Can You Eat Cornstarch Raw? Is It Bad for You?

玉米淀粉是一种主要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 arefined carbohydrate, cornstarch is extracted from corn through extensive processing that strips most of the original nutritional value.

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.

Every grain, including corn, has three main parts: the germ, bran and endosperm, according to theHarvard 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.

Cornstarchis made solely from corn's endosperm, which ishigh 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保持血糖的稳定, 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).

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 willdiminish your riskof getting a foodborne illness. Typically, a recipe will call for one to two tablespoons of cornstarch.

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 theCleveland 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 theAmerican Journal of Human Biology. Adolescents and pregnant people are at a higher risk.

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.

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.

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.