Resistant starch (RS) is a type of dietary fiber naturally found in many carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes, grains, and beans, particularly when these foods are cooled. It gets its name because it “resists” digestion in the body. What makes resistant starch so special is the powerful impact it has on weight loss and overall health.
Benefits:
- Increase the body’s ability to burn fat: Resistant starch gets fermented when it reaches the large intestine. This process creates beneficial fatty acids, including one called butyrate, which may block the body’s ability to burn carbohydrates. In your body, carbohydrates are the preferred source of fuel and butyrate prevents carbs absorption , and the cells turn to fat as an alternative. One study found that replacing just 5.4% of total carbohydrate intake with resistant starch created a 20 to 30% increase in fat burning after a meal. The degree of butyrate production varies in individuals, but resistant starch consistently results in lots of butyrate across nearly every subject who consumes it. Butyrate is crucial because it’s the prime energy source of our colonic cells, and it may be responsible for most of the other RS-related benefits.
- Fills Up: Researches from University of Toronto found that resistant starch increased satiety and reduced food intake after two hours.
- Reduces overall hunger: Animal studies have found that resistant starch prompts the body to pump out more satiety-inducing hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1. A meal with resistant starch triggers a hormonal response to shut off hunger, so you eat less. Research shows that you don’t reap this benefit from other sources of fiber.
- Improves blood sugar control: One reason some people avoid even minimal amounts of carbohydrate is the blood glucose response; theirs is too high. Resistant starch lowers the postprandial blood glucose spike. According to a study, consumption of foods containing moderate amounts of soluble fiber and resistant starch may improve glucose metabolism in both normal and overweight women.
- Promotes bowel regularity.
- Long-term Heart Protection: Blood sugar once controlled translates into more energy and sustained energy. It also means long-term heart protection, because chronic high levels of blood sugar and insulin cause delicate arteries to become clogged and harden.
- Boosts immunity: Resistant starch may boost the growth of probiotics, the same kind of healthy bacteria found in yogurt that keep bad bacteria in check.
- Reduce your cancer risk: Research shows that the butyrate created by resistant starch may protect the lining of the colon, making it less vulnerable to the DNA damage that triggers diseases, such as colon cancer. It can also create a pH drop inside the colon, which boosts the absorption of calcium and blocks the absorption of cancer-causing substances.
In all, it stops the accumulation of belly fat and reducing the risk of “dia-besity”.
Resistant starch (RS) has been assigned to four groups based on the properties that allow it to resist digestion:
RS1 – Physically resists digestion because of a protective matrix or coating surrounding the granules found in whole grains, legumes and seeds.
RS2 – Is intrinsically resistant to digestion before cooking. RS2 includes unripe bananas, uncooked potatoes, along with many other foods.
RS3 – Retrograded starch is formed when starchy foods are cooked and then cooled.
RS4 – Refers to starch that is chemically modified to resist digestion and absorption. RS4 starches are often developed for use in processed foods. e.g. Hi-Maize corn starch.
Food Sources:
The richest food sources are raw potatoes, green bananas(RS:6 g per small), plantains, cooked-and-cooled potatoes (RS: 4 g per 1/2 cup), cooked-and-cooled-rice (RS: 3 g per 1/2 cup), parboiled rice, corn (RS: 2 g per 1/2 cup) , cashew nuts and cooked-and-cooled beans (RS: 8 g per 1/2 cup) or legumes. Barley possess Resistant Starch of 3 g per 1/2 cup.
We can get RS from supplementary isolated starch sources. The best sources are raw potato starch, plantain flour, green banana flour, and cassava/tapioca starch. Raw (not sprouted) mung beans are a good source of RS. The most reliable way to get lots of RS, fast, is with raw potato starch.
Note: Resistant starch has the potential to cause or perpetuate digestive problems if and when excessive fermentation occurs in the wrong place, mainly the small intestine. To be on the safe side, people with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)-related digestive illnesses such as GERD, IBS and Celiac disease, etc. would be best served by consuming lower levels of resistant starch because it behaves much like fermentable fiber.