Corn starch is a white powder made from the finely ground endosperm of corn. It is a popular ingredient used to thicken soups, stews, gravies, sauces, desserts and various other recipes. It is also used for non-culinary reasons, such as in adhesives and textiles, as an anti-caking and anti-stick treatment and in the treatment of glycogen storage disease.
This article explores whether cornstarch is good for you or not, through nutritional facts, health effects, and who should consider avoiding cornstarch in their diet.
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Cornstarch Nutrition
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the following are the nutrition facts for 100 grams (g) of cornstarch:
- Energy: 375 calories (kcal)
- Protein: 0 grams (g)
- Total lipid (fat): 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 87.5 g
- Sodium: 0 milligrams (mg)
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Calcium: 2 mg
- Zinc: 0.06 mg
- Vitamin C: 0 mg
- Vitamin A: 0 mg
- Vitamin B12: 0 mg
- Vitamin D: 0 mg
Remember that 100 grams is significantly more cornstarch than most people would eat in one serving. Typically, recipes call for a maximum of a few tablespoons of cornstarch. One tablespoon contains 8 grams of cornstarch.
As you can see, cornstarch is not a nutrient-dense food. It consists mainly of carbohydrates from the starch. This doesn’t necessarily make cornstarch “unhealthy,” but it doesn’t qualify it as a “healthy” food.
The effects of corn starch
Below are some of the neutral and possibly negative effects of cornstarch on the body.
May increase blood sugar levels
Like many foods, cornstarch affects blood sugar levels. Blood sugar refers to the amount of glucose (simple sugar) moving through the body at a given time.
Let’s look at the glycemic index to understand the effect of corn starch on blood sugar levels. The glycemic index measures how quickly certain foods can cause a person’s blood sugar levels to rise when ingested.
Uncooked cornstarch is a low glycemic index food that is slowly broken down and absorbed in the intestines. This means that cornstarch can steadily increase and stabilize blood sugar levels. For this reason, it is used as a treatment for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in people with type 1 diabetes, glycogen storage disease, insulin autoimmune syndrome, and other conditions.
On the contrary, cooked corn starch has a high glycemic index. Older studies estimate the glycemic index of cooked cornstarch to be between 77 and 97.
Combined with the low fiber content, large amounts of cornstarch can quickly raise blood sugar levels, which may not be desirable. However, most people eat cornstarch in small amounts, such as a tablespoon, to thicken a soup for several people.
Highly processed
Cornstarch is a highly processed food. It is made by wet milling corn kernels and separating the starchy inner part from the fiber, protein and oil. In other words, what’s left is essentially pure starch (a complex carbohydrate).
Scientists generally agree that a diet of ultra-processed foods is harmful to health. However, most people who eat cornstarch do not do so in large quantities, which could be a significant part of their diet.
Lack of essential nutrients
Cornstarch is high in calories and carbohydrates, but has little to offer in the way of vitamins and nutrients.
It does not contain vitamin C, D, A, B12, B6, A or other vitamins that we should consume daily for optimal health. It also contains little to no minerals.
Because it is refined, there is also negligible dietary fiber in cornstarch; 100 grams of corn starch contains only 0.9 grams of fiber. Considering that the recommended daily fiber intake for adults is 25-30 grams, and most people do not consume cornstarch in amounts around 100 grams, cornstarch essentially contains no fiber.
Who Should Limit or Avoid Cornstarch?
Corn starch is high in carbohydrates and calories, is highly processed, has no nutritional value and can raise blood sugar levels.
Most people don’t need to worry about limiting or avoiding cornstarch.
For the most part, cornstarch is consumed in minimal amounts (think one or two tablespoons in a recipe for six or more people). It’s an ingredient that helps change the texture of food, whether it’s thickening a soup or making chicken nuggets crispier.
Cornstarch is indeed not a healthy food. But that doesn’t mean you should avoid cornstarch, an ingredient that can make eating more fun.
If you have a corn allergy, diabetes, glycogen storage disease, or another condition that affects your blood sugar levels, consider talking to a dietitian or other health care provider about when and how much cornstarch you eat.
Corn starch substitutes
You’ll need a substitute if you don’t have cornstarch in your pantry or want to use less cornstarch.
Some cornstarch substitutes include:
- Tapioca starch
- Rice flour
- Casava flour
- Potato flour
- Arrowroot meal
- Wheat flour
Resume
Cornstarch is a white powder made from the starchy innards of corn kernels, used in recipes to add thickness or texture to foods such as soup, stew, puddings and more. There is little nutritional benefit to cornstarch and it can potentially increase blood sugar levels. Eating cornstarch in small amounts is fine, but it should be avoided in large amounts due to its highly processed nature and lack of essential vitamins or nutrients.
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