Carbs in Corn: Is It Keto?

Dieser Artikel basiert auf wissenschaftlichen Studien

Corn | gluten-free | healthy | carbs | keto | low-carb tortillas

People who eat an average Western Pattern Diet (PAD) unknowingly consume more corn every day in one way or another than they would probably ever believe, especially in the United States.

Corn hides as syrup, oil, or flour in our groceries’ numerous highly processed products. Therefore, the exciting question arises of whether corn is suitable for low-carb diets.

In this article, you’ll learn its nutrition facts (including the number of carbohydrates in corn) and whether it is gluten-free and has a place in the ketogenic diet.

Is Corn Keto?

Corn, or Zea Mays, has been a staple food in South, Central, and North America for thousands of years. It was first domesticated over 8,000 years ago, was a traditional food of Native Americans, and is now an integral part of people’s diet worldwide.

The grain has different varieties and colors, such as red, pink, black, purple, or blue. It is used worldwide to make polenta, flour, tortillas, doughnuts, soups, and sauces.

But is corn also suitable for low-carb cooking?

Is Corn Gluten-Free?

Gluten is a sticky protein that does not naturally occur in corn. Therefore, corn is gluten-free.

Is Corn Healthy?

However, the fact that corn is gluten-free does not mean that the grain does not contain other lectins. Lectins are toxins that plants use as poisons to defend themselves against predators (Dolan et al. 20101).

Concentrations of these plant toxins are high in pest-resistant plant cultivars, such as corn in particular (Macedo et al. 20152).

Lectins bind viruses and bacteria and help them to cross the intestinal wall, reach organs, and cause inflammation (Dalla Pellegrina et al. 20093Freed 19994).

Corn is not keto and low-carb due to its carbs

In addition, corn is one of the world’s three most commonly genetically modified crops. Approximately 90% of corn comes from GMOs, especially in the United States (USDA 20145).

As a result, scientists are concerned that corn consumed today is causing problems that would not have occurred a hundred years ago (NAS 20166)

Moreover, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is produced from corn. This syrup replaces sugar in processed foods because it is even cheaper. That is why it plays a significant role in the obesity epidemic in the United States.

Fortunately, yellow corn does not contain as much fructose as HFCS (*). However, fructose has been shown to inhibit satiety and fuel cravings (Shapiro et al. 20087).

In short, healthier crops than modern corn are more suitable for consumption. But is it now high in carbohydrates, or does corn still fit low-carb diets such as the keto diet?

Carbs in Corn

Corn is a grain. And grains are known to contain a lot of carbohydrates. For this reason, anyway, we need to take a look at corn’s nutrition facts.

How Many Carbs Are in Corn?

Since cornstarch is a polysaccharide derived from corn, people are legitimately asking if corn is rich in carbohydrates.

100 grams of corn provide us with the following nutritional values (*):

  • Energy: 365 calories
  • Protein: 9.4 grams
  • Fat: 4.7 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 74.3 grams
  • Dietary fiber: 7.3 grams
  • Net carbs: 67.0 grams

The nutritional information clearly shows that corn is more of a high than low-carb food.

Is Corn Keto-Friendly?

Corn is not keto at all.

About 50 grams of corn is enough to throw you out of ketosis due to its high carb content. That’s assuming you don’t eat a single gram of other carbohydrates that day. And that’s unlikely.

Corn is ¾ carbs, making it neither keto-friendly nor suitable for people with diabetes.

Corn’s polysaccharides exert an antilipolytic effect blocking fat breakdown (lipolysis) and promoting body fat gain (Jensen et al. 19898Meijssen et al. 20019).

Thus, corn is poorly suited for weight loss in general.

How to Make Keto Corn Tortillas

To make a substitute for authentic corn tortillas that is suitable for the keto diet, you only need two ingredients (product links):

These two foods taste excellent and can hold the tortillas together well because of their binding ability. As a result, you get thin tortillas that are easy to roll, even though you’re using keto-friendly cornstarch substitutes.

