Corn silks

Corn Silks

Ayurveda

The silky tufts emerging from the tip of a developing ear of corn, are common this time of year as people buy corn and eat it in piles I prefer GMO-free varieties!. But the corn silks often end up in the compost pile along with the husks as people prepare piles of corn for grilling, boiling, baking, or canning. But you can save those corn silks and put them to use in your home apothecary.

Corn has been used by indigenous peoples in Mexico and Central American for thousands of years.

Zea mays (corn) is in the grass plant family, and is one of the top three most important grains in the world (rice and wheat are the other two). Corn was bred in what is now Mexico and Central America almost 9,000 years ago by indigenous peoples who knew how to get the most out of corn to maximize its nutritional and medicinal benefits. Since they wasted nothing, they also made use of the corn silk.

Eaten on their own, corn silks taste like green corn: not unpleasant but not something you want as a heaping side dish, either. And their stringiness limits some uses. But corn silks can be used in some cooking and as a tea. Dried corn silks can also be found in capsule form in many health food stores and apothecaries.

CAUTIONS

Like any plant used for medicinal purposes, educate yourself about any potential side effects in discussion with your doctor; they may also interact with your medications. And consult with a master herbalist using a resource like the American Herbalists Guild.

MEDICINAL QUALITIES

Corn silks have some amazing medicinal benefits. They are very high in Vitamin K, C, and B, iron, zinc, and corn silks are a great source of potassium. The many flavonols and antioxidants found in corn silks also provide many of the medicinal benefits of the silks. Both historic traditions and recent research support the role of corn silk to treat many medical conditions (refer to the source information below for more information):
Sooth inflamed membranes and minor pain (such as honey for sore throats)
Dilate the blood vessels, such as a treatment for high blood pressure
Works as a diuretic
Kidney or bladder stones
Cystitis (urinary tract infection)
Congestive heart failure
Hyperglycemia
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Enhance blood clotting
Reduce blood sugar levels
Gout
Gonorrhea

USES

Corn silk tea is the traditional and most commonly known medicinal use for corn silk. To make one serving of corn silk tea, boil either fresh or dried corn silks from one ear of corn in water for several minutes (dried silks can be used). Strain and drink the tea. You can also add corn silks to soups and stews, chopped, as they can serve as a soup thickener. Dried corn silks work great for this!