CAPIÁ (maízzea mays l.)

	C
	CAPIÁ
	*maízzea mays l.*

Name
CAPIÁ

Scientific Name
maízzea mays l.

CAPIÁ

Other Names:

Corn, Altoverde, Borona, Canguil, Capiá, Caucha, Choclo, Cuatequil, Dance, Malajo, Mijo Turquesco, Millo, Zara

The maize was the basic food of many of the pre-Columbian settlers of the American continent. He was cultivated, from the south of which now they are the United States, until Peru and Bolivia, by red skins, Aztec, Mayan and Incas. In Mexico have been rest of maize in prehistoric deposits of more ago than 4,000 years.

Habitat: original of Mexico and America Central, but cultivated anywhere in the world like food and forage. No longer it exists as it plants wild.

Description: it plants annual of the family of the Gramíneas, with separated masculine and feminine flowers. These last ones are grouped in an ear, that ends up becoming mazorca. From each one of the feminine flowers of mazorca, a style of about 20 cm in length arises. All the together styles form the hair or beard of the maize. The fruits are the maize grains.

Used parts: the fruits, and the styles, badly called estigmas.

Properties and indications: the maize grain contains glúcidos or carbon hydrates (70-77%), proteins (7'%-10%) and fats (3%-5%), in addition to minerals and oligoelementos (mainly, fluorine). Its protein is more complete of which it thought, although something inferior to the one of the wheat and rather less complete than the one of the soybean. Nevertheless, like the rice, emphasizes by its deficiency of gluten, proteinic substance that can cause an inflammatory reaction in the intestinal mucosa, well-known disease like celiaquía. These are the applications of the maize grain:

Emollient and protector of the intestinal mucosa: the maize and its flour, thanks to its total deficiency of gluten, those who are very useful for suffer celiaquía, and in general, for the children who undergo bad intestinal absorption or diarreas chronicles. At the moment, in the case of the suckling babies, it is recommended to begin the diet of transition, of single milk to which it includes cereal flour, with papillas of maize or rice, that when lacking gluten, is tolerated better than those of wheat, barley or rye, that yes contain it.

Restrainer of the metabolism: the relentiza maize the activity of the gland thyroid, and therefore restrains the metabolism. It is recommended to the convalescent, anemic hipertiroideos and and the undernourished ones, like reconstituyente. He is useful in the diets of fattening.

However, it agrees to indicate that the protein of the maize, call zeína, is poor in triptófano lisina and, two essential amino acids, as well as in niacina, a vitaminic factor. Therefore the towns that feed themselves solely with maize, tend to undergo nutritious deficiencies, that can cause diseases to them like pelagra. However, the maize combined with other cereals, leguminosas or milk, that is to say, like a component more than a varied diet, is a very nutritious food and that contributes to replace the proteinic necessities of the diet.

Reduction of the cholesterol: the oil that is extracted of the maize germ is very rich in insaturados fatty acids, reason why it is suitable to those who have excess of cholesterol in the blood.

Externally, the maize flour is applied in hot cataplasms on the kidneys in case of renal cólico, as well as on vejiga urinary in case of cystitis. Its effect power if they are used jointly with the infusion of styles.

The styles or estigmas of the maize, that form their beautiful hair, are in fact fine conduits that end at the ovary of their flowers. By them they penetrate grains of polen that they fertilize them. They are rich in potassium and flavonoides, that confer diurética action to them; they contain alantoína, that makes sedatives and antiinflammatory; and in addition, tannins and steroids. Its diurética and purifying action intense and is very well tolerated, without irritating the kidneys nor producing descompensación in the electrolytic balance of the blood. They are possible to be taken during long periods of time. Very they are indicated in the following cases:

Circulatory affections: edemas (retention of liquids), swollen legs (even in the pregnancy), cardiac affections, arterial hypertension, excess of salt in the diet.

Litiasis renal, or due to úricos calculations, of phosphate or oxalato; renales cólicos, by its sedative and antiinflammatory action.

Inflammations of the kidney (nefritis), of vejiga of tinkle it (cystitis), albumen in tinkles it (nefrosis).

Drop (excess of úrico acid), arthritism, edemas subpalpebrales (bags underneath the eyes), and whenever it is wanted to eliminate the excess of accumulated toxins in the blood (for example, after to have passed an influenza).

Use: The maize and its flour take in multitude from forms and plates like a food more. In infusion of styles, 30 grams by liter of water; it is taken it warms up or fries, in the morning or in the evening, but not at night, at the rate of 3 to 5 daily cups. The oil is obtained from the germ of the maize grain; it is used as any other oil of kitchen, preferably crude.

Externally, in maize flour cataplasms that are applied I warm up on the kidneys or vejiga during about 10 minutes, 2-3 daily times. In case of renal cólico and cystitis they are combined with the ingestion of infusions of styles.

Precautions: the maize styles, by its noticeable diurético effect, they are advises against two for those who suffer of hipertrofia of the prostate.

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