Nixtamal questions

[Guest guest]

I haven't been following this thread very closely so don't know if this has been

talked about or not. Accidently found this when I was searcing for something

else on the Linus ing Institute site. Thought it was really interesting.

Pellagra – Niacin Deficiency

The late stage of severe niacin deficiency is known as pellagra. Early records

of pellagra followed the widespread cultivation of corn in Europe in the 1700's

(1). The disease was generally associated with poorer social classes whose chief

dietary staple consisted of cereals like corn or sorghum. Pellagra was also

common in the southern United States during the early 1900's where income was

low and corn products were a major dietary staple (5). Interestingly, pellagra

was not known in Mexico, where corn was also an important dietary staple and

much of the population was also poor. In fact, corn contains appreciable amounts

of niacin, but it is present in a bound form that is not nutritionally available

to humans. The traditional preparation of corn tortillas in Mexico involves

soaking the corn in a lime (calcium oxide) solution, prior to cooking. Heating

the corn in an alkaline solution results in the release of bound niacin,

increasing its bioavailability (6).

The most common symptoms of niacin deficiency involve the skin, digestive

system, and the nervous system (2). The symptoms of pellagra were commonly

referred to as the four D's: dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death. In the

skin, a thick, scaly, darkly pigmented rash develops symmetrically in areas

exposed to sunlight. In fact, the word " pellagra " comes from the Italian phrase

for rough or raw skin. Symptoms related to the digestive system include a bright

red tongue, vomiting, and diarrhea. Neurologic symptoms include headache,

apathy, fatigue, depression, disorientation, and memory loss. If untreated,

pellagra is ultimately fatal (3).

Laree

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