You may be asking yourself, why does corn upset my stomach? You are not the only person that has ever asked that question.Many people get an upset stomach or a certain amount of queasiness from eating corn (commonly known as maize). But why is corn such an irritant to the stomach fro some, yet for others it’s not a big deal?

Corn Not Fully Digested

To understand corn and the effects it has on the stomach, first you need to understand why it is not always fully digested. First of all, the seed of the corn is pretty much the corn that you eat itself. If you don’t believe that is to be true, just throw some fresh corn kernels in your front yard and wait a few weeks. You will see lots of stalks starting to grow in no time (granted it’s not winter time).

The stronger outer layer of the corn kernel is called the bran coat. It is also called the pericarp. Corn is also considered to be a starchy vegetable. Why is it considered a starchy vegetable? That’s a great question. The reason is that corn is made up of almost 90% starch. At least the endosperm part is and that is the part that makes up most of the kernel itself.

How Does The Pericarp Avoid Digestion?

Corn is made up mostly of cellulose. Keep in mind that cellulose is the main component of the of a kernel of corn. Most peoples digestive system has the ability to break down the sugar that is found in starch release the enzymes needed to break down starch. When these enzymes break down the starch and the sugar that is related with it, it gets released into your bloodstream.

Herein lies the problem.

The enzymes found in your digestive tract cannot fully handle the the sugar that is found in the cellulose and thus the molecules do not get broken down. This is the main reason why the corn does not get fully digested and will pass through your system looking like it did when it went in. This is simply the bodies inability to break down the pericarp (bran coat) of the kernel of corn.

How This Translates To An Upset Stomach

Some people just cannot eat corn. They have problems such as diarrhea and gas and even bloating after eating corn. Some just avoid the tasty vegetable altogether because it gives them so much stomach trouble.  If you are one of the people that cannot eat corn, you may need to avoid it as well.

Some people can eat corn in different ways but just not as it is in the whole kernel form. For instance, some can eat corn as long as it is not whole vernal or if it is ground to be made into a taco shell or nacho chips. They have no problem digesting corn in this form.

Also, check with your doctor to see if you have a food allergy or a food intolerance problem with corn.