For western civilization, the story of corn began in 1492 when Columbus's men discovered this new grain in Cuba. An American native, it was exported to Europe rather than being imported, as were other major grains.
The grain is taken from the husk by hand, and when ground upon stones, makes an excellent flour, of which it yields much more, with much less bran, than wheat does, and exceeds it in crust, pancakes, puddings, and all other uses except bread; but a sweetness peculiar to it, which in all other cases makes it agreeable, is here less so. It is excellent for feeding horses, poultry and hogs, and fattens them much better and sooner than peas or barley. The stems make better hedges for kitchen garden than reeds do. It clears the ground from weeds, and makes a good season for any other kind of grain. It was the only bread-grain known in America when first discovered by the Spaniardss, and is there called maize.
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Basic Instruction
Zea Mays,Sweet Corn,the uses and benefit of corn(maize)...
seminal trace...Corn Silk Extract.10:1.Cornsilk Extract,Stigmata maydis,Corn Stigma.Sitosterol 5%GC Stigmas and styles of Zea mays,Corn stalk extract....
Basic Botanical Data of Corn Silk:
Official Latin Name: Zea mays;Zea mays (L)
Name: Corn Silk
Biological Name: Zea mays
Order: Graminaceae
Other Names: Corn Silk, corn, Indian corn, maize jagnog, Turkish corn, yu mi xu
Parts Used: Stigmas from the female flowers of maize. Fine soft threads 4-8 inches long. (silk)
Synonyms: Stigmata maydis, Maidis stigmata, Indian corn, maize silk, Yumixu (Chinese:Dian Nan Ben Cao),Yu Shu Shu Rui,Bang Zi Mao.
Parts used: Stigmas and styles
Definition:corn silk.n.The styles and stigmas that appear as a silky tuft or tassel at the tip of an ear of corn, used as a diuretic in herbal medicine.
Corn Silk is helpful for any irritation of the urinary system. Corn Silk is used for renal problems in children, and also as a urinary demulcent combined with other herbs in the treatment of cystitis, urethritis, and prostatitis. Corn Silk was used traditionally as a mild diuretic. Chinese research indicates that Corn Silk reduces hypertension and reduces blood clotting time.
Description: Cornsilk refers to the stigmas from the female flowers of maize., fine soft threads 10-20cm long. When fresh, they are like silk threads of a light green or yellow-brown colour; when dry, they resemble fine, dark, crinkled hairs.
Corn silk is a soothing, relaxing diuretic and a wonderful remedy for acute inflammation and irritation of the genito-urinary system, such as cystitis, urethritis and prostatitis. Corn silk is particularly useful for calming bladder irritation and infection in children. Corn silk clears toxins, catarrh, deposits and irritants out of the kidneys and bladder, and has a gentle antiseptic and healing action. Corn silk makes a good remedy for frequency of urination and bedwetting due to irritation or weakness of the urinary system, and has been used for urinary stones and gravel.
By reducing fluid retention in the body, corn silk may help reduce blood pressure, and by aiding elimination of toxins and wastes from the body corn silk may relieve gout and arthritis, and act as a gentle detoxifying remedy.
Corn silk's healing and soothing properties are helpful for relieving skin irritation and inflammation and for healing wounds and ulcers.
Collection of Corn Silk:
The stigmas should be collected just before pollination occurs, the timing of which depends upon climate. Zea is best used fresh as some of the activity is lost with time.
Constituents of Corn Silk:
Cons silk contains fatty acid 2.5%,volatile oil 0.12%,gum 3.8%,resin 2.7%,saponins 3.18%,alkaloids 0.05%, silicon, B vitamins, PABA and moderate amounts of iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.Others including Allantoin,Anthocyanins,Calcium,Cryptoxanthin,Glycoproteins,Plant acids,Potassium,Saponins,Sugars,Vitamin C,Vitamin K , flavonoids, chlorogenic acid, saponins, volatile oil, fixed oil, resin, sugars, phytosterols, allantoin,tannin,Resin,Sterols,minerals (especially potassium).
Indications:Corn Silk can help with the following conditions: Helpful in any irritation of the urinary system; used for renal problems in children; combined with other herbs for cystitis, urethritis, prostates.Catarrhalcystitis, lithaemia (stones), bladder irritation, gonorrhoea, all catarrhal conditions of the urinary passages, dropsies due to heart disease, edema.
