There’s many things I love about summer, but one of the best things by far is all the fresh corn-on-the-cob that is to be had! Is there anything tastier or more refreshing?? I could easily eat 3 or 4 cobs without batting an eye- except for maybe the unnecessary calories I may be consuming ;).

One thing I don’t love about corn, is the mess of the corn silk. It gets everywhere, and many think it’s completely useless! However, while corn silk may be messy, it actually has some pretty cool health benefits!

Corn silk is naturally very high in potassium. Potassium is a great way to help your brain function at its full capacity. It allows oxygen to more easily access the brain, which makes thinking (or any other activity that requires your brain- so basically everything ;)!) easier- who doesn’t need help with that?? It also helps our muscles to contract normally and function the way they need to- which is why you always hear that you should eat a banana to avoid a Charlie horse ;). It also helps regulate your blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and maintain calcium levels (resulting in healthier bones), so this is definitely a nutrient you want your body to have plenty of!

Corn silk is also high in Vitamin K- another miracle nutrient! It’s ability to help calcium circulate through the body helps to regulate blood clotting, and can even help women with heavier menstrual cycles to experience a lighter blood flow! It can also help pregnant women who are experiencing a lot of nausea- where was this when I needed it 9 months ago??? ;)

As if you needed more reasons to appreciate the health benefits of corn silk, it actually is a great helper for your urinary tract! It can help soothe and reduce the effects of UTI’s, and can even help strengthen the urinary tract of your chronic bedwetter! It’s also been rumored to help the passing of kidney stones- something that anyone who has had a kidney stone would love to learn more about, I’m sure!

Many people actually choose to consume their corn silk in tea form. Make sure to use organic corn silk or homegrown to avoid any residual of pesticides. Once you’ve shucked your corn, set aside your corn silk on a paper towel to let it completely dry. Then all you need is 1 cup of boiling water for every tablespoon of dried corn silk- let it sit for 15-20 minutes, strain, and sweeten with a little honey or sugar if you’d like ;). (As with most vitamins, too much of a good thing can be bad, so you might want to do a little research as to appropriate dosages before you make your homemade corn silk tea!)

Overall, there really are so many health benefits to that seemingly annoying strand you might find in your way when enjoying a delicious piece of corn on the cob. But now you are armed with knowledge! So next time you find a couple random pieces of corn silk that didn’t quite find it’s way off your cob of corn, remember all the health benefits you’re actually getting ;).