Corn Silk – Healthy benefits

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Credit: facebook.com/Larbi Cosmos

If you are looking for a mild, natural herbal remedy to help you improve your daily health, this may be an excellent tea for you to try. This herbal drink is easy to enjoy; whether you are looking to treat a specific problem, or even if you are simply looking to gather benefits from this tea on account of its vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Corn silk is used for bladder infections, inflammation of the urinary system, inflammation of the prostate, kidney stones, and bed wetting. It is also used to treat congestive heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, fatigue, and high cholesterol levels.
Below listed are the prominent health benefits offered by corn silk:
1. Treats Urinary Tract Infections:
Corn silk works as an anti-inflammatory agent for urinary tract infections (1). It basically coats the urinary tract lining and thwarts further irritation. Corn silk tea consumption helps soothe the inflamed bladder and the urinary tract. It makes you urinate, and thus reduces the risk of bacteria build-up in the urinary tract. It is also used to soothe the irritated prostate gland.
2. Works as a Diuretic Agent:
For ages, corn silk tea has been used as a natural potent diuretic agent. It helps flush out excess water and waste from the body, thereby reducing complications related to water retention. According to studies, usage of diuretics helps get rid of several health hazards including congestive heart failure and kidney diseases in the long run.
3. Keeps Kidney Stones At Bay:
Kidney stones are made of small crystallized deposits that can cause pain and annoyance. Corn silk has been used since the ancient days to prevent the occurrence of kidney stones. Corn silk usage can increase urine flow and decrease the chances of sediment formation in kidneys, which otherwise can eventually lead to kidney stone formation. However, remember that its use will not treat kidney stones that are already present.
4. Facilitates Blood Clotting:
It contains vitamin K that helps in the blood clotting process. This ensures you do not experience excessive blood loss in the event of an injury.
5. Lowers Blood Pressure:
A lot of people suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure issues nowadays. They can consume corn silk tea to reduce high blood pressure. This will ensure they don’t have to cope with the adverse effects of OTC blood pressure medications.
6. Helps Regulate Blood Sugar Levels:
Taking corn silk tea helps those with blood sugar issues, as per the findings of studies conducted in the recent times. A study that was published in 2012 in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules showed the impact corn silk extract had on diabetes. The study was carried out on laboratory rats afflicted with diabetes, and the study authors noted that the application of corn silk polysaccharides helped reduce blood sugar levels. High blood sugar leads to a lot of ailments like stroke, kidney problems, and diabetes. Another study that was published in 2009 in Nutrition and Metabolism journal showed that corn silk tea aids insulin generation in the human body.
7. Helps Heal Inflammatory Ailments And Conditions:
Corn silk is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Traditional medicine followers are of the view that it can be used to reduce the pain caused by inflammatory ailments like gout and arthritis. The diuretic action of cork silk may prevent excess uric acid formation in the body joints, which leads to gout pain. However, it should not be taken as a cure for arthritis related conditions.
8. Helps Fight Cholesterol:
Cholesterol in the bloodstream leads to the onset of several critical ailments in the long run (including cardiac complications). Keeping cholesterol levels in the blood low is the key to staying healthy and avoids heart hazards, say the doctors. A study carried out by Jilin University scientists in China showed that corn silk consumption brings down cholesterol in rodents.
9. Source of Vitamin C:
Corn silk contains vitamin C, which is ideal for boosting immunity. It also plays a pivotal role in regulating a myriad functions in the human body.
10. Helps Fight Obesity:
Obesity is a major health menace affecting a large part of the human population nowadays. While obesity is caused by more than one factor including genetics, some people put on excess weight owing to excess water retention and toxin accumulation in the body. Since corn silk helps eliminate excess water and waste from the body, such people will find it helpful to evade weight gain. They can have this tea twice or thrice a day for maximum benefits. However, it would be wrong to assume that it is a cure for obesity.