Question:
Has anyone heard this about Maltodextrin before?

I got my newsletter from Pacific bariatric yesterday and there was an article on post-op diets. It talked about high glycemic foods that can raise blood sugar levels and harm weight loss. It warned against items that contain Maltodextrin. Maltodextrin is a corn based product that has been proven to raise blood sugar levels and is found in drink mixes or things in powdered form. Well, I looked at my Crystal Light packagfe and it is the 2nd ingredient. I trust my doctor and the PB clinic. I have been drinking a ton of Crystal Light lately and have been on a 6 week plateau. I am worried this may be contributing to it (among other things). If Crystal light is sabotaging me, what will I drink? Water is to boring. Do any of you have any thoughts on this?    — Danielle M. (posted on March 22, 2002)

March 22, 2002
Look at the label on the Crystal Lite again. It only has 5 calories a serving. It has no carbs, no sugar. There obviously is not enough maltodextrin in it to hamper your weight loss in any way. Drink up and enjoy it.
   — garw

March 22, 2002
I don't know all of the details, but maltodextrin is more of an issue to diabetics than for weight loss. It is a form of sugar that is reduced in calories and takes longer to break down but it still can affect blood sugar, particularly in diabetics. It is okay for weight loss though and as gar said, at 5 calories, there really cannot be any harm.
   — cjabates

March 22, 2002
I'm going to have to disagree with both previous posters. Unfortunately, high carb content is NOT the same as high glycemic index. I have experienced this myself, firsthand, about 5 years ago when I was on Atkins. I was following low carb, lost 10 lbs the first two wks or so and then NADA for 6 weeks! I mean, I was NOT cheating!!! So, when I called his hotline for help/troubleshooting, one of the first things they asked me was if I was drinking any diet sodas or anything with Nutrasweet. WEll, YEAH!!! LOL!! I was getting my "sugar fix" with sugar free jello and diet root beer!! BUT, it said "NO CARBS!!!" I told them!! They said it was very common. I don't know if they had determined that it was the chemical composition of Nutrasweet that was causing the body to "treat" it like sugar(ever notice you get to craving the stuff??!! like sugar, huh? but that's a whole other debate! LOL!) or if the body just tasted something sweet and figured it WAS sugar! Maltodextrin. . .break it down. . . malt, that usually implies something of a thickener, which is usually something starchy-ish, and dextrin. . .sounds like dextrose?? same derivative, which is of course, a sugar!! NOt all carbs are created alike! For example, one slice of toast has about 13g of carbs, as does 4 oz of OJ, however, the way the body processes it is very different! The Glycemic index of the bread is 70, while OJ is only 46!! Bottom line, trust your Dr as you already said you do. This is the latest refinement of the low carb vs high carb diet dilemna and it is one that makes sense. I know you say water is boring, but maybe you could find another way to spice it up. . .how about iced tea? Unsweet of course! Maybe iced coffee? I haven't touched any of those "water substitutes" or diet sodas and I have YET to experience a plateau (10 mos post op and down almost 130 lbs, just 30lbs to goal!)!! Blessings,
   — ChristiMNB

March 23, 2002
Oh come now. A product that has 5 calories per 8 oz serving is something that you have to worry about because it has a high glycemic index? No it doesn't make any sense to me. I've had Type I diabetes since 1966 and have used Crystal Light, among other artificially sweetened soft drinks, for most of those years. I can ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE you that they have in no way, shape or form, contributed to my weight gain. There are also studies that show that a carb is a carb is a carb. It's why many people with diabetes carb count to figure out their insulin doses rather than using the old exchange diets. The studies have shown that eating 2 different foods with the same amount of carbs will both raise the blood sugar about the same amount over the same amount of time. The poster doesn't say how far post op she is, whether she's getting in adequate protein, exercising regularly or getting in enough water. There are many reasons for being on plateaus, but I doubt very much that Crystal Light is one of them.
   — garw

March 23, 2002
O.K. Ladies. I love how passionate we can all be. To answer Gar's response, I am 6 months post down 165 lbs. I am exercising and getting adequate fluids (mostly in the form of the questionable Crystal Light) Protein - well, I have to be honest and say that in the last 3 days I have learned my error there ( I did say my plateau could be attributed to other things). I have founf myslef unable to tolerate animal protein, so I was relying heavily on beans and legumes, my MD pointed out that while these items do have protein that our bodies process them as carbs. My mistake. I am trying to wean myself onto animal proteins and in so doing have lost 5 more pounds in 4 days. Hopefully plateau is over. However - Gar, I honostly had never scrutined my crystal light package before and was naively beleiving I was drinking a calorie free beverage. 5 calories a glass is more than diet soda. I figure I am adding close to 100 calories a day with the amounts I've been drinking. EGADS!! Back to the issue of Maltodextrn - here is the excerpt from the newsletter published from my surgeons office: "Be aware of fillers in foods such as artificial sweeteners, fiber supplement mixes, sugar-free gelatin mixes, and other products that come as dry powders for mixing. the filler used is commonly maltodextrin . . . all made by maniupulating the starch contained in corn. these additives are all carbohydrates" Pacific Bariatric Surgical Medical Group, New Life News, March 2002. I am now weaning myself off of Crystal Light. To each her own.
   — Danielle M.

March 23, 2002
I have to agree with Gar. For heavens sake, I have lost all my weight and am still losing and drink Crystal Light all the time. I'm 3 years postop. I lost all of my weight that I needed to within the first year from 280 to 120. I drank alot of this stuff, yes, did have a long 2 month plateau, but still made goal within the year. I doubt that a drink like that could make much difference. Isn't it sad that it seems that everything we put in our bodies lately can cause problems somehow?
   — Barbara H.