I know this is kind of wierd but I've been trying it for a few months and it seems to work so I thought I would post it.

In July I got the flu pretty bad and as a result for that week I ate slightly different food. The next week after recovering I began to feel really good and I couldn't work out why. Over the week some days I would feel great and other days not so great and I was wondering what it was that was making me feel good. I suspected it could be something I was eating as my diet changed a bit the week I was sick. I had been eating yoghurt and dates and nuts and I thought maybe that was it, but it wasn't. After some weeks of scratching my head it came to me it must be the corn chips I had been eating. I don't normally eat corn chips because I have heard they are a bad carb, but for some reason I was eating them every now and then. I was usually eating them after dinner as a bit of a late night snack. What I found was usually the next day I felt really good, not all-round cure good, but my skin and eyes felt healthier and my thoughts were a lot calmer.

I was intrigued what could be in the corn chips that could make such a difference (btw - In Australia what we call corn chips are actually called tortilla chips in other countries). After a bit of web searching I found that corn chips are made from corn masa. It turns out that corn masa is maize soaked in lime water over night. Lime water is just calcium oxide and the process is called nixtamalization. When America started eating a lot of corn they developed a disease called pellegra which is a nutrient deficiency disease. This was because they didn't use the nixtamalization process. Nixtamalization makes the niacin available, without nixtamalization it is unavailable.

The only reason I can think that corn chips have this effect is because of the extra calcium. According to the USDA Nutrient Database whole grain corn meal has only 7mg of calcium per 100g whereas tortilla chips contain 174mg per 100g. This is significantly higher than the calcium in other grains (around 30mg/100g for whole wheat) and I also believe that the calcium in tortilla chips is 85% available. However, 174mg of calcium still isn't all that much, relatively speaking, since milk contains 276mg per cup. I must say that I do notice a similar effect from drinking milk but it is much shorter lived. In corn, because the calcium is in a complex carbohydrate, it seems to have a much longer lasting effect. Corn also has a bit of soluble fibre which might also be contributing to the beneficial effect.

After realising the benefits of calcium in a carb I noticed that our packet of dried figs said "High in Calcium". After researching figs I found out that they contain 162mg per 100g of calcium, which may explain why I thought the yoghurt may have been making me feel good since sometimes I was having figs with it instead of dates. However, after a few days eating decent quantities of figs I felt a tingling on the top of my head somewhat reminiscent of chelating. I suspected that figs may also be high in sulphur. I couldn't find any info on the amount of suplhur in figs or in any food for that matter because apparently it is really hard to test! (wierd). So I stopped the figs.

I don't eat corn chips every day, usually just the day before I think I might be going somewhere and just need to feel calmer. The effect seems to be quite long lasting. Sometimes it kicks in straight away, whereas other times it doesn't kick in until the next day, but seems to last until the end of the next day.

I'm not sure whether it is just my body chemistry that benefits from this. I would be interested to hear whether anyone else experiences a similar benefit. Surely there are many other people that have eaten corn chips! Maybe it's just me.

I found that you don't need to each much. Initially I was eating a bowl full but I found that even eating just half a bowl had a similar effect. I wonder whether it has something to do with taking the calcium down lower in the intestines, helping with inflammation??

One thing I do notice is it feels like my lymph is moving and any mucous I have has a really salty kind of taste so perhaps it gets the lymph moving.

I read recently that the number one neurotransmitter in the brain is calcium ions so perhaps that's why I experience a mental benefit.

Anyway just thought I'd post this here just in case it is helpful to someone.

God bless,

Jolon.

Thanks for the interesting information.

I have long believe that the vast majority of people are Calcium deficient. This is true, I believe, for a number of reasons, including the fact that Mercury—which is "everywhere"—interferes with magnesium which—when low—prevents calcium from being efficiently utilized. Therefore, mercury could be causing a massive calcium-deficient condition in the world.

On another note, it's amazing how a small change can make a big difference with the body. I've seen certain chronic diseases completely disappear with a small change in diet. Consider Scurvy.

Thanks for the info!

this is new to me! i think that you may have been feeling better with corn chips becuase kmaybe you lacked the nutrients that are found in the chips. as you mentioned you were sick before that, so that could explain it....

Actually the last few days I have been feeling a bit funny and now I'm wondering whether I may be developing an allergy to the chips, doh!

I'm pretty sure I have low stomach acid which would explain why I lack some of the nutrients like calcium. I just started taking some betaine hydrochloride tablets today and am feeling much better.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />The corn chips probably have a lot of salt which is not good for you. A week ago I bought blue corn chips that had no salt. I do know that the U.S. Dept of Agriculture has found certain phytochemicals in foods that are antidepressant and antianxiety.

Then they even analyzed the amounts of these phytochemicals in different foods. This is a huge amount of work but now you know where some of your tax dollars are going. They are listed on this webpage on depression.

I really adore eating corn chips...I eat everyday!!!I know that it's not good to eat often but I can't stop myself from eating chips!!!

My guess would be the EFA's from the oil. Mixed with carbs for a nice slow release. Try an EFA capsule and see if it isn't similar.

Good suggestion. I would work on discovering what the health benefit is, and pursuing it in food that is good for you, or in supplement form. Corn chips are considered junk food by most people for a reason. They are highly processed, are bad for blood sugar, and unless they say they were baked they will have been fried in vegetable oil (not good) which might also be hydrogenated (vey, very not good).

I'd suggest doing some detective work and finding a healthy way of giving your body what it is wanting <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Linda.

corn is not good for you, i avoid it.

right on.... it is full of mold and mycotoxins, very bad for us. Here is a link to some interesting facts on the toxicity of corn.

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/kiddredd/vpost?id=859936&trail=15

Sandi

Now that is an informative thread on corn at that link!

Now I know why I got a rare yeast infection this past week. Had popcorn one day, and Cornchips at work with Salsa.

My brother-in-law , a diabetic, always finds his sugar count goes up after eating over our home. My mother serves canned corn at dinner. No wonder!

I'm going to be alot more careful what so called innocent things I eat anymore!