**4.7 Relationship of maize with health**

Being comparatively inexpensive, maize as a stable diet contributes to most of the caloric requirement. It is also an excellent source of starch and B-complex vitamins along with antioxidants such as different types of polyphenols [16]. It also contributes to satiety and is used as a main dish in the diet. No meal can be prepared from cereals. Maize is also used as a thickening agent as a corn flour in custards and puddings. Maize as a thickening agent used in the preparation of different types of sausages as well.

Maize is also consumed as a ready-to-eat food in the form of cornflakes with milk as a healthy breakfast [17]. The fibre present in the maize helps to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of colon cancer (**Table 12**). Moreover, it is also useful for anaemic, haemorrhoid, cardiac and diabetic patients due to significant nutritional value of macro- and micronutrients in it. It is also helpful in the metabolism of carbohydrates due to the presence of thiamine in it [18].
