https://www.seleneriverpress.com/corn-cornmeal-primer-nixtamalization-must-read/ First, a little history: “When Christopher Columbus brought corn back from the New World, it became a staple food in rural communities throughout Europe over the next couple of centuries. Unfortunately, he did not bring back the technique of nixtamalization. Therefore, many people dependent on corn in those rural European communities developed symptoms including peeling, scaly skin that was painful when exposed to sunlight (according to one theory, this gave rise to the legend of sun-averse vampires), hair loss, and dementia. The mysterious disease was given the name pellagra, from the Italian for ‘sour skin,’ but it wasn’t until the 20th century that science figured out that the disease wasn’t caused by a poison in corn but rather a deficiency in diet.
“Corn is naturally abundant in niacin (aka vitamin B3), which is an essential part of the human diet. However, the niacin in corn is chemically bound to other molecules, so we humans cannot properly absorb it. If you try to subsist on a diet based around nothing but corn prepared without alkaline treatment, you will develop niacin deficiency—which, it turns out, is pellagra.â€
—Excerpt from “Transforming Corn: The Story of Nixtamalization†by Paul Adams, CooksScience.com
There are many otherwise unavailable nutrients locked in corn. Alkali cooking frees these nutrients up so they can offer the following benefits:
Imparts deeper flavor
Takes the hull off the corn
Softens the corn kernels so they’re more easily ground
Increases nutritional value
Allows dough formation
Enhances quality of corn protein by altering protein content in a way that makes it more complete
Makes the niacin in corn more absorbable
Enriches corn with vital minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, and magnesium
Significantly reduces molds that commonly infect corn