By Becky Ferber

Corn was the main food consumed by the Mississippians. Lacking in protein (less than four grams!) it could have easily led to the demise of the once great tribe. So why would the mighty Mississippians subject themselves to such malnutrition?

Why corn?The PositivesThe Negatives

Bibliography

Why Corn?

Corn could be grown in massive amounts, which was required to feed the Mississippians ever growing population of 40,000 people.

Corn, when soaked in lime water, creates a dough that can easily be made into different food such as porridge and bread. This process is called. Nixtamalizacion.

Corn is rich in nutrients such as phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, and selenium.

Corn is full of carbs which gave the Mississippians energy for their long days working in the fields or building the mounds.

Corn can be grown in massive amounts to feed a civilization.

Growing corn enabled the Mississippians to stay in one place as opposed to being hunter gatherers.

Although a great vegetable when it comes to supplementing a balanced diet, corn alone is NOT by any means healthy when it is the only food being consumed. In fact, it lacks protein to the point where the Mississippians would have suffered from severe malnutrition. Along with malnutrition, stones would get into the corn meal causing the Mississippians to suffer from extremely weak and cracked teeth.

Another problem with being dependant on one food source is the issue of what happens if for some reason that food source becomes limited. If anything had happened to the harvest (such as a drought) the entire food supply of the Mississippians would have disappeared, leaving them to starve.

http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/agriculture/albums/album01/POP_Mississippian_agriculture.jpg

www.highproteinfoods.net/fast-food/2850

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/native_americans.html

http://www.organicfacts.net/nutrition-facts/cereals/nutritional-value-of-corn-and-rice.html

http://www.bandcwater.com/cornfield.jpg