Corn Starch

[annacsmom]

I have just began to do some gluten free baking and I notice that corn starch is used all the time. I just told a friend of mine and she said that corn starch is no good for you (according to her health conscious friend) Has anyone else heard about this, and if it isn't good for you, then what are the reasons?? Thanks in advance.

[Guest nini]

hmm, I hadn't heard that... I use corn starch a lot in my baking...

[ArtGirl]

Certainly it's not good for you if you have a sensitivity to corn.... but generally speaking?, I've not heard this either.

[Sweetfudge]

how are you supposed to store corn starch? fridge? or cupboard okay?

[zansu]

well, if you were looking at it from a Sugar Busters/Atkins/bad carb point of view; I would think that corn starch would be a "bad" option compared to the "healthy whole wheat" option. Of course, that opinion doesn't really apply to us...

Some of the flours like amaranth, Quinoa, and teff would be "healthy" gluten-free options. I just don't know that I would know how to use them.

[Jestgar]

I make my own flour mixes that are about 1/3 rice flour, 1/3 potato/corn starch, and 1/3 (buckwheat, teff, amaranth, soy and a pinch of flax seed meal) in not very strict amounts.

For lighter recipes (cakes and cookies) I might mix this with tapioca and sweet rice flour, but for most stuff I like the "healthy" taste the darker flours impart.

[mamaw]

I also never heard corn starch was bad ...... I store mine in the fridge. I like argo brand because it doesn't get lumpy.....

I have alway use that to thicken gravies, I never used flour even when I could have!!!

[debmidge]

I think it could mean that corn starch is a filler and generally fillers do not have any nutriitional value, so therefore, it can be considered "no good" for you. But if you need corn starch for a thickener or to help your receipe I can't imagine that little bit being a problem for your health. I mean no one drinks down quarts of corn starch thickened gravy!

I also ascribe to the theory that perhaps what is bad for the "gluten people" is ok for gluten-free people. For instance, the gluten people can sub corn starch with wheat flour which was infused with nutrients (vitamin fortified flours). Perhaps that's what they mean : as when compared to other fillers, corn starch should not be used? Well maybe that works in the gluten world but not in gluten-free world.