Eat Me: Six reasons corn pap is good for your health

Corn pap, commonly known as akamu, ogi or eko, is a fermented cereal pudding from Nigeria, typically made from maize. 

Traditionally, the grain is soaked in water for up to three days before wet-milling and sieving to remove husks.

The filtered cereal is then allowed to ferment for up to three days until sour. Subsequently, it is boiled into a pap or cooked to make a creamy pudding.

Made from maize, akamu is a nutritious meal which is a good source of carbohydrate, B vitamins (pantothenic acid – B5, niacin – B3, riboflavin and thiamine – B1), folic acid, vitamins A and C, potassium, chromium, selenium, zinc, phosphorous, magnesium and many others.

Here are 6 health benefits of pap

Reduces risk of blood pressure

Pap is great for people with high blood pressure because of its high potassium and zero sodium content. This helps to lower blood pressure.

Good source of energy

It is a good source of carbohydrate. This is meal highly recommended for athletes.

Replaces lost body fluid

It is a meal that replaces the fluid lost because of its high water content.

Easy to digest

It helps to pass out unwanted elements in the body through urine. Notice that whenever you take pap, you tend to urinate a lot. Its texture makes it very easy to digest and a perfect food for convalescing individuals. It does not stress the digestive system.

100% natural

It is a meal that retains many of its nutrients after processing. This is because it doesn’t have to undergo long manufacturing processes and there are no additives present in it.

Increase breast milk for nursing mothers

Pap assists nursing mothers to increase the flow of their breast milk, which is why it is a highly recommended meal for nursing mothers. It can be enjoyed alone or eaten with other foods like bean cake (akara), bean pudding (moi-moi) and beans porridge.