Is Cornstarch Gluten Free and Healthy?

Is cornstarch gluten free and healthy? Corn is a gluten free grain and there are no other ingredients required to make corn starch. 100% pure corn starch is naturally gluten free. But if corn starch is made in a facility that manufactures gluten containing foods, then it can be cross contaminated by traces of gluten. Why? Because it is being manufactured in a facility that has gluten containing food that can potentially spread on the cornstarch.

One of the best ways to check if corn starch is gluten free is to check the label and make sure it has the appropriate label certification. A gluten free certification seal means it has been tested independently by a 3^rd party. A 3^rd party could be an NSF international that meets the proper requirements.

Is Cornstarch Gluten Free and Healthy? Photo Credit: iStock- Michelle Lee Photography

How corn starch is naturally gluten free is by extracting starch from the corn. The best way to know that any corn starch isn’t cross contaminated is by looking at the gluten free certification seal.

Here are some good corn starch substitutes that have gluten free diet ingredients such as:

• Potato Starch- This is a corn replaceable starch. It can be added towards the end of a recipe.
• Xanthan Gum- This is a vegetable gum made by fermenting sugar with bacteria.
• Guar Gum- This is a vegetable gum made by a small amount of guar beans.
• Tapioca Starch- It is extracted from root vegetable cassava. This is a good corn starch substitute.
• Arrowroot Powder comes from a tropical arrowroot plant. And this powder is a great cornstarch substitute.
• Rice flour is made from ground rice, and this is a good corn starch substitute.
• Ground flaxseeds has a great source of soluble fiber. The difference between this and cornstarch is flaxseeds are grittier.  But cornstarch is much smoother.
• Glucomannan is a powdered soluble fiber that comes from the roots of a konjac plant. It is a pure fiber that has no calories or carbs which make it is an appealing corn starch substitute.
• It also acts as a probiotic that can help feed good bacteria into the large intestine that can help maintain positive gut health. So, there are health benefits to this. There was a review study that showed that consuming 3 grams of glucomannan per day can reduce your LDL bad cholesterol by up to 10%.

“One of the best ways to check if corn starch is gluten free is to check the label and make sure it has the appropriate label certification. A gluten free certification seal means it has been tested independently by a 3^rd party.” Celebrity Fitness & Nutrition Expert Obi Obadike

The Bottom Line is cornstarch is naturally gluten free. But there are many different corn starch substitutes that can be of use such as rice flour, arrowroot powder, ground flaxseeds and glucomannan.

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References

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