The Evil Spirit of Corn: How an Ancient Indian Curse Continues to Kill Europeans

When the Spaniards first set foot on the New World, they encountered powerful Indian civilizations ready to fight back against the invaders. The Europeans had many advantages: gunpowder, steel and… epidemics. It was diseases that became the conquerors’ main weapon. The ancient states of the Maya, Incas and Aztecs collapsed, hundreds of tribes disappeared without a trace. But soon something unexpected happened: the “counterattack” caught up with the Europeans themselves. The gifts brought from America still take millions of lives. And it’s not just tobacco – danger lurks even in such a seemingly harmless crop as corn.

Of all the troubles brought to Europe by the discovery of America, tobacco took first place in terms of the seriousness of its consequences. It was Columbus who brought it to Spain, and from there the plant began its triumphant march across the planet. The navigator himself was not keen on smoking, but his companion Rodrigo de Jerez returned from the West Indies as a passionate smoker. In fact, he became the first European to set a bad example, which centuries later turned into a global addiction. Today, millions of people in all corners of the world suffer from this harmful habit.

In addition to tobacco, another unpleasant “gift” from the New World awaited the Europeans: syphilis. While the inhabitants of the Old World brought smallpox, plague, cholera and flu to America, they brought back a venereal disease that affected everyone indiscriminately: from ordinary citizens to crowned heads. At first glance, it may seem that syphilis, which develops slowly and over the years, is not as terrible as the fulminant plague or deadly smallpox. But this is only an illusion: it is enough to look at the problem from a different angle.

The Black Death mowed down people in a matter of days, and the first symptoms appeared literally within hours. With syphilis, everything was different. An infected person could not even suspect his illness for many years, while continuing to infect others - both sexually and through everyday contact. The first epidemic of this disease spread rapidly, like a forest fire, and took the lives of about 5 million Europeans. Moreover, until the beginning of the 20th century, syphilis remained an incurable disease - salvation came only with the discovery of penicillin.

Another "legacy" of the Indians is the Colorado potato beetle. It was brought to Europe along with potatoes by the first expeditions. Before that, the insect practically did not bother the local inhabitants of the New World, as it fed on wild nightshade plants, which few people paid attention to. But in Europe, everything changed. Here, the beetle lost its usual food and soon turned its appetite to potatoes, which were also brought from its native places.

The first potatoes were noticeably different from what we eat today. Small, watery tubers overloaded with starch were not very appetizing. But years of selection made the potato tasty and nutritious. It returned to its native America in many cultivated varieties, and with it came the Colorado potato beetle, accustomed to a new diet.

Many people know about “gifts” from America, such as tobacco or syphilis. But there is another affliction, less known, but also dangerous. This is a disease called pellagra. Its name comes from the Spanish words “pell” (skin) and “agra” (holly). In the early 18th century, people in Catalonia first encountered a mysterious illness. It was dubbed “Asturian leprosy” - after the name of the region where the disease raged especially cruelly.

People who contracted pellagra began to develop rough skin. It became hard, ugly, and peeled heavily. Then the patient began to weaken, insomnia and diarrhea appeared. It all ended with dementia and failure of vital organs. The disease acted slowly - from the appearance of the first symptoms to death, 2-3 years could pass. In the 18th century alone, more than 100 thousand Spaniards died from pellagra.

Later, "Asturian leprosy" began to take lives in Italy, France, Austria-Hungary, and the south and southeast of the United States. Only several centuries later did scientists notice an important pattern. Pellagra affected only peasants, and the poorest ones at that. When doctors carefully studied the diet of those most susceptible to the disease, they discovered one common feature: the basis of their diet was corn. People even began to talk about an ancient Indian curse. But the truth turned out to be much simpler - and more terrible.

The issue was settled only in 1916. American professor Joseph Goldberger proved that pellagra was not an infection, but a vitamin deficiency. To confirm his theory, he conducted a bold experiment. The scientist gathered a group of 15 volunteers and tried to infect them with "Asturian leprosy." The researchers added blood, discharge from the nose and mouth, and skin particles of the sick to their food. However, none of the participants in the experiment developed the disease.

Research has shown that thermally processed corn grains contain almost no niacin (nicotinic acid or vitamin B3). This element is extremely important for the body, and its constant deficiency provokes the development of pellagra. Corn became the basis of the diet of many poor people due to its cheapness and ease of cultivation. Unfortunately, long-term consumption of this product triggered irreversible processes in the body.

But the question arises: why did the Indians, who had been eating corn for centuries, not suffer from vitamin deficiency? This is one of the mysteries of ancient civilizations that scientists have not yet been able to solve. Obviously, the indigenous peoples of America possessed the secret of proper processing of corn, thanks to which it retained its vitamins.

The grains were soaked in a weak solution of quicklime or wood ash. Then they were washed and dried. Only after that were they eaten. This way, the corn not only retained its nutrients, but also became tastier. Its shelf life was also increased.

Although the nature of pellagra is known to science, the disease continues to kill. The greatest number of deaths from the disease are recorded in poor regions of South America and Africa, where residents are forced to live off corn and are not informed about the dangers. It is also known that people with alcohol addiction are most vulnerable to this type of vitamin deficiency.

Thus, the history of corn and its impact on human health is a vivid example of how eating habits can have unexpected consequences. Ancient civilizations knew the secrets of proper processing of this grain, but modern societies do not always take this knowledge into account. What other traditional cooking methods do you think could help avoid hidden health risks? Share your thoughts in the comments!