Nutra Allied®

Maize/ Corn Oil

Corn oil (maize oil) is oil extracted from the germ of corn (maize). Its main use is in cooking, where its high smoke point makes refined corn oil a valuable frying oil. It is also a key ingredient in some margarines. Corn oil is generally less expensive than most other types of vegetable oils. One bushel of corn contains 1.55 pounds of corn oil (2.8% by weight). Corn agronomists have developed high-oil varieties; however, these varieties tend to show lower field yields, so they are not universally accepted by growers.

Healthy Fat: Corn oil is high in polyunsaturated fat, which is a heart-healthy fat, and low in saturated fat, which is an unhealthy fat that can cause high cholesterol. The American Heart Association suggests replacing saturated fat in one's diet with unsaturated fat in order to reduce cholesterol as well as reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Corn oil is comprised of about 86 percent unsaturated fat and about 13 percent saturated fat, according to the Corn Refiners Association. For comparison, olive oil has about the same amount of saturated fat as corn oil, while canola oil contains about half as much saturated fat.

Vitamin E: Corn oil is a good source of vitamin E, providing 15 parent of the daily value per tablespoon. Vitamin E is an essential nutrient that acts as an antioxidant in the body, protecting it from free radical damage. Corn oil has more vitamin E than olive oil or canola oil, which provide 10 parent and 12 parent, respectively, of the daily value per tablespoon.

Low Cost: Corn oil is relatively inexpensive compared to other oils. Olive oil, for instance, is often five times the cost of corn oil per ounce. Using low-cost oils like corn may reduce the temptation to reuse cooking oils, which increases the likelihood of free radicals forming within the oil.