A friend of mine has a niece who was diagnosed with dysphagia, so she needs to have thickener added to any liquids so she is able to swallow it. Most of the thickeners seem to be corn starch, so we are wondering if there are any alternatives (especially healthier/more natural). Thanks!
Tapioca flour. do some reading on it first before you use it...don't know much about it but it is used for thickening soups, puddings, pie fillings...
Hi,
I asked a speech therapist (they use thickeners a lot) and she said to talk to a pharmacist, they may have recommendations for alternatives for thickeners. You might even consider calling Pharmica, which is a combined western/alternative pharmacy chain. They have a store on Solano Avenue in Berkeley.
Obviously she would have to check with her doctor, but we used rice starch for my daughter to reduce spit-up. She had a big problem with spit-up and it did the trick. We first added rice cereal to her bottle. Then I found a formula that came with it already in it (Enfamil A.R.). I'm not sure if you can apply this info to her situation, but thought it worth mentioning.
baby cereal either rice or oatmeal or yogurt or mashed bananas
A.,
I do not know of alternatives, but when I need to use corn starch I use a brand made in Austria called Rapunzel. It is organic and GMO free. I found it at my local grocery store. I am sure most health food stores carry it. In case you can't find it here is the information I found on the box. Rapunzel Pure Organics,Valatie NY 12184. Phone # 1-800-207-2814. www.rapunzel.com
Good Luck.
Arrowroot starch is a great alternative and can be found in the spice aisle of the grocery store. As with corn starch, the liquid needs to be heated in order for the starch to thicken it, but you can do a batch at a time and chill it for later use. Arrowroot starch requires a smaller amount than corn starch (start with 1 tbsp per 3 cups of fluid and work back from there). I find that the easiest way to introduce the thickener to the liquid is to put the starch in a small jar, add a small amount of water (such as 2 oz per 1 tbsp), put on the lid and shake until well blended. Then slowly stir into the bulk of the liquid and stir continuously while heating. If you need more thickening, repeat; if you need less thickening add more water or base liquid to the mix, but do so slowly while stirring as the consistency changes rapidly. Also, the liquid will thicken more upon cooling, so if this process is being applied to a liquid to be consumed cold, the end product should be the consistency of a thin gravy.
Best of luck!
V. T
The only other thickeners that I know about are the gel type, made from xanthan gum. Someone told me that they thicken water with applesauce and milk with yogurt.
Your friend might want to check your library for this book: GOOD LOOKING EASY SWALLOWING: CREATIVE CATERING FOR MODIFIED TEXTURE DIETS by Janet Martin. For Orders in the U.S. and Canada phone (800)366-2665.
I also got this info from a pharmacist - "Natural alternatives, which are less "gluey" than starch thickeners & some of them actually nutritious with healing properties:
- Carrageenans (or Carrageenins)- gelatinous extracts from red seaweeds (Chondrus crispus)
- Locust bean gum - from Ceratonia siliqua plant
- Agar (or Agar agar)- made from red algae of genus Gelidium & Gracilaria, or seaweed Sphaerococcus euchema
- Guar gum herbal powder
- Aloe vera gel --> nutritious if not heated (used for cold food mixtures)
There are more natural sources available, though the 'key' to successful replacement is to know ratios, proper food combinations and nutritional properties related to the person's constitution and medical history."
