People ask all the time about us adding certain things or creating a product similar to one they use or love and can’t get anymore. Many spice blends not only have additives, anti-caking agents, volumizers but they add powdered ingredients like syrups, vegetables and fruits. That doesn’t sound bad right?
Looking at an ingredient list we don’t always see the processes that are used to create many of these powders. Again foiled by the natural or healthy sounding ingredients.
Over the last 20 years making Jeddy’s and all our other blends, we have taken the deep dive on the food industry learning all we can about their processes for creating things, the overuse of certain additives and understanding the effects of what is being used and done with its potential affects to our bodies. As we learned about things, we now better understand why when we eat out sometimes there is an immediate response in our gut or we just don’t feel great after eating something not fresh or homemade.
Paying attention to the ingredients, knowing how some ingredients are made or processed has been a journey and given us many realizations.
Today we will talk about maltodextrin.
Maltodextrin is a soluble carbohydrate ingredient used in many formulations as a flavor carrier, binding agent, thickener, volumizer and energy source. Many products use it in place of sugar. It is used in beverages, energy and sports drinks, baking, seasoning, candy, sauces, dressings and more. This is an intensely processed ingredient usually made from corn in the US but sometimes is made from rice, wheat or potato starch. So those who are gluten sensitive, or intolerant should look for the notation "contains wheat" on the labels. It has a very high glycemic index, much higher than sugar. High glycemic products cause our bodies to spike in blood sugar. This increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Those with diabetes consuming high glycemic products can have serious health effects.
Maltodextrin in current research shows that it destroys good gut bacteria and creates an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal system leading to numerous health afflictions. Have you heard how so many of our health conditions are connected to a healthy gut?
Maltodextrin is an inexpensive way to provide energy, provide sugar alternatives and makes an inexpensive and easy way to create powders for juices, syrups and more.
For us the harmful outweighs any benefit and we will not use it in our products.
Our goal has always been the purest ingredients with the greatest flavors. This is in part why we fresh grind and source whole organic herbs and spices. We won't add things that imitate a smell, color a powder, add volume or are intensely processed. This does eliminate our access to create some items but as more and more people understand the health ramifications of some of these additives, companies will produce healthier alternatives.
*This blog post has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is based on research papers and personal experience. It is recommended that one do their own research, take note of their own physical reactions, and make decisions for themselves.