If you have ever shopped in the middle aisles of the grocery store and taken a look at an ingredients list on a product package, chances are you have seen an ingredient called…

Maltodextrin.

It’s everywhere, but do you know what it is?

Maltodextrin is a white powder that can be made from any starchy food, including corn, potato, wheat, tapioca, or rice.

Maltodextrin is classified as a complex carb, but acts more like a sugar or a simple carb in the body, and even though it is advertised as “plant-based”, it is a highly processed ingredient.

Maltodextrin is found in 60% of packaged food products in grocery stores.

Other names for maltodextrin include corn syrup solids, modified corn starch, modified rice starch, modified tapioca starch, modified wheat starch, rice dextrin, and they keep coming up with more and more names.

In this survey, 98.6% of respondents routinely ate food containing maltodextrin and results stated that there was “a corresponding increase in chronic inflammatory diseases associated with intestinal barrier dysfunction.” Even though the additive was regarded as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the FDA.

The average person consumes 2.6 food items containing maltodextrin each day.

Why is maltodextrin added to food?

It has multiple uses:

• bulking agent

• carrier

• adds texture

• thickener

• extends shelf life

Maltodextrin is used to help spices and flavorings cling to snack foods, like chips. It’s in baked goods and considered gluten-free, even though it can come from wheat. It is also used in artificial sweeteners, infant formulas, energy drinks, nutritional supplements, sports drinks, beer, and more.

It’s inexpensive and easy to produce, so it’s primarily used as a filler to increase the volume of processed foods.

An almost 4 billion dollar industry. Said to be a 6.5 billion dollar industry by 2029.

Manufacturers’ hidden sugar

Due to a labeling law loophole, maltodextrin is not included in the total sugar count on a nutritional facts label, but don’t be fooled - this product will spike your blood sugar.

Maltodextrin can even be added to health foods claiming they are “sugar-free” or have “no sugar added” all the while having the same reaction in the body that sugar does.

It’s an extremely cheap way for manufacturers to sweeten their products in order to keep consumers coming back for more.

Effects of maltodextrin

Maltodextrin is higher on the glycemic index than table sugar, ranging from 110-136. This means it raises your blood sugar at a much faster rate.

There’s more…

Neuroscientists are discovering there is an association which occurs in your brain when you consume maltodextrin with a flavor. Over time the increased consumption causes your insulin to spike even when the maltodextrin is taken away.

See the video below for more information.

Now that you know what maltodextrin is and what it does in your body, you can decide if you want to include this ingredient in your diet.