Grains & legumes
Moderate evidenceCorn
It carries 644 µg of lutein and zeaxanthin per 100 g. Yet in AREDS2's primary analysis, lutein supplementation did not significantly slow macular degeneration.
Corn sautéed with garlic butter
The butter is not only for flavour. Corn's lutein is fat-soluble and absorbs poorly without it.
2 servings20 min
Ingredients
Method
Steam the corn in the husk for ten minutes. The husk traps moisture and keeps the kernels from drying.
Let it cool briefly, then run a knife down the cob to strip the kernels. Standing the cob upright and cutting downwards keeps them from flying.
Chop the garlic finely.
Heat a pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Not high heat — butter starts to burn around 150 °C.
Fry the garlic for 30 seconds, add the kernels and sauté for three to four minutes, until a few kernels take on brown spots.
Season with salt and pepper and scatter the parsley over.
Cooking note
The butter does more than taste. Corn's lutein and zeaxanthin (644 µg per 100 g) are fat-soluble, and absorption drops sharply without fat. One tablespoon is enough; more does not raise absorption proportionally.
That said, the evidence that lutein protects the eyes is not established. The primary analysis of AREDS2, the largest trial, was not significant (hazard ratio 0.90, p = .12). A benefit appeared only in secondary analysis, among those eating the least lutein.
Steaming in the husk is about moisture. Boiling sends sugars and water-soluble vitamins into the water; steam trapped inside the husk costs far less.
Butter goes to medium heat and no further. Its smoke point of around 150 °C means it burns quickly on high. If you need more heat, use clarified butter or canola oil.
Corn is a grain, not a vegetable. At 18.7 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, this plate belongs in the place of the rice, not beside it.
Ingredients used here
Oils & fats
Strong evidenceButter
Saturated fat runs 50.5 g per 100 g. Yet the evidence on dairy fat and cardiovascular disease is less tidy than the theory predicts.
Vegetables
Moderate evidenceGarlic
The evidence for garlic points to a modest drop in blood pressure and cholesterol. The trick is to crush it and wait ten minutes before it hits the heat.