Everything to know about nixtamal and its benefits

What is it?

What exactly is nixtamal? In all baseness, it refers to corn that has been partially soaked as well as cooked in a solution of calcium hydroxide which is also known as lime by many.  And as far as calcium hydroxide is concerned, it is the collection of dust which can go from scraping a rock made of limestone.
The word is of Aztec origin, the people of who had made it a habit of grinding the corn on limestone rocks (which would easily be found in riverbeds) and thus discovered the benefits of doing so. There 's not a date for when this technique was invented. However, the earliest evidence date as far back as 1200 BCE.

The Benefits

As you can probably guess, the nutritional benefits of treating corn with lime are many. The Aztecs managed to realize these positive effects only after analyzing how their bodies responded to eating corn that had been treated with lime.
It did not give them any digestive issues whatsoever. Instead, it gave them tons of energy to expend throughout the day and also increased their spiritual alertness by a huge margin.
It was only after a couple of decades passed by when scientists soon realized that the interaction of corn with lime released niacin, a type of amino acid. What this chemical does is that it reduces the bad effects of cholesterol and increases the better effects of it.
It also betters the functioning of processes like digestion, cell repair, and detoxification of the body. The total amount of triglyceride in the blood is also controlled by this chemical while the different alkaline processes are manipulated to keep a balance between the various amino acids present in the body.
But it does not stop there either. There are tons of different nutrients which are present in natural corn, the effects of which are further increased by treatment with calcium hydroxide. They are:

• Vitamin B1: Responsible for processing carbohydrates
• Vitamin B5: Responsible for improving physiological functions
• Vitamin C: Protects the body against common cold and similar diseases
• Folate: Promotes the growth of new cells in the body, especially during pregnancy
• Fibber: Reduces chances of cholesterol and colon cancer

You will be pleased to know that furthermore, natural corn can absorb tons of minerals when the nixtamalization process takes place. Thus, it can result in the increase of absorption rates of elements like iron, calcium, zinc and copper.

Overall

As you can, nixtamal is a unique creation which was initially discovered by the Aztecs several centuries ago. However, in recent times, scientists have refined that process furthermore and have made the final product better than ever before.
It is extremely healthy for the body as far as its intake is concerned. Not only is it extremely nutritious for your body, but it is also very healthy as well. As such, you can try it for yourself and make it a regular part of your overall diet.