Here at NuNaturals, we are committed to health and sweetness. In an effort to make your life a little sweeter, we offer a range of sweeteners to accommodate many sugar-free lifestyles. One of our popular sweeteners is our NuStevia White Stevia Powder, which is a blend of stevia and maltodextrin.
Maltodextrin is a prevalent ingredient in many packaged foods and it comes from corn. Given those two pieces of information, maltodextrin is under scrutiny for many reasons. Understandably, many people are not on board with additives, or with corn. For those considering or already using NuStevia White Stevia Powder, this post is for you.
We receive many customer questions about our NuStevia White Stevia Powder, and the maltodextrin it contains. We are thrilled to see that our customers are reading labels, thinking about their health, and proactively asking questions!
Below are a few of the most common questions, and their answers!
What is maltodextrin?
Maltodextrin is a tasteless food-grade carbohydrate, derived from corn.
Does NuNaturals use GMO corn?
No, we use maltodextrin from non-GMO corn.
What is a serving of NuStevia White Stevia Powder?
One serving is ¼ teaspoon, which equals two teaspoons of sugar, in sweetness.
How much maltodextrin is in one serving?
0.87885 grams
The larger question then becomes...
What does this mean to my blood sugar?
This is a more complex question. Many people are aware of the Glycemic Index, it ranks foods and drinks with carbs. But those numbers are based on the subjects going through a 12-hour fast, eating 50 grams of an item, and being monitored for 2 hours. The issues are obvious, breakfast may be the only 12-hour fast, fifty grams isn’t an actual serving of most foods, and bodies are different. Some might need to be monitored for additional hours.
Enter the Glycemic Load. The Glycemic Load computes the carbohydrate load in a serving of food, ostensibly eaten in one sitting. It breaks down the index, so a person can figure out how many carbs s/he is eating, per serving.
How is the Glycemic Load calculated?
Number of carbs per serving multiplied by Glycemic Index number divided by 100 = Glycemic Load
In terms of maltodextrin, what does that mean?
The Glycemic Index of maltodextrin is 110. (This is based on 50 grams.)
One serving of NuStevia White Stevia Powder contains 0.87885 grams.
So, using the formula:
Maltodextrin G.I. = 110
Carbs (g) / packet = 0.87885
Glycemic Load = (110 x 0.87885) / 100 = 0.966735
The Glycemic Load is 0.966735 per serving.
