Cornstarch is a white powder made from the finely ground endosperm of corn.
Typically, recipes call for a few tablespoons of cornstarch at most.
One tablespoon contains 8 grams of cornstarch.
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As you’re free to see, cornstarch is not a nutrient-dense food.
It is mainly composed of carbohydrates from thestarch.
Let’s look at its glycemic index to understand cornstarch’s effect on blood sugar.
Theglycemic indexmeasures how quickly certain foods can cause a person’s blood sugar to increase when ingested.
On the contrary, cooked cornstarch has a high glycemic index.
Older studies have estimated cooked cornstarch’s glycemic index to be between 77 and 97.
Highly Processed
Cornstarch is a highly processed food.
In other words, what’s left is essentially pure starch (a complex carbohydrate).
It also has little to no minerals.
Who Should Limit or Avoid Cornstarch?
Most people don’t need to worry about limiting or avoiding cornstarch.
It is an ingredient helpful in changing food texturewhether making a soup thicker or chicken nuggets crispier.
Indeed, cornstarch is not a healthy food.
But that doesn’t mean you must avoid cornstarch, an ingredient that can make food more enjoyable.
There is little nutritional benefit to cornstarch, and it can potentially raise blood sugar.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Cornstarch.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Corn starch.
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