Maltodextrin

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kiny

kiny

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Hmph.

When you check the bottles of Yakult and other popular probiotic brands in shops that are supposed to aid the digestion and help the gut flora balance out, many of them are full of maltodextrin. It's added as a stabilisor since it's easier for them to get enough bacteria in the bottle by adding maltodextrin.

So anyway, this study says matodextrin should be avoided for crohn because the bad bacteria are taking advantage of maltodextrin and are using it to create biofilms.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/05/21/could-compound-in-artificial-sweeteners-worsen-crohns-disease

MONDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- The food additive maltodextrin, commonly used in some artificial sweeteners, may worsen Crohn's disease by encouraging the growth of E. coli bacteria in the small intestine, a new study suggests.

So, Yakult and other probiotic brands that are often sponsoring crohn events and papers, could be making crohn's disease worse....great.
 
That's interesting, elemental extra contains maltodextrin, i wonder if other types of EN do too.
 
Yes it is. GI prescribed Ensure for our daughter too. I noticed it is in so many products. I need to do a little more research on it.

I wonder what it is in the maltodextrine that makes the Crohns worse?
It is kind of like lactose. We removed lactose from our daughters diet because it seemed to make her worse. But some doctors do not believe any of this matters in Crohns. Personally I think it does, I am just not sure how it all fits together.

Are there bacteria that feed off of it? Does it stimulate something in the system? So many unanswered questions.

But the fact that it made the Crohns worse in the lab animals, sure gets my attention.
 
Kiny, I think you posted the study about this before? I'm pretty sure I've read this from you already because I have been trying to stay away from it - though clearly almost everywhere :) I really appreciate all the info you offer!
 
Jane,
I found the post from a while back, and when I commented on it, it pops up again.

do you think it has helped you by avoiding this additive?
 
Kiny posted that maltodextrin, like many preservatives, create a biofilm which feeds harmful, pathogenic bacteria like Ecoli. Maltodextrin is a filler which slightly tastes like sugar and breaks down like a super refined carbohydrate.

Apparently, since it is a nutritional void, it has been alleged that this stuff is used much more widely than you know. I haven't proved it yet, but it may not be required to be labeled whatsoever (in supplements especially) or it may simply be listed as "fiber", or something similar. So apparently enough of it is not assimilated as energy since it is also considered a fiber.

You can readily find people across the internet who swear that they get digestive symptoms from maltodextrin, and maltodextrin alone, as a trigger. They cut it out and the complaints go away. It is used in beer to give a fuller-bodied mouth feel.
 
julie345 said:
I wonder what it is in the maltodextrine that makes the Crohns worse?
It is kind of like lactose. We removed lactose from our daughters diet because it seemed to make her worse. But some doctors do not believe any of this matters in Crohns. Personally I think it does, I am just not sure how it all fits together.

Are there bacteria that feed off of it? Does it stimulate something in the system? So many unanswered questions.

But the fact that it made the Crohns worse in the lab animals, sure gets my attention.
Click to expand...


It is made from starch (usually corn or wheat but any grain).

-If you have a healthy gut bacteria then it is probably partially absorbed as glucose and partially used by bacteria (beneficial and not-so-good) .
-If you have a disbiosis (unhealthy balance of bacteria - (and if you have crohns then you do have disbiosis)) then more of the maltodextrin is used by bad bacteria to increase their numbers and build 'biofilms', preventing absorption and displacing beneficial bacteria.

If i break my leg or get hit by a car then i want a doctor, but never for nutritional advice, they (generally) don't know squat.
Maltodextrin is made by an industrial chemical process, so whatever they say it is not a 'natural' product.

"When the researchers looked at how well the bacteria adhered to plastic or live intestinal cells, they found that bacteria grown in maltodextrin were stickier, resulting in thicker biofilms, and a greater number of bacteria piled up on the surface of intestinal cells."
"In a healthy gut, the normal bacterial community is separated from direct contact with the intestinal cells, while in Crohn’s disease patients, gut bacteria form a dense structure (a biofilm) in close contact with the cells. "

http://engineeringevil.com/2012/07/...on-and-adhesivness-of-e-coli-abstract-tu1844/
 
Hugh,

I appreciate your input. this is pretty important info. We are giving our children such strong medicines, only to keep it going by another product suggested by the same doctor. I hope they keep doing research on this.
 
