Recently, I visited a well-known supermarket in Bangalore and found a brand selling salad dressing mixed with maltodextrin. Yes, you read it right. Are you scratching your head that what’s this component doing in a salad dressing? Here’s the link of my LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/moumita-content-writer_labelpadhegaindia-moumitawrites-fitness-activity-7205777282714468352-pYu1?
For the past few months, I’m closing observing and contributing to the #labelpadhegaindia by Revant Himatsingka (Food Pharmer). He is running the campaign to educate people to read the labels available on the packaging of the food items you are purchasing. And it’s not a tough call to read the labels. It barely takes a few minutes to read it.
What is Maltodextrin?
Maltodextrin is a chemical composition of glucose polymer, carbohydrate and other food starch. Now, you all must be thinking that what’s wrong with this component in food. So here it is. Since it’s a processed component in food, it directly hits your gut bacteria.
Our gut bacteria are not identical to any person. Your DNA may match but your gut bacteria will never match. All are unique in its own way. If you are keeping your gut bacteria all in good shape, it will boost your immunity. Hence, you can fight diseases. Even gut bacteria can help you fight cancer.
Benefits of gut bacteria:
1. It instantly enhances your brain function. Healthy gut bacteria remove the brain fog.
2. The heart health improves, and the risk of heart attack reduces quickly.
3. It can also help you fight diabetes. If your gut bacteria are in good health, it will break all the carbohydrates, glucose and fibre properly. The insulin will balance everything easily.
4. As the digestion improves, inflammation reduces rapidly. Less inflammation in the body gives you better sleep, skin, digestion, bowel function.
5. Who doesn’t like to improve their immunity? Right? Everyone is concerned about their immunity since the COVID19 hit us. Good gut bacteria take care of your immunity too.
Maltodextrin found in:
You must be thinking about the food items where maltodextrin is found. I can understand that concern. You truly must avoid such food items. Salad dressing, ready made soup powder, pasta, meat substitutes, frozen food and baked items. You can bake cookies, cakes and other food at home in small quantity. Instead of using packaged salad dressing, you can make dressing on your own. In some ready-made rice recipes, you will find maltodextrin.
Health problems come from maltodextrin:
Diabetes, gastrointestinal issues are very common. Gastric, diarrhoea, skin irritation, bloating, compromised brain functions are some of the issues you may face due to the consumption of maltodextrin in the long run.
Maltodextrin in baby food items:
Some brands add maltodextrin in a very little quantity in the baby food. But if you are feeding the same food to your baby continuously then the chances of type 2 diabetes are pretty high. Maltodextrin quickly raises glycemic index in blood that leads to abnormal insulin production.
Non-GMO Maltodextrin could be helpful for children and adults. It comes from wheat and potato starch. Cornstarch is also a same component if it’s extracted from the non-GMO corns. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that humans can take 45 – 65% of complex carbohydrates via vegetables and other food items, instead of packaged food.