Description:
Corn Oil is a healthy edible oil which is acquired from Zea mays, also known as Maize. It is the grain of a plant from the grass family, native to Central America, cultivated in varieties throughout the world. Corn oil is healthy as it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, commonly used in cooking, where its high smoke point makes refined corn oil a valuable frying oil. Corn is typically yellow, but comes in a variety of other colors, such as red, orange, purple, blue, white, and black.
Extraction:
Corn Oil is extracted from the germ of Zea mays by cold expeller pressing method. Corn oil is dense when obtained so it needs to be refined so it is treated with solvent after refined, it gets rid of free fatty acids and then sent through steam distillation to remove volatile organic compounds.
Properties:
Corn Oil is dark in color when unrefined while refined oil is pale yellow in color. It has nutty taste with a tinge of corn as well.
Blending:
Corn oil is well blends with essential oil, can be used for aromatherapy massages.
Composition:
Corn Oil is composed of saturated fatty acid, monounsaturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids like linolenic acid, linoleic acid and Oleic acid.
Uses:
- Corn oil is a feedstock used for biodiesel.
- It has many industrial uses: soap, salve, paint, rustproofing for metal surfaces, inks, textiles, nitroglycerin, and insecticides.
- Corn oil is used as a carrier for drug molecules in pharmaceutical
- Corn oil has anticholestrol property as it lowers LDL blood cholesterol.
- It is also a key ingredient in margarine and other processed foods.
- It is also used for skin and hair care. As it moisturizes skin and corn oil can be used as hair conditioner as it makes hairs more manageable.
- Corn oil is used as tonic, it contains linolenic acid which is required for proper functioning of kidneys, live, heart, reproductive system and digestive system.
- Corn oil reduces blood pressure post consumption in hypertensive patients.
Safety and Precaution:
Corn oil is not toxic in nature. If corn oil is taken in excessive quantities, it too can give you many issues like toxicity of organs, cancer, arthritis & acne, obesity, cholesterol. The oil should be kept in a cool place where there is no access to sunlight.
