Hominy is not inherently inflammatory, but a few of its characteristics tip the scale in a pro-inflammatory direction for people who are watching their diet closely. The biggest factors are its high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, the sodium load in canned versions, and its status as a grain, which excludes it from most anti-inflammatory diet protocols. None of this makes hominy a “bad” food, but it helps to understand what’s actually going on nutritionally.
The Omega-6 Issue
The most relevant number when evaluating hominy’s inflammatory potential is its omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio. In canned white hominy, that ratio is roughly 32:1. For context, most nutrition researchers consider a ratio between 1:1 and 4:1 ideal for keeping inflammation low. A 32:1 ratio means hominy delivers far more of the fatty acids your body uses to produce pro-inflammatory compounds than the ones that counterbalance them.
That said, hominy is very low in total fat. A serving of canned hominy contains less than half a gram of polyunsaturated fat, so the absolute amount of omega-6 you’re getting is small. The ratio matters more if hominy is a dietary staple or if the rest of your diet is also skewed toward omega-6 sources like vegetable oils, chips, and processed snacks. Eaten occasionally alongside omega-3-rich foods like fatty fish or flaxseed, hominy’s fatty acid profile is unlikely to meaningfully shift your overall inflammatory balance.
Canned Hominy and Sodium
Most hominy sold in the U.S. is canned, and canned hominy contains roughly 346 mg of sodium per serving. High sodium intake is linked to increased inflammatory markers in the body, particularly when it’s a consistent pattern rather than an occasional indulgence. If you’re eating hominy regularly, the sodium adds up fast, especially when it’s part of a dish like pozole that includes broth and seasoning.
Rinsing canned hominy under running water before cooking can reduce sodium by 30% to 40%. Dried hominy that you cook from scratch contains virtually no added sodium, making it a better option if inflammation is a concern for you.
What Nixtamalization Does to Corn
Hominy starts as dried corn kernels soaked in an alkaline solution, typically lime water, in a process called nixtamalization. This changes the nutritional profile in ways that cut both directions. The process softens the hull and makes certain nutrients more available to your body, particularly niacin (vitamin B3), which is locked in a form your body can’t absorb in raw corn. Populations that historically ate corn without nixtamalization were prone to pellagra, a serious niacin deficiency disease.
On the other hand, nixtamalization reduces some vitamins significantly. Thiamin drops by 60% to 65%, niacin by about 30%, and riboflavin by 32% to 52% compared to unprocessed corn. The alkaline soak also breaks down anti-nutrients like phytic acid, which can block mineral absorption. So while you lose some vitamins, the minerals that remain (particularly calcium, contributed by the lime itself) become easier for your body to use. None of these changes directly increase or decrease inflammation, but a food that delivers fewer vitamins per calorie gives you less of the micronutrient support your immune system needs to regulate inflammatory responses.
Glycemic Index: Moderate, Not High
Blood sugar spikes trigger inflammatory cascades, so a food’s glycemic impact matters. Hominy performs reasonably well here. Canned white hominy has a glycemic index of 40, which falls in the low-GI category (anything under 55). Its glycemic load is 12 per serving, which is moderate. For comparison, white bread typically scores a GI around 75 and white rice around 73. Hominy won’t spike your blood sugar the way many other starchy foods do, which is a point in its favor for anyone concerned about inflammation driven by insulin resistance or metabolic issues.
Hominy on Anti-Inflammatory Diets
If you follow a structured anti-inflammatory eating plan, hominy is likely off the table. The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) explicitly eliminates all grains during its elimination phase, and corn is specifically named on the exclusion list. Since hominy is corn, it’s out. The Paleo diet similarly removes all grains, including corn-based products.
The reasoning behind these exclusions isn’t that corn has been proven to cause inflammation in everyone. Rather, grains as a category contain proteins and compounds that some people’s immune systems react to, and elimination diets remove them to establish a baseline before reintroducing foods one at a time. If you’ve completed an elimination phase and reintroduced hominy without noticing joint pain, digestive issues, or skin flare-ups, your body likely tolerates it fine.
The Practical Bottom Line
Hominy sits in a gray zone. It has a lopsided omega-6 ratio and canned versions are high in sodium, both of which nudge it toward the inflammatory side. But its low glycemic index and modest fat content work in its favor, and the nixtamalization process improves mineral availability. The real question isn’t whether hominy is inflammatory in isolation. It’s what the rest of your plate looks like. A bowl of pozole with vegetables and a moderate portion of hominy, prepared from dried kernels or rinsed canned hominy, is a very different dietary picture than eating canned hominy as a daily side dish alongside other processed, omega-6-heavy foods.