Zea Mays

Comments

• KFontaine04

  April 2009 edited April 2009

  Wow...That is really interesting.
  
  I found this:
  
  History of domestication
  There are four wild species in the genus Zea, all of which are native to Mexico and northern Central America. One of these, Zea mexicana, commonly called teosinte, gave rise to maize Zea mays. Genetic evidence suggests that maize originated mainly from the Balsas race of teosinte which is found in the Balsas River basin in the Michoacan-Guerrero border region of western Mexico. Zea mays is thought to have speciated from Z. mexicana into a separate gene pool many thousands of years ago afterwhich it diversified into a number of different races.
  
  Maize is similar to teosinte in that it is a quick growing annual with C4-type photosynthesis, giving it the ability to grow well in bright sunlight with limited water, and it has unisexual inflorescences: the tassel (male) and the ear (female).
  
  Maize is different from teosinte in a number of features including:
  
  loss of the hard case around the grain which in teosinte helps grain to survive going through an animal's digestive system;
  doubling and redoubling of the two rows of grain in the teosinte ear; and
  the maize ear is covered by husks, with elongated styles sticking out the tip of the ear for pollination.
  larger grain size, loss of dormancy and retention of ripe grain on the ear that does not shatter (all typical features of grass domestication)
  Archaeological evidence from the Tehuacan caves in Puebla, Mexico, suggests that people were using Z. mays rather that Z. mexicana from about 5000 BC. The remains of Z. mays from these caves still bare quite a close resemblance to Z. mexicana in that the ears are small and slender and the grains are tiny and hard. However, the cobs were non-shattering and there were mostly eight row of kernels although there were a few four rowed types. They were probably used to produce popcorn. By the time Columbus arrived in the Americas, people had developed numerous forms of maize and were often growing them in close proximity to one another. Although maize is wind-pollinated, people were able to keep races genetically distinct because (1) different races were grown in different fields with forest in between; (2) pollen of the same race as the plant tends to grow down the long styles faster than pollen of different races; and (3) farmer can spot a cob with pollination by different races of pollen because grains are often differently coloured - cobs like this would be rejected for planting.
  
  Columbus brought maize grains back to the Spanish court, originating from the Greater Antilles in the Caribean, and these were grown in Spain in 1493. Basque companions of Pizarro brought maize grains back from Peru and introduced maize growing to the Pyrenees. Maize growing spread rapidly in Europe although only in southern Europe did it become a major crop. The popularity of maize in this region stemmed from the increased yield it provided over other spring crops such as wheat. It soon became the staple diet of poor people which led to malnutrition because maize is deficient in the amino acids lysine and niacin and white maize is deficient in carotene which is converted to Vitamin A. The disease pellagra became common, caused by a deficiency of niacin.
  
  Maize was introduced to Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries and was readily accepted by African farmers, partly because it was grown and used in a similar way to their traditional crop of grain sorghum. Maize displaced sorghum as the staple grain in all but the drier regions. The Portuguese are thought to have introduced maize to Asian regions where it became widely grown but in most cases did not replace rice and wheat as the major crops.
  
  In North America, the Red Indian tribes were growing maize as far back as 200 AD, but it was only in the 19th Century, with the aid of draft animals and ploughs, that European settlers rapidly developed the prairie grasslands of the Eastern US into what is now referred to as the Cornbelt. It was in this region that new, higher yielding maize varieties were developed, some of which were adopted in other parts of the world.
  
  http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/plants/poaceae/zea_mays.htm
• ljowen123

  April 2009 edited November -1

  Looks like corn to me - I think that's a not so nice way to list it, too.
• tsukitsune

  April 2009 edited November -1

  I know... its like... hidden.
• Calia

  April 2009 edited November -1

  Maize (Zea mays L. ssp. mays; IPA: /meɪz/, rhymes with "plays"), known as corn by most English-speakers, is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica and subsequently spread throughout the American continents. After European contact with the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th century, maize spread to the rest of the world.
• KFontaine04

  April 2009 edited November -1

  I just found this on another site:
  
  Just a quick comment on “Zea Mays” in Orijen Foods. This is not sweet corn. On the label Zea Mays is listed under Tonic Herbs and Botanicals” The part of plant used is the silk not the seed. Which by the way has many wonderful medicinal properties.
  
  So Orijen does not contain “corn” it does contain “corn silk” as a botanical - which is a good thing.
  
• tsukitsune

  April 2009 edited April 2009

  So, corn. Plain and simple.
  
  But not so according to the website
  
  From the Orijen website:
  "Q: WHAT IS ZEA MAYS and WHY IS IT IN ORIJEN?
  
  A: The Zea Mays in ORIJEN is CORN SILK which is actually classified as an herb or botanical – not a grain. Corn Silk is NOT made from grain but rather from filaments from the flowers of female corn plant. This costly botanical features Maizenic Acid as an active ingredient and is formulated in ORIJEN diets at 300mg/kg. As corn silk does not contain corn starch or corn protein it poses absolutely no risk to dogs that may have corn allergies.
  
  Corn silk is used to treat urinary tract infections and kidney stones and is regarded as a soothing diuretic useful for any irritation of the urinary system (a common health problem in today’s companion dogs and cats). As corn silk is used as a kidney remedy and in the regulation of fluids, this herb is believed to be helpful in treating high blood pressure and water retention.
  
