Talk:Nixtamalization

Niacin in nixtamalized corn
I'm confused. The common wisdom stated in this article is that nixtamalization reduces incidence of pellagra by unlocking the niacin in the corn. So I looked at the nutrition facts of hominy, and the niacin content is so negligible that even if you ate a gallon of it per day you should still get pellagra if you have no other sources of niacin in your diet. Apparently corn is a virtually niacin-free food no matter what you do to it. So that still leaves the question unanswered, of how the Aztecs weren't getting pellagra, because clearly nixtamalization wasn't the reason. Succubus MacAstaroth (talk) 17:09, 23 January 2023 (UTC)


 * FAO (1992) says nixtamalization prevents pellagra by unlocking tryptophan, which gets converted into niacin by humans (but not by cats). I guess that's the explanation. And yep, your comment just pushed me to change it. Artoria2e5 🌉 14:19, 31 December 2023 (UTC)