Now what is important to understand about corn, is that its essential nutrients (niacin) are unusable unless there is lime present. NPR did a radio segment many years ago. I don't remember much about it other than this:
1. Some people were going through starvation even though there was plenty of corn available. (Though I'd like to leap and say it was the US, I'm pretty sure that it was not, but rather a European country).
2. Scientists were perplexed because there are several civilizations in which corn is a stable, and starvation was not an issue (think South America).
3. A black scientist posited that he thought the starvation was happening because the nutrients in corn were not being unlocked; specifically, the milling of the grain on millstones with a composite of lime by the ancient civilizations likely enable the release of niacin.
4. Well, because he was black his opinion did not hold much weight. Later his contribution was noted after many people continued to starve.
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Of course, you never know when you might be on a game show. I've not seen (nor will I) the show asking if you are smarter than 100 people. I wouldn't want to be on a show that wondered whether or not I was smarter than 5 people...but I digress. So if there are any questions about corn processing, you just commit the following to mind.
Seriously, it does show the production of ethanol, which for any of you interested in that as an investment theme (and let's also remember that corn is at a 10 year high--so all of your favorite corn products--and grits are a staple in my house--will be rising. )
Here's a paper (propoganda?) at the same site noting the energy inputs v outputs for ethanol.
http://www.iowacorn.org/ethanol/documents/energy_balance_001.pdf
(click to enlarge)
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