Corn was traditionally treated with lime to make it more nutritious: Nixtamalized maize has several benefits over unprocessed grain: it is more easily gro

Corn was traditionally treated with lime to make it more nutritious: Nixtamalized maize has several benefits over unprocessed grain: it is more easily ground; its nutritional value is increased; flavor and aroma are improved; and mycotoxins are reduced. Lime and ash are highly alkaline: the alkalinity helps the dissolution of hemicellulose, the major glue-like component of the maize cell walls, - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixtamalization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixtamalization Modern commercial corn tortillas are also treated with lime.