Zea mays benefits:diuretic,bladder and kidney problems,edema (water retention),obesity,prostate disorders,bed-wetting,carpal tunnel syndrome,PMS,reducing stone formation in kidneys,clear boils
The use of herbal remedies, including corn silk (also known as maize silk), classified as Zea mays, are popular as an alternative to standard Western allopathic medicine for a variety of problems, including prostate disorders, a diuretic as well as for bedwetting and obesity.Zea mays is an effective remedy for various ailments, and this natural holistic approach to health is becoming more and more popular, but should NOT replace conventional medicine or prescription drugs.
Nutrition of Corn Silk:
Most vitamins and minerals are present in at least small amounts but a solely corn-based diet provides inadequate niacin for human health, leading to deficiency diseases such as pellagra. Yellow corn has higher vitamin A content than white corn. One 77g ear of yellow corn provides 11 percent RDA thiamin, 3g protein, and 85 calories.
Maize (Zea mays L.), or corn, was grown commercially in over 150 countries in 2003. Worldwide combined production was 638 million metric tonnes harvested from 143 million hectares The major producers of maize in 2003 were the United States, China, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and France. Maize is grown primarily for its kernel, which is largely refined into products used in a wide range of food, medical, and industrial goods.
Maize is used as a raw material for the manufacture of starch, the majority of which is converted by a complex refining process into sweeteners, syrups and fermentation products, including ethanol. Maize oil is extracted from the germ of the maize kernel. In the United States and Canada, only a small proportion of the whole kernel is consumed by humans, while refined maize products, sweeteners, starch, and oil are abundant in processed foods such as breakfast cereals, dairy goods, and chewing gum.
In the United States and Canada, maize is typically used as animal feed with roughly 80% of the crop fed to livestock. The entire maize plant, kernels, and several refined products such as glutens and steep liquor, are used in animal feeds. Silage made from the whole maize plant makes up 10-12% of the annual maize acreage, and is a major ruminant feedstuff. Livestock that feed on maize include cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep and goats, fish and companion animals.
Industrial uses for maize products include recycled paper, paints, cosmetics and car parts. Refined maize products are also used in bioproducts such as antibiotics.
Diabrotica virgifera, western corn root worm (Family Coleoptera), is a major pest of maize in the US maize-growing belt. The larvae feed on maize roots, the damage from which causes nutrient and water depletion and ultimately lodging, making harvesting difficult. In the year 2000, over 14 million acres of United States maize was treated with chemical insecticides for this major pest. The corn root worm is estimated to cost the maize industry in the United States one billion dollars per year due to pesticide costs and crop damage.
Maize line MON 863 was produced using recombinant-DNA techniques to express the cry3Bb1 gene encoding a Coleopteran-specific insecticidal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (subsp. kumamotoensis) in order to control infestation with corn root worm. This gene was introduced into the publicly available inbred line, A634, by particle acceleration (biolistic) transformation.
The cry3Bb1 gene encodes the insect control protein Cry3Bb1, a delta-endotoxin. Cry proteins, of which Cry3Bb1 is only one, act by selectively binding to specific sites localized on the lining of the midgut of susceptible insect species. Following binding, pores are formed that disrupt midgut ion flow, causing gut paralysis and eventual death due to bacterial sepsis. Cry3Bb1 is lethal only when eaten by Coleopteran species, including corn root worm, and its specificity of action is directly attributable to the presence of specific binding sites in the target insects. There are no binding sites for the delta-endotoxins of B. thuringiensis on the surface of mammalian intestinal cells, therefore, livestock animals and humans are not susceptible to these proteins.
MON 863 was tested in field trials in the United States. Data collected from these trials indicated that MON 863 was not different from other maize varieties in terms of agronomic characteristics, aside from resistance to corn root worm
Maize does not have any closely related species growing in the wild in continental United States and Canada. Cultivated maize can naturally cross with annual teosinte (Zea mays ssp. mexicana) when grown in close proximity, however, these wild maize relatives are native to Central America and are not naturalized in Canada or the United States. Additionally, reproductive characteristics such as pollen production, viability, and dispersal were unchanged in MON 863. Gene exchange between MON 863 and maize relatives was determined to be negligible in managed ecosystems, with no potential for transfer to wild species in Canada and the United States.
MON 863 lines expressing the Cry3Bb1 protein were compared to their non-transformed counterpart for relative abundance of beneficial arthropods. Field studies demonstrated that Cry3Bb1 had neither a direct nor an indirect effect on the beneficial arthropod populations. In summary, it was determined that when compared with currently commercialized maize varieties, MON 863 maize did not present an increased risk to or impact on interacting organisms, including humans, with the exception of specific coleopteran insect species.
