Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin Madeline & Camille



If you’ve ever had a bowl of soup or eaten some kind of dessert, you’ve probably consumed maltodextrin. Actually, it’s in many foods that you eat daily. Maltodextrin is one of the most common forms of artificial sweeteners used today, like in Splenda. You might be surprised to hear that Maltodextrin is produced by using potatoes, rice, wheat or corn; which are not usually thought of as sweet plants (1).
 * Do I eat that? **


 * What is this? **

Maltodextrin is considered to be a carbohydrate but is known to be more easily digestible than most other carbohydrates. It is one of the most commonly used forms of the dextrin family for commercial purposes. It is used as a sweetener and a thickening agent for salad dressings and sauces (1).



Maltodextrin is a replace of sugar, it is in Splenda. It is a sweetener for tea’s, coffees, baked goods and soft drinks. For every 1gm of Maltodextrin it contains 4 calories. It is used for a gain of calories in energy drinks, but is it really good for you? Maltodextrin certainly isn't horrible for you if you don't consume too much of it. It has been approved by the FDA as a safe food sweetener and is not know to cause any severe reactions, such as reproductive harm or connections to cancer (2.) It is made from corn, rice and potatoes; it is in things that you eat every day. It is used in energy drinks to add calories, so it is good in moderation but access amounts of it aren’t good. Otherwise it is something that you will and do eat everyday of your life (1).
 * Is this good for me? **

Some medicinal uses of maltodextrin include supplements for diabetics and for people looking to gain weight. It is used for weight gain because it has a very high glycemic index (1). The worst reported reactions to taking a suggested serving size of maltodextrin is bloating, flatulence or unexplained weight gain. Of course, you should not consume it if you have a maltodextrin allergy because it is known to result in hives, asthma itching or rashes (3). Most people consume maltodextrin daily in sodas, candies, baked goods and even some pharmaceutical medications, while others use it for commercial purposes. This may seem strange, but maltodextrin is a commonly used performance enhancing supplement for body builders. Many body builders consume large ammounts of maltodextrin before working out but afterwards suffer from severe rebound hypoglycemia. This is a reaction where there is a sudden drop in blood sugar levels, which can be avoided by consuming carbohydrates along with the maltodextrin (2). Maltose: or malt sugar Dextrin: a type of starch application that’s made up of acids made to thicken different points
 * Should I be eating Maltodextrin? **
 * What is this chemically? What does the name mean? **

Number of **Oxygen** atoms: 5 Number of **Carbon** atoms: 5 Number of **Hydrogen** atoms: 10 (1).

Works Cited:

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">1) Bora, Chandramita. "Maltodextrin." //Buzzle.// 2010. Web. 3 November 2010. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">[]

2) "Artificial Sweeteners Symptoms, Causes, Treatments." //MedicineNet.// WebMD. 2010. Web. 5 November 2010. <[]>

3) "Maltodextrin Glucosidase." //UniProt.// Georgetown University. 2 November 2010. Web. 7 November 2010. []