Disputes about food additives. Does maltodextrin cause harm?

Maltodextrin is a herbal extract, which includes glucose, malt sugar and oligosaccharides. It is an enzymatically cleaved starch, its cleavage begins already in the esophagus at a low rate, which ensures a gradual intake of glucose into the body and does not lead to gastric complications (compared with the intake of the same amount of glucose).

Thus, maltodextrin (dextrinmaltose, or starch treacle), being a product of partial splitting of starch into dextrins (smaller elements) and, in turn, splitting up to glucose, serves the body as a good source of energy. Maltodextrin is a powder of white or cream color with a pleasant sweetish taste, it dissolves well in water. Due to its properties it is widely used in the food industry and pharmacology, in the preparation of nutritional formulas for babies.

The high energy value of maltodextrin and its ability to be easily absorbed by the body make it possible to widely apply it in sports nutrition. Relying on its basic functions (restore strength after exercise, normalize the intestinal microflora, prevent constipation and dysbiosis, help the body produce its own "right" insulin), manufacturers of sports supplements use maltodextrin as an inert auxiliary.

However, there are certain speculations about the alleged harm of maltodextrin. Let's see if it really harms maltodextrin, and which one. One of the main allegations is the allegation of the destructive effect of maltodextrin on the cardiovascular system. In order to accept or disprove it, it is necessary to imagine what functions are performed by maltodextrin. Damage to the heart from the medical point of view is not proven, but there is a danger of another kind.

The ability of maltodextrin to replace a variety of food additives (baking powder, emulsifiers, thickeners) stimulates the manufacturers of sports nutrition to use it in large quantities. However, some manufacturers claim its advantages, but in fact maltodextrin as a carbohydrate is equivalent to the usual mixture of glucose and starch.

So what can maltodextrin be dangerous for? Harm to it manifests itself with frequent and uncommon use as a substitute for sugar. Abuse of food additives with a high content of maltodextrin leads to the same consequences as the abuse of simple carbohydrates -fatting, an increased risk of developing diabetes. Athletes with excessive consumption of supplements may become covered with a thick layer of "cotton" muscles (in fact, it is fat deposits).

We do not call for the abandonment of such a reliable and affordable means of replenishing the energy reserves of the body, we should only observe moderation and control the amount of additives containing maltodextrin consumed. The damage caused by the latter will thus be minimized.

In addition to food additives, athletes (and not only athletes) often use energy drinks. They are gaining increasing popularity among young people, without them virtually no party is complete. Recently, more and more often the question is whether the energy sector is harmful and, if so, what exactly?

Energy drinks (energy) - non - alcoholic cocktails containing a large amount of synthetic caffeine and other stimulants, carbohydrates (glucose and sucrose), taurine, carbon dioxide. Such a composition stimulates the nervous system, gives a sensation of a surge of energy, activity, restores muscle tone. Along with vitamins and stimulants, energy cocktails contain many dyes, preservatives, flavors and other chemical additives that are aggressive towards the body.

Manufacturers of power engineers emphasize the invigorating and stimulating effect and ignore the harm that many teenagers (main consumers) do not even guess. Meanwhile, one energy bank contains up to 320 mg of caffeine (at a daily rate of no more than 150), from half to a full daily rate of vitamins (so the use of more than one bank per day is dangerous from a medical point of view) and a huge amount of "chemistry" .

Possessing a primary stimulating and stimulating effect, energy, like coffee in large quantities, can cause depletion of the nervous system, tachycardia, sleep disturbance, digestive tract disorders (nausea, vomiting), potency disorders. They are contraindicated for pregnant, nursing mothers and people with diseases of the nervous system.

Especially dangerous is the combination of energy drinks with alcohol, since alcohol causes inhibitory action, and energy - exciting. Under the influence of power engineers, a person can not adequately assess his behavior and the amount of alcohol consumed, which sometimes leads to unpredictable consequences.

In a number of civilized countries, energy is banned for production and sale or equated to medical products (in Norway, France, Denmark) and are sold only in pharmacies.