I would add that magnesium stearate seems to have this same effect, producing biofilms that harbor pathogens. Magnesium stearate is often in supplements as filler.

Another supplement additive, titanium dioxide, should also be avoided as we've seen the postings linking metal ingestion (or those living near smelters) and IBD. Titanium dioxide is probably considered a nanoparticulate, so who knows where it ends up in the body? It definitely doesn't therapeutically serve the consumer.
 
Milk Kefir is easy to make and has about 40 strains of bacteria as opposed to
Yakult's Lactobacillus casei Shirota (one species only?).
If you google it you will find someone close who will post you a starter.
Cheaper, better for you, easier than yogurt............
 
Hugh,

Has the Milk Kefir helped your IBD? I wonder if I can make it using lactose free milk for my daughter. thanks for the info.
 
@julie345 - hard to say, i've been symptom free for a while (due to paleo) but joint pain is less so maybe it helped with that but will i ever know?
It certainly hasn't done me any harm (that i know of :) )
 
Not sure how this conversation turned toward kefir, but I'm all for it. I've been making it for about a month and drinking it every other day. Although store bought stuff sometimes causes slight bloating, this homemade stuff does not. I'm pretty sure if you culture it long enough (2 days), then 90+% of lactose is consumed by the culture--maybe even 99%.

Mind you, I'm talking about the grains that keep growing, not the powder starter that cannot reproduce itself. Lactose free stuff probably wouldn't work because the cultures feed on sugar (lactose). On the other hand, you can supposedly make kefir milk from nuts and seeds (pumpkin, for example, seeds with water blended and strained). Haven't tried it yet, but I will. This way you can be assured no lactose is left over.

Lately I've been making banana cacao smoothies with hemp nuts and chia seeds, sweetened with either honey or stevia. Pretty decent once you balance the raw cacao powder to your liking. Sorta banana splitish.
 
Well, it seems that the bad bacteria might feed off of the Maltodextrine, and the good bacteria found it milk Kefir help the good bacteria.. which inturn fight off the bad bacteria.
does that sound right?

I have some questions about the Paleo diet, but I will look that up.
thanks so much
 
I've been chugging half a liter of goat milk kefir per week as of late and love it. Is it helping? No idea, but I am in remission due to a combination of things.
 
Okay, I need to get her started on the Kefir, after I figure out how to do it without lactose. That is so great David. I remember reading that you keep a daily journal, so I will check that out.

Is this the first time you have truly been in remission?


And this definitely should be in the March Chronicle. :)
 
Many people with lactose intolerance can actually tolerate goat milk. I find it much easier on my system. Have you ever tried it?
 
No. she actually is only boder line lactose intolerant (other daughter is lactose intolerant). We just believe it makes her IBD worse. Much worse.

I think the key here must be to saturate the digestive system with good bacteria. I am anxious to try it. Maybe lactose in the form of kefir would not harm her.

xxoo

ll
 
julie345 said:
No. she actually is only boder line lactose intolerant (other daughter is lactose intolerant). We just believe it makes her IBD worse. Much worse.
I think the key here must be to saturate the digestive system with good bacteria. I am anxious to try it. Maybe lactose in the form of kefir would not harm her.
Click to expand...

Don't saturate, gently introduce probiotics and build up the dosage,
-people can have bad reactions to good bacteria (to symplify- the immune system usually has an 'active' tolerance to good bacteria and looses that ability to differentiate between good and bad, so loads of 'good' does bad).
Kefir should have a low amount of lactose as it's the lactose that the yeasts and bacteria eat (as well as feeding and feeding off each other).

I couldn't take yogurt, but a year later i can take kefir in huge amounts.
There is water kefir, and you can make coconut milk kefir and so many other probiotics from beetroot, cabbage, turnips, fish.... There are sooooooo many other probiotic foods,
 

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