Low-Carb Tortillas (Keto)

Vorbereitung 10 minutes
Zubereitung 5 minutes
Portionen 8 Tortillas

Zutaten

  • 2 cups Almond Meal
  • 6 tbsp Psyllium Husks whole, not powder
  • 1 cup Water warm, not hot
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
  • 1 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt

Zubereitung

  • Mix almond flour, psyllium husks and Himalayan salt in a large bowl.
  • Slowly add olive oil and warm water and mix well. Let rest for one minute.
  • Gently knead the dough several times and shape it into a ball. Place the dough on a lightly floured kitchen surface.
  • Cut the dough into six large pieces or 12 small pieces. Place one piece of dough on a piece of baking paper. Place a second piece of baking paper on top and roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is thin and flat.
  • Place a large or small plate on top of the dough. Cut around the plate with a knife to make a tortilla.
  • Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly grease it. Bake the tortillas in it for two minutes on each side.

Avoid the Carbs in Corn on Keto

The carbohydrates in corn are too high to find a place in a low-carb diet like keto. Just a handful of corn kernels can throw you out of ketosis.

Also, corn is full of fructose, so it’s generally unsuitable for weight loss.

If you want to start losing weight today without constantly counting calories or exercising, try my free 30-Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge.

Carbs in Corn Keto FAQ

Is corn high in carbs?

Corn consists of ¾ carbs.

Can you eat corn on keto?

It would be best to not eat corn on keto since ¼ cup will already kick you out of ketosis.

How many net carbs are in a cup of corn?

There are 110.9 grams of net carbs in a single cup of corn.

Can corn kick you out of ketosis?

Already ¼ cup of corn can kick you out of ketosis.

Studies ▾

#1-7

1Dolan LC, Matulka RA, Burdock GA. Naturally occurring food toxins. Toxins (Basel). 2010 Sep;2(9):2289-332. doi: 10.3390/toxins2092289. Epub 2010 Sep 20. Review. PubMed PMID: 22069686; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3153292.

2Macedo ML, Oliveira CF, Oliveira CT. Insecticidal activity of plant lectins and potential application in crop protection. Molecules. 2015 Jan 27;20(2):2014-33. doi: 10.3390/molecules20022014. Review. PubMed PMID: 25633332; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6272522.

3Dalla Pellegrina C, Perbellini O, Scupoli MT, Tomelleri C, Zanetti C, Zoccatelli G, Fusi M, Peruffo A, Rizzi C, Chignola R. Effects of wheat germ agglutinin on human gastrointestinal epithelium: insights from an experimental model of immune/epithelial cell interaction. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2009 Jun 1;237(2):146-53. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2009.03.012. Epub 2009 Mar 28. PubMed PMID: 19332085.

4Freed DL. Do dietary lectins cause disease?. BMJ. 1999 Apr 17;318(7190):1023-4. doi: 10.1136/bmj.318.7190.1023. PubMed PMID: 10205084; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1115436.

5USDA. Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture, 2014. Retrieved 2021 May 10, from https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/45179/43668_err162.pdf.

6National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Division on Earth and Life Studies; Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources; Committee on Genetically Engineered Crops: Past Experience and Future Prospects. Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2016 May 17. PMID: 28230933.

7Shapiro A, Mu W, Roncal C, Cheng KY, Johnson RJ, Scarpace PJ. Fructose-induced leptin resistance exacerbates weight gain in response to subsequent high-fat feeding. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2008 Nov;295(5):R1370-5. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00195.2008. Epub 2008 Aug 13. PubMed PMID: 18703413; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2584858.

#8-9

8Jensen MD, Caruso M, Heiling V, Miles JM. Insulin regulation of lipolysis in nondiabetic and IDDM subjects. Diabetes. 1989 Dec;38(12):1595-601. doi: 10.2337/diab.38.12.1595. PubMed PMID: 2573554.

9Meijssen S, Cabezas MC, Ballieux CG, Derksen RJ, Bilecen S, Erkelens DW. Insulin mediated inhibition of hormone sensitive lipase activity in vivo in relation to endogenous catecholamines in healthy subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Sep;86(9):4193-7. doi: 10.1210/jcem.86.9.7794. PubMed PMID: 11549649.

Mag. Stephan Lederer, MSc. is an author and blogger from Austria who writes in-depth content about health and nutrition. His book series on Interval Fasting landed #1 on the bestseller list in the German Amazon marketplace in 15 categories.

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