Maltodextrin, also known as corn starch, is a Carbohydrate (polysaccharide) used as a food additive and flavour enhancer. It is produced from starches like potato, tapioca, corn & wheat. Although the powder comes from these natural products, it then undergoes processing. In order to prepare maltodextrin, manufacturers put starch through a process called hydrolysis. Hydrolysis uses water, enzymes, and acids to break the starch into smaller pieces, resulting in a white powder consisting of sugar molecules.
Where is Maltodextrin added?
Maltodextrin can be found in most packaged foods & health food products to improve mouth feel & improve flavour. Maltodextrin is present across various categories like chips, bread, pastries, sports drinks, artificial sweeteners, candies, soft drinks, frozen & canned foods, salad dressings, sauces, dairy products, protein powders and even infant premixes.
Why is Maltodextrin added in packaged foods?
Maltodextrin is used in packed products to increase volume, improve solubility of product, extend shelf life, improve powdery appearance, increase sweetness, prevent melting, granulation and reduce nutrient losses. And all these benefits as a cheap price of Rs 35-40/kg.
Nutritional Value of Maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate so it provides 4 calories per gram which is that same number of calories as white sugar. Your body can digest & absorb maltodextrin quickly even faster than sugar. But the alarming fact is that Maltodextrin has a Glycemic Index of 110-185, higher than table sugar which is 65 which means that it can raise your blood sugar level very quickly. This is concerning for everyone, especially those w/ insulin resistance (very common symptom of PCOS and other hormonal disorders in women).
Health side effects of Maltodextrin
1. Maltodextrin & Diabetes
Glucose from maltodextrin is rapidly reabsorbed by intestine and cause elevation of blood glucose rapidly. It may impair blood glucose level & cause a peak in blood glucose levels later and take longer time for blood glucose to return to baseline in diabetics. Hence people with diabetes or insulin resistance should avoid consuming products with maltodextrins.
2. Maltodextrin & Gut health
Although maltodextrin is claimed to be safe by the U.S. FDA, a number of researchers found that maltodextrin alters gut bacteria,impairs mucus release & suppresses the growth of good bacteria in the gut. This may lead to Inflammatory Bowel Diseases like Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s disease & increase risk to infections like E.coli & Salmonella.
3. Maltodextrin & Weight gain
There has been a rise in global obesity in adults as well as children.If you are trying to maintain your weight or trying to lose weight, its best to avoid maltodextrins in your diet as maltodextrin is essentially a sweetener and a carbohydrate with no nutritional value, and because it causes an increase in blood sugar. The levels of sugar in maltodextrin can lead to weight gain.
So, what should you do?
Next time you go grocery shopping be aware & read food labels for their ingredients & nutritional information so that you can make an informed choice of the foods products you would like to purchase.
- Avoid products with maltodextrin high on the ingredient list. The higher a product is placed on the ingredient list, the more % of that ingredient is added to the product.
- Consider healthier alternatives to Maltodextrin
- Sweeteners: Stevia & monk fruit
- Thickeners: Pectin, guar gum, chia seeds, flaxseeds
- Eat more whole foods: Avoid processed foods as much as possible. One of the reasons Japanese people often live till 100 is because they eat more fish & vegetables, and less processed meat & sugar.
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