Maltodextrin, a common additive in processed foods, does appear to promote inflammation, particularly in the gut. Multiple studies have linked it to changes in intestinal bacteria, damage to the protective mucus lining of the intestines, and low-grade chronic inflammation. The effects are most concerning for people already prone to inflammatory bowel conditions, but the evidence suggests it may affect the general population too.
How Maltodextrin Triggers Gut Inflammation
Maltodextrin is a heavily processed starch, usually derived from corn, that food manufacturers use to thicken products, improve texture, and extend shelf life. Your body breaks it down quickly, almost like sugar, but the inflammatory concern isn’t really about blood sugar. It’s about what maltodextrin does to the environment inside your intestines.
Your gut has a two-layer mucus barrier that keeps bacteria separated from the intestinal wall. The inner layer is normally sterile. Research published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology has shown that maltodextrin promotes what scientists call “microbiota encroachment,” where gut bacteria penetrate that inner mucus layer and come into direct contact with intestinal cells. When bacteria reach tissue they shouldn’t be touching, your immune system responds with inflammation.
Maltodextrin also helps certain harmful bacteria gain a foothold. It encourages a type of E. coli linked to Crohn’s disease to form biofilms, which are sticky colonies of bacteria that are difficult for the immune system to clear. It does this by altering how the bacteria express their genes, essentially making them better at clinging to the intestinal wall. The combination of a weakened mucus barrier and more aggressive bacteria creates an environment where inflammation can become chronic rather than resolving on its own.
The Link to Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The connection between maltodextrin and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has drawn serious attention from researchers. Studies suggest maltodextrin may be a risk factor for people who are genetically susceptible to conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. One study found that Splenda, which contains both sucralose and maltodextrin, shifted the gut microbiome in ways that promoted Crohn’s-type disease in susceptible hosts.
For people without a genetic predisposition to IBD, maltodextrin’s effects are subtler but still relevant. Researchers describe it as promoting “chronic low-grade intestinal inflammation leading to metabolic abnormalities in the general population.” This kind of simmering, low-level inflammation doesn’t necessarily cause obvious digestive symptoms, but over time it’s associated with metabolic syndrome and other chronic health problems. Harvard’s School of Public Health notes that animal studies show maltodextrin can negatively affect the gut microbiome and may increase intestinal inflammation such as colitis.
Why It’s Still in So Many Foods
The FDA classifies maltodextrin as “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS), with no specified daily intake limit. Manufacturers can use it in any amount as long as they follow current good manufacturing practices. This classification was established before much of the recent research on gut health and the microbiome existed, and it hasn’t been updated to reflect newer findings.
Maltodextrin shows up in a remarkably wide range of products. You’ll find it in carbonated soft drinks, packaged snacks (both sweet and savory), candy, ice cream, mass-produced breads, cookies, breakfast cereals, pre-prepared pasta and pizza dishes, powdered soups, instant noodles and desserts, protein bars, sausages, and reconstituted meat products like chicken nuggets and fish sticks. It’s essentially a hallmark ingredient of ultra-processed foods. Because it appears in so many categories, people who eat a typical Western diet consume it repeatedly throughout the day, often without realizing it.
Reducing Your Exposure
Checking ingredient labels is the most straightforward way to lower your maltodextrin intake. It will be listed by name, and it tends to appear in products with long ingredient lists. Cooking more meals from whole ingredients eliminates it almost entirely, since maltodextrin isn’t something you’d buy for a home kitchen.
If you’re looking for packaged products that use different thickeners, several alternatives have more favorable gut profiles:
- Guar gum acts as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria and promoting the production of short-chain fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory.
- Xanthan gum is similarly broken down by specific gut microbes into short-chain fatty acids, supporting rather than disrupting the microbiome.
- Soy lecithin serves as an emulsifier that improves texture. Small clinical trials suggest it may have a modest beneficial effect on cholesterol, though more evidence is needed.
None of these alternatives are perfect stand-ins for every function maltodextrin serves, which is why manufacturers favor it. But foods thickened with guar gum or xanthan gum are feeding your gut bacteria rather than helping harmful bacteria colonize your intestinal wall, which is a meaningful difference if you’re trying to manage inflammation.
Who Should Be Most Cautious
People with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or a family history of IBD have the strongest reason to minimize maltodextrin. The research specifically identifies it as a risk factor for the “IBD-prone population,” and its ability to promote the exact type of E. coli associated with Crohn’s disease makes it a particularly poor fit for anyone managing that condition.
People with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, or persistent digestive issues may also benefit from cutting back. Because maltodextrin promotes low-grade inflammation that contributes to metabolic problems, reducing intake is a relatively simple dietary change that removes one known inflammatory trigger. For otherwise healthy people, occasional exposure from the odd packaged food is unlikely to cause problems on its own. The concern is really about cumulative, daily consumption from multiple processed food sources, which is the pattern most common in modern diets.