What Is Maltodextrin?
Maltodextrin is a starch-based carbohydrate. The FDA’s regulation describes it as a nonsweet nutritive saccharide polymer made of D-glucose units, with a dextrose equivalent of less than 20, prepared as a white powder or concentrated solution by partial hydrolysis of corn, potato or rice starch with acids and enzymes. It says maltodextrin is used in food with no limitation other than current good manufacturing practice.
The question people raise is blood sugar. A peer-reviewed review by Maastricht University researchers says glucose from digested maltodextrins is rapidly absorbed in the small intestine, and that swapping unprocessed starch for maltodextrins may lead to an increased glycemic load and a higher rise in blood sugar after meals, which the authors called less desirable for health.
In a study published in Nutrients in 2023, adding maltodextrin right after a main meal led to a transient increase in blood glucose in people with and without type 2 diabetes, and the increase was more pronounced in those with diabetes.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Regulatory filingThe FDA’s regulation describes maltodextrin as a nonsweet nutritive saccharide polymer made of D-glucose units, with a dextrose equivalent of less than 20. US FDA, 21 CFR 184.1444 (eCFR) ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA’s regulation says maltodextrin is prepared as a white powder or concentrated solution by partial hydrolysis of corn, potato or rice starch with safe and suitable acids and enzymes. US FDA, 21 CFR 184.1444 (eCFR) ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA’s regulation says maltodextrin is used in food with no limitation other than current good manufacturing practice. US FDA, 21 CFR 184.1444 (eCFR) ↗
- StudyA peer-reviewed review says glucose from digested maltodextrins is rapidly absorbed in the small intestine, and that replacing unprocessed starch with maltodextrins may increase glycemic load and post meal blood sugar. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, via PubMed Central ↗
- StudyA 2023 study in Nutrients found adding maltodextrin right after a main meal caused a transient rise in blood glucose in people with and without type 2 diabetes, more pronounced in those with diabetes. Nutrients, via PubMed Central ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.