Maize (Zea mays) as a superfood

© 2021 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.Maize (Zea mays L.) has been used in human nutrition as a staple food, especially in Latin America and African countries. According to FAO, maize is a primary source of calories in the diets of 230 million inhabitants of developing countries. Recent studies have also identified it as a good source of nutraceuticals compounds, such as phenolics, phospholipids, phytosterols, arabinoxylans, policosanols, carotenoids, vitamins, dietary fiber, among others, which have demonstrated positive health effects. Therefore, this chapter aims to present the potential of maize as a superfood, being highlighted its physicochemical composition, and its antioxidant, anticancer, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antiobesogenic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Additionally, it also focuses on the most common food processing methods to face maize mycotoxins, which is one of its main issues.

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