Eating cornstarch raw can cause digestive side effects.
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Cornstarch is a mostly flavorless powder that's used commercially in products like baby powder and cosmetics and in food as a thickening agent. As a classic example of a refined carbohydrate, cornstarch is extracted from corn through extensive processing that strips most of the original nutritional value.
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There are some theories about eating cornstarch raw to keep hunger at bay and help control blood sugar, but you may be wondering if raw cornstarch is bad for you. Here's everything you need to know.
You may have heard that people eat raw cornstarch for blood sugar issues and diabetes management. It's true raw cornstarch has been used as a medical intervention for cravings and blood sugar spikes in people with type 2 diabetes and hypoglycemia, per February 2014 research Diabetes Spectrum.
But the truth is, cornstarch lacks nutrition and eating it raw may cause unpleasant digestive side effects, such as gas, bloating and stomach pain, per Mount Sinai. Raw cornstarch may also harbor harmful bacteria, so you should cook it to ensure it's safe to eat.
What Is Cornstarch?
Every grain, including corn, has three main parts: the germ, bran and endosperm, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The bran and germ are highly nutritious as they contain most of the fiber, fats and B-vitamins in the grain.
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Cornstarch is made solely from corn's endosperm, which is high in starch, and it's considered a processed food with little nutritional value. While starch is an important nutrient in our diet, it's not digested the same way when it comes from whole-grain corn versus cornstarch.
Whole grains have fiber, which helps keep blood sugar stable, while cornstarch does not. The carbs in cornstarch are digested more quickly, which could cause your blood sugar to spike after eating it (though you'd have to eat a good amount of it for that to happen).
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Can You Eat Cornstarch Raw?
It's not advisable to eat cornstarch raw for a few reasons. For one, eating cornstarch raw may lead to digestive symptoms like gas and bloating. Heating starches during cooking helps break them down, making them easier to digest.
Cooking cornstarch into recipes also ensures any harmful bacteria it may have come into contact with are killed, which will diminish your risk of getting a foodborne illness. Typically, a recipe will call for one to two tablespoons of cornstarch.
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Raw Cornstarch and Pica
If you habitually crave eating cornstarch, talk to your doctor as this is a symptom of a disorder called pica. Pica is a craving for substances not defined as food such as dirt, chalk, paper, charcoal or raw starches, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Not much is known about what causes pica, but it's been linked to iron-deficiency anemia and zinc deficiency, per August 2014 research in the American Journal of Human Biology. Adolescents and pregnant people are at a higher risk.
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If you think you have pica, talk to your doctor immediately who will be able to administer blood tests to check if you have anemia or zinc or deficiency.
The Best Way to Eat Cornstarch
Though it lacks nutrition, cornstarch is a highly multifunctional product. A safe way to eat cornstarch is by incorporating it in dishes — it acts as a great thickener in recipes for sauces, soups, stews and curries.
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Because cornstarch is gluten-free, it can serve as an alternative to wheat flour in recipes for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. But, there are also more nutritious gluten-free flour options, such as oat flour, which has significantly more fiber, protein and minerals than cornstarch.
Yes, it is safe to eat cornstarch in small amounts. Cornstarch should never be consumed raw, though. Most recipes that use cornstarch call for 1 to 2 tablespoons that are heated either on the stovetop or in the oven. To thicken a sauce, soup or stew, mix a small amount of cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry.
There is little nutritional benefit to cornstarch, and it can potentially raise blood sugar. Eating cornstarch in small amounts is OK, but it should be avoided in large quantities due to its highly processed nature and lack of essential vitamins or nutrients.
A: Cravings for plain cornstarch or other “non-nutritive substances” such as uncooked rice or clay are termed “pica.” This often is a consequence of iron deficiency (Expert Review of Hematology, November 2016). Ask your doctor to test you for anemia.
Cornstarch is one of the most commonly used thickeners, but it has some unique traits. So thanks for the good question! Cornstarch must be cooked to 95°C (203°F) before thickening begins. At that point, it usually thickens fairly quickly and the sauce turns from opaque to transparent.
Cassava flour is more nutritious and has more fiber than tapioca starch. This gluten-free option is mostly used for thickening foods. Similar to arrowroot, you'll use twice the amount of tapioca starch (or cassava flour) as cornstarch in a recipe.
To overcome a cornstarch addiction, get tested for iron deficiency. Correcting the anemia often eliminates the unwelcome craving. Do you know someone with odd eating habits? Or possibly you yourself like to munch on something that isn't exactly food-something like ice, clay or cornstarch.
You may have heard that people eat raw cornstarch for blood sugar issues and diabetes management. It's true raw cornstarch has been used as a medical intervention for cravings and blood sugar spikes in people with type 2 diabetes and hypoglycemia, per February 2014 research Diabetes Spectrum.
Cornstarch also contains a small amount of dietary fiber. Americans typically don't get enough dietary fiber, so even the little bit in cornstarch can help. Finally, cornstarch is sometimes used to help people with glycogen storage diseases like severe fasting hypoglycemia.
The food processing industry uses a number of corn derivatives such as high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn oil because it is cheap and abundant. In its refined form, corn spikes blood sugar, leading to an increased insulin and inflammatory response.
Severe hypochromic anemia has been observed in black women whose diets have consisted chiefly of corn starch as used for laundering clothes,4 and there is one report of anemia in a 16-month-old black boy. Starch-eating appears to be confined almost to black women (particularly during pregnancy).
Raw cornstarch is not safe to eat as it is a highly processed and refined product that is not meant to be consumed without cooking. Eating raw cornstarch can lead to digestive problems and blockages in the digestive system. It is also not a source of nutrients and can have a negative impact on your health.
Corn starch is the preferred anti-stick agent on medical products made from natural latex, including condoms, diaphragms, and medical gloves. Corn starch has properties enabling supply of glucose to maintain blood sugar levels for people with glycogen storage disease.
Some recipes would tell you to use raw glutinous rice flour/corn starch as the hand powder. However, according to livestrong.com, “eating raw cornstarch may cause stomach upset such as gas and bloating”. It's the same for glutinous rice flour. So it's highly recommended to cook them before using them as hand powder.
We conclude that in healthy humans, digestion of partially indigestible cornstarch is slow in the small intestine and its colonic fermentation continues 10-13 h after its ingestion.
Others crave non-food items, such as clay and cornstarch. The craving and eating of non-food items is known as pica. Consuming things that aren't food can be dangerous to both you and your baby. If you have urges to eat non-food items, tell your doctor.
Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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