Resistant starch is a type of
carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine, passing largely intact into the large intestine where its fibers ferment into
short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate and act as a prebiotic by feeding gut bacteria.
The advocates for consuming resistant starch argue that it will:
- prevent blood glucose spikes
- increase feeling of fullness
- treat and prevent constipation
- decrease cholesterol
- lower risk of colon cancer
- ferment slowly, causing less gas than other fibers
Arguments to avoid consuming resistant starch include:
- to resolve prolonged blood glucose spikes it makes much more sense to remove excess fats/oils from the diet, rather than continuing to eat excess fats/oils and attempting to fix the problem indirectly with resistant starch
- it goes against our senses and instincts to eat foods that don't taste good
- other than during a famine, it doesn't make sense to eat foods that resist digestion
Foods that contain resistant starch include:
- Plantains and green bananas:
As a banana ripens its starch changes into sweet, easily digested simple sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) to fuel the body
- Beans, peas, and lentils
- Whole grains including oats and barley
- Cooked and cooled rice
The amount of resistant starch changes with heat. Oats, green bananas, and plantains lose some of their resistant starch when cooked. Another type of resistant starch is made in the cooking and cooling process. Cooked rice that has been cooled is higher in resistant starch than rice that was cooked and not cooled.