Maltodextrin
Just another cheap
product that should be avoided at all cost, especially if you have indigenous
ancestry!
The Risks of
Maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is an
artificial sugar that has a mild, sweet taste. Maltodextrin is also known as a
polysaccharide and manufacturers create this artificial sugar by applying acids
or other enzymes to cornstarch.
Maltodextrin is a
chain of repeating glucose molecules connected together.
You can use this
artificial sugar as an additive and a sugar substitute.
Maltodextrin also
has some purported risks associated with its use.
Alleged Health Risks
The consumption of
Maltodextrin has similar side effects and health risks as most food additives.
These side effects
include allergic reactions, unexplained weight gain, bloating and flatulence.
Specific allergic
reactions associated with the use of Maltodextrin include rash, asthma, itching
and difficulty breathing.
If you experience
any allergic reaction or other side effect after consuming Maltodextrin, you
should discontinue use and consult with a medical professional.
The Bad:
Outside of the
aforementioned time-frames, Maltodextrin is just as bad, sometimes worse, as
having sugar.
Easily absorbed
carbs like Maltodextrin and sugar get into your bloodstream fast.
If there is nothing
for all that blood sugar to do
(i.e. repair
muscle-tissue, give energy),
it will get stored
as fat.
Contrast that with
real complex carbs from whole grains, which are broken down and absorbed
slowly, and Maltodextrin looks more and more like sugar.
The Ugly:
the ugly truth is
that Maltodextrin is hard to avoid.
Even dieting
companies overload their shakes and bars with the stuff because it's cheap,
they don't have to label it as sugar, and it's fatty texture can replace real
fats
(both good and bad).
The moral of the
story here is to stick to whole foods or whole-food derived products, like
Shakeology.
Check your labels,
and if it has Maltodextrin in the ingredients list, it better be a post-workout
supplement.
polysaccharide