food in their diet not only to prevent or cure an ailment but also in improving overall well-being. A recent study examined and unveiled the health benefits of blue corn.

The blue corn or the blue maize is a type of corn that originated in Mexico. The corn's blue pigmentation is from a compound called anthocyanin. According to previous studies, anthocyanin compound in the blue corn has properties that contribute to the protection from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Blue maize is also a natural source of antioxidants known to fight cancer.

There is growing interest in utilizing blue corn as a component for health food and in nutraceuticals. A study published in Journal of Medicinal Food explores deeper the health benefits and practical application of blue corn particularly the blue maize extract.

Thirty-four male Wistar rats were divided into two groups. Both groups were fed a high-sucrose diet to induce metabolic syndrome but only one group was administered with a blue maize extract for four weeks. The experiment was conducted for twelve weeks.

The researchers found that the rats fed only with a high sucrose diet experienced high blood pressure, an increase in blood sugar, cholesterol, and other symptoms related to metabolic syndrome. On the other hand, the rats fed with high fructose but administered with the blue maize extract experienced to a lesser extent the same conditions.

Compared with the rats only on the high sucrose diet, rats administered with the blue maize extract gained less abdominal fats.

The result of the study shows the benefits of the use of blue maize extract in preventing or regulating the effects of metabolic syndrome. It also helps in curbing the effects of common ailments like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.