Resistant Maltodextrin Is Not the Same as “Maltodextrin”

Many people who worry about blood glucose get concerned when they see “maltodextrin” on a food label. Ordinary maltodextrin is a carbohydrate made by breaking starch into small pieces, so it is digested quickly and raises blood glucose. But when “resistant” is added in front, the story changes.

How is it made?

Resistant maltodextrin is made mainly from corn starch. When starch is heated to a high temperature with a little acid, the way the glucose units are linked changes. Then the parts that can be digested by enzymes are broken down and filtered out, leaving the portion with bonds that human digestive enzymes have difficulty breaking. It dissolves well in water and has almost no taste or viscosity, so it is a soluble dietary fibre.

How does it work in the body?

Most of it is not absorbed in the small intestine. It travels down to the large intestine, where some of it is fermented by gut bacteria. As a result, its calories are also much lower than those of ordinary carbohydrate (4 kcal (17 kJ) per gram). In measurements in humans, it was estimated at about 1.7 kcal (7.1 kJ) per gram.

When taken with a meal, it slows the absorption of the carbohydrates that come with it, which helps soften a steep rise in blood glucose after the meal. In a meta-analysis pooling 37 randomised controlled trials, resistant maltodextrin at 10 g or less lowered the blood glucose response to carbohydrate foods such as rice, noodles and bread in proportion to the dose. At 6 g, the response fell by about 20% when it was added to a drink and about 10% when it was mixed into food, so the effect was clearer in drink form.

Three functions recognised by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS)

Resistant maltodextrin is a health functional food ingredient (a Korean regulatory category) for which the MFDS has set and announced standards and specifications. Three functions are recognised.

May help suppress the rise in blood glucose after meals
May help improve blood triglyceride levels
May help support regular bowel movements

Because the daily intake needed differs for each function, it is a good idea to check the “dietary fibre content per daily serving” on the product label.

How to take it

With a meal or right after it. To get help with blood glucose after a meal, it has to be taken together with carbohydrates.
Start with a small amount. Eating a lot of dietary fibre suddenly can cause gas or loose stools.
It does not replace meals. Dietary fibre from vegetables and mixed grains is the foundation; this is for filling in what is missing.
If you are taking diabetes medication, talk with your health care provider before taking it.

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Health column