The authorization for environmental release and livestock feed approval in Canada was granted for 1 year only. Renewal of the authorization was contingent on the submission of a new beneficial insect study as the original study on green lacewings was not considered of an optimal design. The new information was submitted in 2004 and the authorization renewed.
Regulatory authorities in Canada and United States have mandatory requirements for developers of Bt maize to implement specific Insect Resistant Management (IRM) Programs. As for other Bt maize varieties, farmers growing MON 863 are required to plant 20% of their acreage to non-Bt varieties.
Nutritional and anti-nutritional factors in MON 863 were examined and found to be within the normal range of unmodified maize varieties, though there were some differences from the parental line. The Cry3Bb1 protein was found in oral gavage studies to have a No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) over 3200 mg/kg which exceeds the expected dietary exposure for humans by approximately 58000X. This level exceeded the livestock dietary exposure by 1000X.
Cry3Bb1 did not exhibit amino acid sequence homology or protein structure homology to known toxins or allergens. In addition, it was found that the Cry3Bb1 protein expressed by MON 863 maize lines digests rapidly in simulated gastric environments, was easily inactivated by heat and was not glycosylated. All these indicated that the Cry3Bb1 protein did not have potential for being an allergen or toxin.
Uses of Corn Silk:
Placed within a cradle for protection, hung over a mirror for protection, hung on the door for good luck.
Cornsilk is the long styles and stigmata of the flower pistils. The stigmas are the fine soft, yellowish threads from the female flowers and are usually four to eight inches long. It is gathered when the plant has shed its pollen.
Cornsilk has often been used as a tea, but also powdered as a food additive. It has also been used as a flavor component for some major food products and face powders.
Cornsilk is sweet and easy to chew. In Mexico the silky filaments just inside the husk are sold in bulk as good food and safe medicine for renal problems in both adults and children.
Cornsilk minimizing edema (water retention), gout, cystitis, lowering blood pressure, even helping rheumatism symptoms. Its chief claim to fame is its potent antiprostatitis capability. Helping and remedying urinary problems seem its forte.
Cornsilk is effective either fresh or dried. Laboratory analysis reveals high amounts of silicon, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. It is also an excellent source of B vitamins and PABA. Along with chlorophyll, resin and a fixed oil, maizenic acid is the active principle in cornsilk. Vitamin K is used by the body's mechanism that controls bleeding.
Grieve's classic 'A Modern Herbal':'A mild stimulant, diuretic and demulcent, useful in acute and chronic cystitis and in the bladder irritation of uric acid and phosphatic gravel...'
King's 1898 Dispensatory: 'Corn-silk is diuretic and slightly anodyne, and, for the former purpose, has been found useful in many urinary troubles, associated with renal and cardiac disorders. In southern France, the inhabitants use it as a domestic remedy for calculi, gravel, and strangury. It has been found of value by physicians in the treatment of cystic irritation, due to phosphatic and uric acid concretions, and in both acute and chronic inflammations of the bladder.'
Eclectic Materia Medica, 1922 (Felter): 'Zea (Stigmata Maydis) is diuretic, slightly anodyne, and is said to exert a stimulant effect upon the heart and blood vessels. The infusion, the best preparation, is an efficient stimulating diuretic in urinary irritation and inflammation, pyelitis, and catarrh of the bladder. It is especially valued when the urine contains phosphatic and uric acid concretions, and there is a disposition to dropsical accumulations. Its action is quite positive in pyelitis, chronic cystitis and to relieve ardor urinae in gonorrhea.'
'For the bladder affections of children it is one of the most valued of urinary sedatives, and may be freely administered where there is a disposition to decomposition of the urine while still in the bladder. The virtues are attributed mostly to the maizenic acid present.'
Corn Silk is the silky tassel inside the corn husk - not often considered a food, but it is highly regarded in herbology as a valuable support for the urinary system. Corn is indigenous to Central America, but is now widely cultivated elsewhere. The genus name Zea means "cause of life", and the species name "mays" means "mother"'. Corn Silk has been used in conditions of high uric acid such as gout and some types of arthritis. It helps to reduce conditions of painful swelling, and is used for a wide range of genito-urinary complaints. Corn Silk is often combined with herbs that have more antiseptic qualities. Even though it is a diuretic, Corn Silk can also benefit frequent urination conditions by soothing bladder irritation. Chinese research indicates that Corn Silk reduces hypertension and reduces blood clotting time. Derived from the dried silky tassels found inside the husks of corn, Corn Silk contains iron, silica, potassium and vitamins B, C and K. It also contains moderate amounts of zinc, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
It's key constituents are considered to be maizenic acid, fixed oil, resin and mucilage. Corn Silk has been used to soothe irritation, to the kidneys and bladder, often caused by burning and painful urination. Corn Silk alleviates the irritation of the bladder and urinary tract by coating the membranes lining the urinary system walls. Corn Silk may also alleviate prostate disorders including difficulty in the beginning of urination. Corn Silk has also been known to reduce the formation of sediments in the kidneys, relieve inflammation caused by urinary tract problems and help reduce water retention in the body.
