In the medical field it has been studied as a therapy against hypoglycemia due to the presence of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin contained in corn (1).

Contents of carotenoids in maize or maize (2):

Neoxanthin and violaxanthin: 9%
Lutein: 60%
Zeaxanthin: 25%
Cryptoxanthin: 5%
Lycopene: 0%
Alpha carotene: 0
Beta carotene: 0

References_____________________________________

(1) Fruits and vegetables that are sources for lutein and zeaxanthin: the macular pigment in human eyes.
Olaf Sommerburg, Jan E E Keunen, Alan C Bird, Frederik J G M van Kuij9

(2) Use of modified cornstarch therapy to extend fasting in glycogen storage disease types Ia and Ib1,2,3
Catherine E Correia, Kaustuv Bhattacharya, Philip J Lee, Jonathan J Shuster, Douglas W Theriaque, Meena N Shankar, G Peter A Smit, and David A Weinstein

Starches (in this case corn) are modified, chemically or physically, because they would not bear the series of processes to which the food industry could subject them.

With the modification procedure the characteristics are affected in order to make them:

• more resistant to cooking
• more stable towards acids
• more sterile
• to increase the viscosity of liquid food

This is a change to the compactness of the product.

It is usually used as a thickener in the food sector.

No healthy contraindication emerged from EFSA's studies.

Modified corn starch studies