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Article: Maltodextrin: Why...?

Maltodextrine in energiereep en energiegel, natuurlijk is beter
Good energy

Maltodextrin: Why...?

A personal story of Alexander Kalkman, co-founder of Kalkman.

Did you know that Maltodextrin is in a lot of our food? Not me. I'd never really noticed. Among other things, it is in sweets, baby food, chocolate, pudding, pie fillings, canned soup, canned fruit. It is used as a sugar substitute, binder, filler or to extend shelf life.  

Maltodextrin is also used to improve the texture of foods and drinks. Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate, a polysaccharide made from starch, from corn, potatoes and wheat. Although it comes from plants, it is highly processed. To make it, the starch is first cooked, and then acids or enzymes such as heat-stable bacterial alpha-amylase are added to break it down further. This produces white powder that is soluble in water. It has a neutral taste. As a result, food manufacturers add all kinds of "natural" flavourings to make it seem somewhat appealing.

Why am I writing about this? Well, in our search for the right product I found out that in 90% of sports nutrition products, this stuff is used as one of the main ingredients. Why? Because it's easy to work with and cheap. And because it is absorbed into your body faster than sugar. The Glycemic Index is higher than that of sugar, so you can get a sugar peak, often followed by a dip. This is not optimal, and sometimes causes that annoying stomach ache that you get from cycling nutrition. In terms of profit margin, it might be interesting and that's why the manufacturers are all using it. But as an athlete and a person who wants to live a healthier life, I really don't understand it. The supermarket is full of products with these kinds of cheap synthetic ingredients. The industry believes that this is all very common, well I don't.  

Mother nature has already thought about this and has alternatives that are much better for our body. Because in those white powders there is absolutely nothing about nutritional values. It is stripped of nutrition. Natural food on the other hand, it is packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and newly discovered substances that are good for your health. In addition, these nutrients are also better absorbed when they come from their natural source (instead of the processed alternative). As a consumer I was not concerned with this, but now I am. And I would like to inform people about this. I can't change the world, but I can share information with which we take small steps to keep our lives, our bodies and therefore the world healthier. Good luck with your considerations in this. #maltodextrin #sports nutrition #healthy #cycling