Abundant Benefits of Resistant Starch
What is resistant starch? When you think of starchy foods, you probably think of rice, potatoes and pasta, which are all carbohydrate rich foods. Starches are long chains of glucose that must be broken down in the digestive tract. However, some starches are resistant to digestion, hence the name “resistant starch.” This resistant type of starch acts more like a soluble fiber, which has significant health benefits.
There are four different types of resistant starch (RS):
⦁ RS Type 1 has a non-digestible matrix – it is found in grains, seeds, legumes, and because it is bound in fibrous cell walls, it resists digestion.
⦁ RS Type 2 is made up of tightly packed, ungelatinized starch granules and is found in some starchy foods, such as green bananas, raw potato starch, and high-amylose cornstarch.
⦁ RS Type 3 is cooled gelatinized starch, which is formed when certain starches are cooked and then cooled. If reheated above 130°, they it will no longer be resistant starch.
⦁ RS Type 4 is chemically modified cross-bonded starch found in some processed foods.
Resistant starch acts like a soluble, fermentable fiber, which moves through the digestive tract undigested and until it reaches the large intestine, where it is digested and turned into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Butyrate is the most important SCFA, because it is the preferred fuel of the cells that line the colon. Resistant starch not only feeds the beneficial gut bacteria, it feeds the cells of the colon. Those SCFA not used by the colon cells get transported into the bloodstream, liver and are transported throughout the body.
Health Benefits of Resistant Starch Resistant starch:
⦁ Lowers the pH in the intestines, which may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer
⦁ Improves the ratio of beneficial bacteria, which may ease gas and bloating and be therapeutic for digestive disorders, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
⦁ Reduces the pH level, potentially reducing inflammation and
⦁ Increases blood flow to nourish and strengthen the cells in the colon
⦁ Increases absorption of minerals
⦁ Lowers glucose levels and mediates insulin responses reducing insulin spikes and stabilizing glucose levels throughout the day, keeping your hunger hormone, leptin, in check, which curbs cravings by keeping you feeling full for a longer period of time.
⦁ Improves insulin sensitivity – studies have shown that 15-30 grams of resistant starch per day can improve insulin sensitivity in obese individuals.
⦁ Promotes weight loss by improving the bacterial diversity in the microbiome, which has been correlated with leaner body mass. Keeping insulin levels in check prevents fat storage. Because your insulin levels are stable and you feel fuller longer, you eat less because you aren’t hungry.
⦁ Reduces inflammation – butyrate the SCFA produced by the fermentation of resistant starch in the colon also has potent anti-inflammatory effects. It helps to decrease intestinal permeability, allowing the small-intestine lining to heal if the tight junctions have been damaged from eating foods that produce inflammation in the GI tract.
Foods high in resistant starch:
⦁ Plantains or green (unripe) bananas
⦁ Cooked and cooled white potatoes, white pasta, or white rice – these will lose their resistant starch benefits if heated over 130 degrees.
⦁ Cassava root or cassava flour
⦁ Oats – amount of RS will increase as the oats cool over several hours
⦁ Legumes, such as beans and lentils
⦁ High-maze flour
⦁ Corn (non-GMO and organic) this can actually lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels in the blood as well as having a probiotic effect that promotes gastrointestinal
⦁ Bob’s Red Mill Unmodified Potato Starch – start with a tiny amount (¼ tsp) and gradually increase the amount as tolerated, as too much too soon may cause gas and bloating as your gut flora adapts.
WARNING:
⦁ Start with a small amount and increase slowly to avoid digestive discomfort. I learned this the hard way – so increase the amount very slowly especially when using the potato starch mentioned above.
⦁ If you experience significant digestive distress with even a small amount of RS, this could be an indicator that you have Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) or microbial dysbiosis and need to consult a functional medicine health care practitioner to use antimicrobials and certain probiotics to establish a more balanced gut microbiome before using RS or other prebiotics. If you think you may have SIBO, feel free to contact me for a free consultation to discuss this.
⦁ If you don’t have SIBO and you still have a reaction to too much RS, avoid it for a few days until your digestive symptoms resolve and then try again with a smaller amount.
Tip:
⦁ Take probiotics along with your resistant starch, because resistant starch will feed the beneficial bacteria in the probiotic.
⦁ Make sure to soak legumes over night before cooking or cook them in an instant pot.
⦁ This is the kind of starch you can consume on a Keto diet.
In good health,
Valerie Folsom-Martin, MSW, LCSW, CIMHP, CCTP, FDN-P, CHHC
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