Nick HowarthFounder, BBHC · Founder - BBHC Health Coaching

WTF is Maltodextrin? And why is it in my yogurt? #wellnesstips #nutrition #mythbusting

20 Feb 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:15

In this blunt, expletive‑laden episode of the "What the Fuck Is That?" series, the host demystifies maltodextrin—a predigested starch derived from corn or potato. He explains how enzymes break down starch into a white powder that functions as industrial‑grade glucose, allowing manufacturers to label products as "low sugar" despite its high glycemic impact. The video compares maltodextrin’s glycemic index (85‑100+) to table sugar’s (~65), warning that it can spike blood sugar faster than sugary desserts. He then catalogs its widespread presence in foods marketed as healthy or keto—yogurt, protein powders, deli meats, bacon, canned goods—highlighting that companies use it as a cheap bulking, creamy agent after removing fat. The host concludes that maltodextrin is not a friend to metabolism and urges viewers to be skeptical of such processed additives.

Chapters

What the fuck is maltodextrin and why is it in my yoghurt? Ah, this one's cute. Maltodextrin is basically predigested starch. They take corn or potato starch, break it down with enzymes, dry it into white powder, and congratulations, you've invented glucose dust! Now here's the fun part, it's not technically sugar, so companies get to say low sugar on their packaging. But that's like moving your debt to a different credit card and saying, hey look, I'm rich now! The problem is the new credit card's got a higher interest rate. This stuff can spike your blood sugar faster than table sugar. Table sugar has a glycemic index of around 65, maltodextrin can be 85 or 100 or even higher. Talk about overcompensating. So you're eating healthy strawberry yogurt and it hits your bloodstream harder than a banana caramel sundae with a sledgehammer. And it's not just in yogurt, it's in protein powders, deli meats, bacon, canned food, and even a whole lot of products marked as keto. And why? Because it's cheap and it bulks things up. So the joke becomes this: they remove the fat from the food, then add this processed starch to make it creamy again, and then market it as healthy. That's not food, That's just industrial-grade glucose in disguise. So if you're trying to fix your metabolism, this is not your friend. See you in the next episode of What the Fuck Is That? Because you deserve to know.