Cornstarch is a white powder made from the finely ground endosperm of corn. It is a popular ingredient used to thicken soups, stews, gravies, sauces, desserts, and various other recipes. It is also used for non-culinary reasons, such as in adhesives and textiles, as an anti-caking and anti-sticking treatment, and in treating glycogen storage disease.
This article explores whether or not cornstarch is good for you through nutrition facts, health effects, and who should consider avoiding cornstarch in their diet.
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Cornstarch Nutrition
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the following are the nutritional facts for 100 grams (g) of cornstarch:
- Energy: 375 calories (kcal)
- Protein: 0 grams (g)
- Total lipid (fat): 0 g
- Carbohydrate: 87.5 g
- Sodium: 0 milligrams (mg)
- Fiber: .9 g
- Calcium: 2 mg
- Zinc: .06 mg
- Vitamin C: 0 mg
- Vitamin A: 0 mg
- Vitamin B12: 0 mg
- Vitamin D: 0 mg
Remember that 100 grams is significantly more cornstarch than most people would eat in one serving. Typically, recipes call for a few tablespoons of cornstarch at most. One tablespoon contains 8 grams of cornstarch.
As you can see, cornstarch is not a nutrient-dense food. It is mainly composed of carbohydrates from the starch. This does not necessarily make cornstarch "unhealthy," but it does not qualify it as a "healthy" food.
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The Effects of Cornstarch
Below are some of the neutral and potentially negative effects of cornstarch on the body.
Can Increase Blood Sugar Levels
Like many foods, cornstarch affects blood sugar. Blood sugar refers to the amount of glucose (simple sugar) moving through the body at a specific time.
Let's look at its glycemic index to understand cornstarch's effect on blood sugar. The glycemic index measures how quickly certain foods can cause a person's blood sugar to increase when ingested.
Uncooked cornstarch is a low glycemic index food that is slowly broken down and absorbed in the intestines. This means that cornstarch can raise and stabilize blood sugar steadily. For this reason, it is used as a treatment for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) among people with type 1 diabetes, glycogen storage disease, insulin autoimmune syndrome, and other conditions.
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.
Combined with its low fiber content, high amounts of cornstarch could quickly raise blood sugar, which may not be desirable. However, most people eat cornstarch in small quantities, such as a tablespoon, to thicken a soup serving multiple people.
Highly Processed
Cornstarch is a highly processed food. It is created by wet milling corn kernels and separating the starchy inner part from the fiber, protein, and oil. In other words, what's left is essentially pure starch (a complex carbohydrate).
Scientists generally agree that a diet of ultra-processed food is detrimental to health. However, most people who eat corn starch are not doing so in large quantities, which could be a significant part of their diet.
Lacks Essential Nutrients
Cornstarch is high in calories and carbohydrates but has little to offer in the way of vitamins and nutrients.
It contains no Vitamin C, D, A, B12, B6, A, or other vitamins we should consume daily for optimal health. It also has little to no minerals.
Because it is refined, there is also negligible dietary fiber in cornstarch; 100 grams of cornstarch contains just .9 grams of fiber. Considering that the daily recommended fiber intake for adults is 25-30 grams, and most people don't consume cornstarch in quantities anywhere near 100 grams, cornstarch has basically no fiber.
Who Should Limit or Avoid Cornstarch?
Cornstarch is high in carbohydrates and calories, is highly processed, has no nutritional value, and can raise blood sugar.
Most people don't need to worry about limiting or avoiding cornstarch.
For the most part, cornstarch is consumed in minimal amounts (think: one or two tablespoons in a recipe serving six or more people). It is an ingredient helpful in changing food texture—whether 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.
If you have a corn allergy, diabetes, glycogen storage disease, or another condition affecting your blood sugar, consider talking to a dietitian or other healthcare provider about when and how much cornstarch you eat.
Cornstarch Substitutes
You will need a substitute if you don't have any cornstarch in your pantry or would like to use less cornstarch.
Some cornstarch substitutes include:
- Tapioca starch
- Rice flour
- Casava flour
- Potato flour
- Arrowroot flour
- Wheat flour
Summary
Cornstarch is a white powder made from the starchy innards of corn kernels, used in recipes to add thickness or texture to foods like soup, stew, puddings, and more. 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.
