Corn

Studies in people

• Open question

  Blood sugar and heart health⁵

  In five studies, high fructose corn syrup and table sugar changed blood sugar, fats, and appetite the same.

• Benefit

  Muscle building after eating⁶

  In young men, eating 30 g corn protein built muscle just as well as milk protein did.

• Benefit

  Antioxidants in baked goods⁷

  Polvorones made with whole blue corn had more antioxidants and were liked better than wheat ones.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar after meals⁸

  In people, corn fiber in a drink kept blood sugar and insulin lower than maltodextrin did.

• Concern

  Appetite and hunger¹¹

  In people, eating too much high-fructose corn syrup left them hungrier the next morning than eating too much whole-wheat food.

Animal and lab studies only

• Concern

  Male fertility¹⁵

  In animal studies, long-term high-fructose corn syrup lowered sperm count and changed testicle tissue.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria in babies¹⁶

  In lab studies, soluble corn fiber helped gut bacteria grow in samples from babies, adults and the elderly.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Chronic disease prevention¹⁴

  Corn with more anthocyanins is being studied to see if it helps prevent long-term diseases.

Found in some samples or products

These come from where it was grown, how it was processed or cooked, or what it was made into. They are not about the ingredient itself, so the signal does not count them.

• A chemical formed by cooking³

  Corn chips, popcorn and cornflakes can contain acrylamide, a chemical formed when corn is heated.

• Liver and esophageal cancer⁴

  Corn can carry aflatoxins and fumonisins, tied to liver and esophageal cancer, but studies don't show organic corn is safer.

• Mold toxin health risks⁹

  In people, eating corn with fumonisins has been linked to oesophageal cancer and neural tube defects, but not conclusively.

• Toxin exposure in food¹⁰

  Aflatoxin was found in over a quarter of corn arepas tested in Colombia, with children aged 4 to 8 most exposed.

• Children's toxin exposure¹²

  In Hungarian children, fumonisins from corn and wheat foods sometimes came close to a level scientists consider too much.

How it’s made and used

• Antioxidants in food¹³

  Blue corn contains natural color compounds called anthocyanins, and scientists found one type in it that they had not seen before.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.