Cornsilk is the silky tassel inside the corn husk - not often considered a food, but it is highly regarded in herbology as a valuable support for the urinary system. Corn is indigenous to Central America, but is now widely cultivated elsewhere.
The genus name Zea means "cause of life", and the species name "mays" means "mother"'. Corn Silk has been used in conditions of high uric acid such as gout and some types of arthritis. It helps to reduce conditions of painful swelling, and is used for a wide range of genito-urinary complaints. Corn Silk is often combined with herbs that have more antiseptic qualities. Even though it is a diuretic, Corn Silk can also benefit frequent urination conditions by soothing bladder irritation.
Chinese research indicates that Corn Silk reduces hypertension and reduces blood clotting time. Derived from the dried silky tassels found inside the husks of corn, Corn Silk contains iron, silica, potassium and vitamins B, C and K. It also contains moderate amounts of zinc, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. It's key constituents are considered to be maizenic acid, fixed oil, resin and mucilage.
Corn Silk has been used to soothe irritation, to the kidneys and bladder, often caused by burning and painful urination. Corn Silk alleviates the irritation of the bladder and urinary tract by coating the membranes lining the urinary system walls.
Corn Silk may also alleviate prostate disorders including difficulty in the beginning of urination. Corn Silk has also been known to reduce the formation of sediments in the kidneys, relieve inflammation caused by urinary tract problems and help reduce water retention in the body.
Corn Silk cure prostate problems:
Corn Silk is a mild diuretic, tonic, urinary demulcent (soothing or softening agent), and possesses anti-inflammatory properties. It's even been used in the treatment of gonorrhea. French herbalists use it to thin bile as well as to promote bile flow. Chinese herbal medicine practitioners do this as well. To put it simply, cornsilk is tremendous for men with prostate problems.
Prostate problems include, frequent urination, pain while urinating, and prostate swelling. Other male urinary-related problems include swelling and/or inflammation of the urethra.
Cornsilk and its remedies can be beneficial to one's health as a diuretic, in promoting prostate health by combating prostatitis or BPH. Cornsilk seems to be a powerful remedy for problems with the urinary system. It's even used for renal problems with children as well as for the treatment of cystitis, urethritis, and of course prostatitis. It's even been used in the treatment of gonorrhea. French herbalists use it to thin bile as well as to promote bile flow -- Chinese herbal medicine confirms this.
Corn Silk Combination:for bladder and kidney
Corn Silk has many benefits for kidney and bladder with Uva Ursi. It can be used for acute and chronic inflamed bladders and prostrate gland. It is used as a diuretic and can help cystitis. Corn silk helps reduce uric acid and is a phosphatic back up. It is also good for cardiac weakness. It works well with many urinary problems including painful urination, especially when used with golden seal root. Both young and old can use it alike. Children can also be helped with bed wetting problems.
Corn silk may be beneficial here because it acts as an anti-inflammatory and as a natural diuretic, and therefore may help to increase urine flow and reduce pain associated with the inflammation of the prostate.
Therapeutic Actions and Pharmacology of Corn Silk:
Contemporary herbalists recommend corn Silk for the following conditions:catarrhal cystitis, lithaemia (stones), bladder irritation, gonorrhoea, all catarrhal conditions of the urinary passages, dropsies due to heart disease, and edema.
As a soothing diuretic, Zea is a useful remedy in any irritation of the urinary system. It is used for renal problems in children and as a urinary demulcent combined with other appropriate herbs in the treatment of cystitis, urethritis and prostatitis. The diuretic action is in part due to the high concentration of potassium. Zea was used in the past in the treatment of gonorrhoea. French herbalists use it to thin the bile and promote bile flow, and Chinese research confirms this action. It is also believed to lower blood pressure.
Antiviral
Demulcent
Diuretic,mild diuretic, urinary demulcent, tonic, antilithic
Enhances IgG and IgM formation
Genito-urinary sedative
Hypoglycemic
Inhibits IgE formation
Produces interferon
Stimulant
Clinical Indications:
Asthma,Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH),Congestive heart failure
Cystitis (safe to use with bladder/renal disorders in children)
Hypertension,Incontinence
Obesity where water loss is needed
PMS bloating
Enuresis,Prostatitis,Pyelitis
Urethritis,Urinary lithiasis
Contraindications:None known
Drug Nutrient Interaction:
In diabetics, insulin should be monitored due to the hypoglycemic effects,dysuria, cystitis, urethritis, nocturnal enuresis, prostatitis.