  As a well known herbal remedy, corn silk is used to treat urinary conditions in countries including the United Sates, China, Haiti, Turkey, and Trinidad. Furthermore, in China, corn silk as a component in an herbal formula is used to treat diabetes."
  
  
  why don't they list it as silk not zea mays? And why did my corn allergic dog flare up?
• KFontaine04

  April 2009 edited November -1

  Why don't they put "corn silk" on the bag then if it is SO great? Why do they hide it with "zea mays"?
• Calia

  April 2009 edited November -1

  If someone reads the word 'corn', they'll automatically think that it has all the problems associated with using the kernel. This makes it less troublesome in the customer relations department
• Calia

  April 2009 edited November -1

  It is a part of corn, so your pups may be allergic to a less common aspect of the product. Or they could have a similar allergy to people who are allergic to peanuts, if they eat an almond that was process in the same room as peanuts they can still get a reaction.
• tsukitsune

  April 2009 edited November -1

  hmm. interesting.
• sunyata

  April 2009 edited November -1

  That is good to know. Bella has a severe corn allergy, and I have thought about doing a rotation with Orijen, but now I think I will stick to my current food schedule. It is really interesting that they list the ingredient as Zea Mays and not as corn silk. I know PR is a big issue, but I would think that Orijen would rather its customers really know what goes into their products.
• lindsayt

  April 2009 edited November -1

  If it's known through a food trial that a particular dog is allergic to corn, than perhaps using an alternate diet would be the easier choice. Corn silk is also way down on the ingredient list, so very small amounts are in the food.
  
  My bigger issues (although Beebe who possibly has the most allergies of any dog I have ever tested and has had good symptom control on the Orijen fish), is that Orijen contains sunflower oil. Many higher end dog foods in the US no longer contain this following some studies on breast cancer/cancer rates.
  
  The Swedish National Cancer Society warns sunflower oil increases the risk of cancer by 69% (what they found in their studies). Apparently due to this, sunflower oil has been pulled from many grocery store shelves and foods. Apparently their are too many Omega-6's which contribute to too much cellular inflammation.
  
  I still feed Orijen because I feel the amount of the oil is very small, and I feed a ton of Omega-3s, and the study was conducted on humans. Orijen has been a really nice option for Beebe, but there are some things I would change about it. In the end, no kibbled food I have looked at has been totally ideal for us, making the choice to feed cooked or raw easier each day.
• Leonberger

  April 2009 edited April 2009

  zea mays is not the same as Zea mays. The second is, in fact, the scientific name of common corn, one of the species of the Zea genus. But, from what I could find from a quick search corn silk is also popularly known as zea mays.
  Around here we call it "barbas de milho" (corn beards), and they are seen as having loads of helpful properties, related mainly to the urinary system, like a diuretic and helpful for kidney pain. All of this, of course, in humans.
  
  Having said that, it is part of the corn plant, so it shares all the genetic information of corn grains. So if a dog's problem with corn isn't just with starch, but an actual allergy to corn (the whole plant) it's very likely there will be a reaction.
  
  ETA: I wrote this befora I read Lindsay's post, it took too long for me to write it since I'm at work.
• tsukitsune

  April 2009 edited November -1

  Why can't Orijen make a disclaimer, then? I mean, most of the people searching for alternatives to commercial kibbles turn to foods that claim "Grain Free" because they are trying to stay away from corn, wheat, soy, etc.
  
  Granted, this zea mays vs. Zea mays seems like it conveniently gets Orijen in the clear (hope they never make a typo!) because its not the part of the plant that is in corn grain. And we are entirely sure its actually the latter just because its not capitalized?
  None of the other ingredients following are capitalized either.
  
  Oh well. I was hoping I read that wrong, and we've had to just steer clear from Orijen all together because of Tsuki's reaction to it. I have an email out to the company for 9 days now with no reply. When I get one, I'll post it.
  
  Thanks for all the info!
• Leonberger

  April 2009 edited November -1

  None of the following ingredients is presented as a scientific name.
  Just as an example, rosemary isn't presented as Rosmarinus officinalis (according to the rules this should even be in italic). I don't think they present any ingredient in its scientific name, other than the "probiotic microrganisms".
  
  I understand that you feel wronged. But Orijen remains a grain free food (according to the ingredient list), with no corn (grain).
  
  As an example, let's say the same about walnuts. Around here, at least, walnut tree leaf infusion is believed to have medicinal properties against diabetes. True or not, let's say I have it. I am not having walnuts, but I am consuming part of the plant. It's the same thing here.
  Of course, if I had a severe allergy to walnuts, I could get an allergic reaction to the infusion, as it seems to have happened to Tsuki.
  
  This is just to explain why I think their explanation works for me.
• tsukitsune

  April 2009 edited November -1

  Thank you for your insight, Rui!
  It helps to consider all aspects of this, because while I might feel wronged because of how Tsuki reacted and later finding out what it probably was, the fact remains that they have helped a lot of dogs build a stronger level of nutrition and well being, and their food is truly miles above most commercial foods.
  Their company seems to be held in high regard for their level of food safety and ingredient origins. I eagerly await a response from the company regarding the zea mays ingredient.
  
  And I hope I didn't discourage the use or disuse of anything, I hope everyone thinks of their dog and the individual success or failure on any diet. This is just one food I cannot use for my individual dog.
  
  Thanks for the debate and information! It was very helpful!