Has anyone heard of Hi-Maize? What do you know about it?!
Answers: Is it good for diabetics? Are there any side effects?
Hi-maize resistant starch is a natural cornstarch that resists digestion in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine. Experts have called it the 3rd type of dietary fiber (the others being soluble fiber & insoluble fiber) because it delivers unique benefits. It is insoluble like wheat fiber and cellulose, but it is fermented in the large intestine like some types of soluble fibers (i.e. inulin and fruco-oligosaccharide). However, because it is insoluble, it is fermented slowly and does not cause the digestive side effects (gas, bloating) common with other types of fermentable fibers. It merits a 3rd category because the fermentation of natural resistant starch produces metabolism benefits not found with other types of fiber.
It is very good for diabetics, because it commonly replaces flour in recipes - lowering the glycemic and insulin response of that food. Its fermentation, however, has been shown in 3 clinical trials to increase insulin sensitivity in both healthy individuals as well as Type II diabetics. Other metabolism benefits from the fermentation of Hi-maize include increased fat burning (1 published clinical trial), increased colonic health (13 published clinical trials), cessation of diarrhea from infectious agents (3 published clinical trials) decreased glycemic or insulin response of the subsequent meal (4 published clinical trials) and increased satiety between meals (3 published clinical trials).
The American Diabetic Association specifically mentioned resistant starch from high amylose corn it in its latest nutritional recommendations. While the ADbA want to see long-term studies published with resistant starch in diabetics, there are actually more than 60 published clinical trials demonstrating health benefits from natural Hi-maize resistant starch.
In all the published studies, there are very few side effects cited. Sometimes, in very high doses (i.e. twice the recommended intake of fiber) the studies cite slight increases in gas. The lack of side effects from Hi-maize are due to its insoluble structure - it is fermented slowly because the resident bacteria in the large intestine can't break through the insoluble starch granule very fast.
It is a natural corn product - much like the cornstarch in your kitchen cabinet. However, it is made from a particular hybrid of corn. The benefits really come from the grain itself. Other manufacturers have created chemically modified resistant starches - in which they have artificially introduced bonds in starches to make it non-digestible, but Hi-maize is the original product used in all the research studies over the past 15 years.