Resistant starch

This week, let’s take a look at resistant starch. What the heck is resistant starch? Simply defined resistant starches are types of starch that do not completely break down during the digestive process. These resistant starches appear to have many health benefits when they are added to our diet.

The health claims have a fair amount of research tied to them, yet the jury is still out that resistant starch delivers across all the benefits I have listed in this column. Here is a list of the top five commonly cited benefits of resistant starch:

1. Increases your total calorie burn. Resistant starch does seem to speed up your metabolism. This is done as resistant starch moves through your digestive system, releasing fatty acids which in turn promotes metabolic fat burning.

2. Studies show some benefits in helping prevent type II diabetes and heart disease. With regard to diabetes, resistant starch does not digest in the small intestine, so it doesn’t contribute to increased blood glucose levels.

3. Resistant starch boosts probiotic support in your gut which enhances your immune system. This is because resistant starch revs up fermentation and production of butyrate which is a short-chain fatty acid that leads to lowering the pH of your gut and limiting bad bacteria growth.

4. Two different studies suggest resistant starch may help prevent some forms of cancer such as colon cancers. These studies have found that resistant starch can reduce inflammation in your colon, promoting good bacteria and at the same time reduce the occurrence of precancerous polyps.

5. Studies have shown resistant starch slows levels of the hunger hormones Leptin and Ghrelin. Hunger hormones are those nasty little things that set your cravings and desire to eat in full motion. Since resistant starch helps reduce insulin resistance and insulin resistance can take your hunger hormones into overdrive, it makes sense that resistant starch can deliver these benefits. One study done in England found that consuming resistant starch in just one meal a day caused the participants of the study to eat 10 percent fewer calories during a 24-hour period.

First, let’s look at the types of foods that have resistant starches. Foods like green bananas, raw potatoes, plantains, corn, some grains and legumes all have various levels of resistant starch. These foods all have the ability to deliver whole, unprocessed sources of resistant starch if eaten raw or cooked in specific ways and eaten cold. There also seems to be benefits when you mix the types of resistant starch in your diet since certain resistant starches feed different good gut bacteria.

I have been looking into resistant starch for a couple of years now and just recently started adding it to my morning protein shakes. Since I like to first experience what I write about, it has taken me some time to get around to the topic of resistant starch. I have been adding Bob’s Red Mill unmodified Potato starch in powder form to my morning smoothie for five weeks now. Early results seem promising since I have noticed a reduction in late morning hunger pangs. Something I have experienced for many years when just doing protein based fruit smoothies early in the morning. The other aspects that seems positive is how well my digestive tract handles resistant starch, meaning no bloating or discomfort and perhaps even early signs of some weight loss. I like to give these types of trials a full 90 days to see if there are any solid results that hold.

There are two points that need to be made around food starch in general. The first point that I am sure many of you have already wondered is the long held idea that starchy foods are bad or at least fattening. There have been a number of diet plans that recommend avoiding starches since they are hard to digest and/or cause weight gain. Again, depending on what types of foods are consumed that have resistant starch, and how they are cooked or not cooked, makes a pretty big difference.

The second point is confusion around resistant starch and fiber. Resistant starch is chemically a starch, but it acts a lot like fiber, passing through our digestive tract with little of it being digested. Like fiber, resistant starch does not convert to energy in your body. Fiber and resistant starch are very similar in how they act in the body with each offering its own set of benefits around good gut health.

How much resistant starch you should eat every day will depend and not all people tolerate all types of resistant starch. If you decide to augment resistant starch into your diet, start slow with small amounts… a quarter of a teaspoon for a week or two, then slowly increasing the amount. Try different types like potato, then maybe green bananas. If you’re a diabetic or have a chronic illness, always check with your health practitioner first. As for the optimal amount of resistant starch to get the most benefit from butyrate production is about 20 to 30 grams. Remember to work your way up slowly to see how you will tolerate resistant starch.

The bottom line to resistant starch is it certainly has good health benefits. It’s not for everyone and some health claims are pretty far reaching with little supporting research. Give it a try and you may just find a new tool in your tool kit to build a great health and wellness foot print.

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Judd Jones is a director for The Hagadone Corporation in Coeur d’Alene.