This food is not only a must-have for cooking, it can also treat rare diseases!

Have you ever eaten corn starch?

It is starch extracted from corn. It is a white powder with a slightly yellowish tint. It is relatively fine and is usually used as a must-have for starching, battering, powdering, and frying, but it is not very suitable for thickening.

When we cook chicken, pork, fish, shrimp and other foods, they taste more refreshing and tender after being wrapped with corn starch. In addition, we can also use corn starch to make cakes, egg skins, jelly, pudding and other foods.

In addition to being used to make a variety of delicious foods, there is a disease that actually requires corn starch as one of its main treatments.

This disease is glycogen storage disease (GSD), which is a group of diseases caused by congenital enzyme defects in the process of glycogen synthesis and decomposition, glycolysis and glucose release. Since glycogen is mainly stored in the liver and muscles, GSD is generally divided into liver glycogen storage disease and muscle glycogen storage disease according to the patient's clinical manifestations and the affected organs.

GSD is usually classified into 11 types, among which types I, IV, VI, IX, and O are mainly characterized by liver lesions, types II, V, and VII are mainly characterized by muscle tissue involvement, and types II and III involve both liver and muscle.

Hypoglycemia is the main manifestation of glycogen storage disease and is also a characteristic manifestation of GSD type I. Especially in younger infants and young children, hypoglycemia often causes crying, pale face, sweating, unstable sleep, or vomiting and convulsions in the morning. Moreover, as the amount of activity increases, children are more likely to suffer from hypoglycemia.

Therefore, improving blood sugar becomes the first issue that GSD patients need to pay attention to. Although the various starchy foods we eat daily, such as rice, noodles, potatoes and other foods, contain rich carbohydrates that can maintain blood sugar between meals, or even for a longer period of time, due to the congenital abnormalities in glycogen synthesis or decomposition in GSD, glycogen cannot be stored or decomposed, resulting in the inability to maintain the blood sugar of children within the normal range between meals, especially at night when they have not eaten for a long time.

At this time, in addition to eating normal food, you should pay attention to replacing some common staple foods (rice, steamed bread, noodles, etc.) with corn starch. Because raw corn starch, as a slowly digested carbohydrate, can gradually release glucose in the body, helping children maintain a relatively stable blood sugar level, which is very important for preventing hypoglycemia.

So how should we eat it and how much corn starch should we eat?

Edible corn starch must be eaten raw and cannot be heat-processed like in our daily cooking before consumption, so as to avoid affecting its slow-release effect.

(1) Usually, it is mixed with boiled water. Mix raw corn starch and boiled water in a ratio of 1:2, stir evenly and then drink. It can also be mixed with a small amount of milk powder.

(2) Raw corn starch should not be consumed with lemon juice or vitamin C, otherwise the glucose in the raw corn starch will be released quickly, causing large fluctuations in blood sugar.

(3) Most of the raw corn starch in daily life is used for cooking, not for medicinal purposes. When purchasing, you should pay attention to the purity of the product. Especially after changing brands, you should observe changes in blood sugar, contact your doctor in time, and adjust the dosage.

(4) The dosage and frequency of raw corn starch for different ages vary, and should be taken according to the joint guidance of the Pediatric Endocrinology Department and the Clinical Nutrition Department. Generally, 1-2.5g/kg each time, once every 4-6 hours, and once before bedtime for adults. However, the specific dosage and frequency of intake for different ages and different disease characteristics should be consulted with a doctor.

(5) The time and dosage of taking the drug should be adjusted according to the blood sugar level under the guidance of a doctor. Generally, it should be taken between meals during the day and before going to bed and in the early morning at night.

(6) For children and adult patients with a higher body weight, regular follow-up is important to avoid excessive intake leading to weight gain.

(7) For infants aged 6-12 months, since the function of pancreatic amylase is not yet perfect, it is recommended to choose maltodextrin and feed on demand.

In addition, there are different treatments for different types of GSD, and not all types require treatment with raw corn starch. Parents and patients should go to the hospital's pediatric endocrinology department and clinical nutrition department for consultation and follow-up in a timely manner.

References:

[1] The picture is from the Internet.

[2] Feng Zhichun, Wang Yan, Yang Rulai. Theory and practice of prevention and treatment of genetic metabolic diseases[M]. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2023.3.

Author: Niu Yang, Feng Yi, Zhang Yajie, Sheng Jinye

Instructors: Cai Wei, Tang Qingya

Department of Clinical Nutrition, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Project source: Shanghai Health Science Popularization Youth Talent Project (JKKPYC-2022-06)