Safety:
No information available. Some herbs are known to react with your medication. Please consult your physician before starting on any herb
Caution:No contraindications are known.Cornsilk appears to be a very, very safe herb. There is scanty research information on cornsilk (and cornsilk tablets) but there is hardly any anecdotal info as to cornsilk usage problems.
Combinations:
Cornsilk may be combined with Couchgrass, Bearberry, Buchu or Yarrow for the treatment of cystitis.
Combines well with Agropyron, Arctostaphylos or Achillea in the treatment of cystitis, and with Agrimonia and Equisetum in enuresis. It may be used with Alchemilla arvensis and Eupatorium purporeum in phosphatic or uric acid gravel.
Preparation and Dosage:(thrice daily)
Regulatory status GSL
Dried: 2-8g or in infusion
Liquid Extract: 1:1 in 25% alcohol, 4-8ml
Tincture: 1:5 in 25% alcohol, 5-15ml
Syrup BPC (1923) 8-15ml
Additional Comments: Corn is a valuable cereal; the kernels have fibrous coats that help to relieve constipation, and contain starch, protein, and an oil rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which lower the risk of heart disease. In Chinese medicine cornsilk is used for oedema of various origin and for hepato-biliary disease.
The stigmas should be collected just before pollination occurs, the timing depends upon climate. It is best used fresh as some of the activity is lost with time.
Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 2 teaspoonfuls of the dried herb and leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.
Tincture: take 3-6 ml of the tincture three times a day.
Dosage Medium:
Dried Styles and Stigmas: 2 ¨C 8 gm tds 2
Liquid Extract: 1:1 25% 4 ¨C 8 ml tds 3
Tincture: 1:5 25% 5 ¨C 15 ml tds 3
Syrup 8 ¨C 15 ml tds 6
NUTRIENT COMPOSITION (For every 100 gm edible portion) Content Amount
Energy 355 Kcal
Protein 9.2 gm
Fat 4.6 gm
Carbohydrate 69.3 gm
Fibre 2.0 gm
Ash 1.4 gm
Calcium 45.0 mg
Phosphorus 224.0 mg
Potassium 75.0 mg
Iron 2.9 mg
Sodium 11.0 mg
Carotene 256 ug
Retino equivalent 43 ug
Vitamin B1 0.22 mg
Vitamin B2 0.12 mg
Niacin 1.7 mg
Vitamin C 8.8 mg
Remedies For:
Diuretic, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, tonic, anodyne, alterative, lithotriptic.
As a soothing diuretic, Corn Silk is helpful in any irritation of the urinary system. It is used for renal problems in children and as a urinary demulcent combined with other herbs in the treatment of cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis and the like.
Scientific References:
1.Zea Mays,Sweet Corn,the uses and benefit of corn(maize)...
Claims & Warning:
Claims: Information this web site presented is meant for Nutritional Benefit and as an educational starting point only, for use in maintenance and promotion good health in cooperation with a common knowledge base reference...Furthermore,it based solely on the traditional and historic use or legend of a given herb from the garden of Adonis. Although every effort has been made to ensure its accurate, please note that some info may be outdated by more recent scientific developments......
Pharmakon Warning: The order of knowledge is not the transparent order of forms and ideas,as one might be tempted retrospectively to interpret it; it is the antidote....(Dissemination,Plato's Pharmacy,II.The Ingredients:Phantasms,Festivals,and Paints;138cf. Jacques Derrida.).
And as it happens,the technique of imitation,along with the production of the simulacrum,has always been in Plato's eyes manifestly magical,thaumaturgical:......and the same things appear bent and straight to those who view them in water and out,or concave and convex,owing to similar errors of vision about colors, and there is obviously every confusion of this sort in our souls.And so scene painting (skiagraphia) in its exploitation of this weakness of four nature falls nothing short of witchcraft (thaumatopoia), and so do jugglery and many other such contrivances.(Republic X,602c-d;cf.also 607c).
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seminal trace...Corn Silk Extract.10:1.Cornsilk Extract,Stigmata maydis,Corn Stigma.Sitosterol 5%GC Stigmas and styles of Zea mays,Corn stalk extract....
Basic Botanical Data of Corn Silk:
Ethnobotany:World wide use of Corn Silk:
Scientific References:
Claims & Warning:
