The #1 Most DAMAGING Carb on Earth (Is NOT Sugar)

Berg stresses that maltodextrin’s presence in the food supply is extensive and largely invisible to the average consumer because it hides behind the “complex carbohydrate” label. He found it across multiple supermarket categories: sugar-free drink mixes, protein powders and bars, electrolyte powders, salad dressings, instant soups, seasoning packets, and even pharmaceutical fillers. Relying on the front-of-package “zero sugar” claim gives a false sense of security. This protocol is the first line of defense: actively scanning back-of-package ingredients for the specific terminology that signals an industrial starch, even when a product markets itself as healthy or diabetic-friendly.

Berg performed the test live on camera: he put iodine in tap water (no color change), then on bread (turned blue), and in a solution of pure maltodextrin (turned blue/purple). He then tested his own electrolyte powder, which remained unchanged, proving it was free of maltodextrin. This test exploits the classical starch–iodine complex reaction. While it cannot distinguish between natural starch (like potato starch) and industrially modified starch, it can alert you to the presence of any starch that a product might be hiding behind a “low carb” or “zero sugar” claim.

Berg builds the case by explaining that the body holds only 25–30 mg of B1, which is rapidly consumed when metabolizing glucose from maltodextrin. Paramedic protocols in many states require 100 mg of B1 before giving glucose to malnourished patients to prevent refeeding syndrome, underscoring how quickly B1 can be exhausted. He contends that the official RDAs are laughably low and that most diabetics suffer from severe B1 deficiency in the peripheral nerves, manifesting as neuropathy. Benfotiamine, he argues, is superior to regular water-soluble B1 because it crosses the myelin sheath — the fatty insulation around nerves — and can thus repair nerve tissue. He presents it as the only effective intervention he knows for reversing peripheral neuropathy. Citing no studies in this segment, he relies on clinical experience and the mechanistic logic of fat-solubility.

Maltodextrin begins as corn starch, which is then treated with enzymes, acids, and heat to break it into shorter chains of 3 to 17 glucose molecules. Despite being called a “complex carbohydrate,” these chains are digested so rapidly that the glycemic index starts at 136 and can reach 180 — far above table sugar (65) or even glucose (100). This processing creates an “industrial starch” that behaves entirely differently from the starch naturally found in whole foods. Berg walked through a grocery store and found the ingredient in sugar-free drink mixes, protein powders, protein bars, electrolyte powders, salad dressings, instant soups, and seasoning packets — all places where consumers might feel safe. Because the FDA’s definition rests on chain length, products can legally declare “0 g sugar” while containing substantial amounts of this quick-spiking carbohydrate. Berg argues this loophole makes maltodextrin more dangerous than sugar for people trying to manage blood glucose.

Berg cites Cleveland Clinic research in which animals fed maltodextrin produced significantly less mucus, thinning the gut wall and allowing bacteria to migrate inward — a process called microbial encroachment. He specifically links a strain of E. coli tied to Crohn’s disease; the same institution found that maltodextrin activates a genetic switch in the bacteria, causing them to grow pili (arm-like appendages) that latch onto the gut wall and build a protective biofilm shielded from the immune system. Notably, glucose did not have this effect. Additionally, a separate study indicated maltodextrin promotes Salmonella colonization. Berg emphasizes that even small, consistent amounts can trigger these changes, yet maltodextrin enjoys GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status, allowing it to be slipped into countless food products without independent safety testing.

Berg explains that the human body stores only 25–30 mg of B1 at any one time. Every intake of refined carbohydrates or maltodextrin draws on this reserve to metabolize the glucose surge. Over time, the pool empties, leading to energy production failure — “the engine starts to bog down.” He connects this to the high rate of peripheral neuropathy in diabetics, which he attributes to B1 deficiency in peripheral nerves (especially toes). The antidote, he says, is higher doses of B1, specifically the fat-soluble form benfotiamine, which can penetrate the myelin sheath and promote nerve healing. He adds that paramedics in many US states are required to give 100 mg of B1 before glucose to malnourished patients — a stark contrast to the RDA of 1.2–1.5 mg. Beyond neuropathy, he identifies nervous anxiety, air hunger (a feeling of not getting enough air), restless legs, and even heartbeat and blood pressure issues as possible B1 deficiency symptoms.

According to Berg, all studies showing beneficial effects of Fibersol 2 — a resistant maltodextrin — were funded by the Japanese company that developed it and a large agricultural partner. No independent research confirmed its safety. Despite this, the FDA classified it as a fiber, effectively granting it a health halo. Berg notes that no one tested the interaction of Fibersol 2 with other common food ingredients, meaning its real-world safety profile is unknown. He warns that just because a chemically-altered starch resists digestion in isolation does not guarantee it is harmless when consumed daily in the complex matrix of processed foods.