Resistant Starch and What It Can Do for You

Eating starch may not seem like a good idea when dieting. Though it's true that certain foods like sweet potatoes, white rice, and carrots are great once a week, other foods like healthy fats, veggies, and protein are what you should prioritize in your diet. But, one carb can improve your gut biome. It's called resistant starch. In this article we'll talk about this type of starch, how to eat it, and how it helps your body.

WHAT IS RESISTANT STARCH?

Resistant starch resists digestion. In other words, it travels through your system without being broken down. The enzymes found within your small intestine typically convert starches into sugar, but resistant starch isn't digested at all.

Resistant starch works as a prebiotic, the food your gut bacteria eats. Good bacteria eat the starch as it passes through your system and creates butyric acid that provides energy to the cells in your GI tract. Grass-fed butter is a strong source of butyrate.

THE TYPES OF RESISTANT STARCH

There are four types of resistant starch:

•         RS1: Found in the outer lining of seeds, legumes, grains, and nuts.
•         RS2: Found in green bananas and uncooked potatoes.
•         RS3: This starch becomes resistant when cooked and cooled. Examples are white potatoes and white rice.
•         RS4: Man-made starch found in processed foods. Examples of it are polydextrin. Though some are man-made, not all are bad. Resistant dextrin, for example, helps with insulin resistance in females suffering from type 2 diabetes.

THE BENEFITS OF RESISTANT STARCH

Resistant starch also has benefits beyond feeding your good bacteria:

Defends Against Digestive Tract Cancer

It can rid your gut of precancerous cells and shrink cancerous lesions in your bowel. Research completed in 2013 showed positive results in mice, alleviating the quantity and volume of lesions that lead to cancer of the colon while increasing a beneficial anti-inflammatory protein (IL-10).

Minimizes Insulin Protection

Since the starch isn't digested, your insulin doesn't rise as it would with other starches. Research in 2012 showed overweight men who ate 15-30 grams of this starch each day for four weeks had a boost in insulin sensitivity. Low insulin resistance means reduced chances of having type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and severe weight gain.

Burns Body Fat While Suppressing Cravings

Resistant starch helps with weight control. One research study discovered that women eating pancakes with resistant starch plus additional protein actually burned fat compared to another group of women eating pancakes with non-resistant starch. Other research has shown that starch makes you feel full, leading to less food cravings.

Enhances Rest

A 2017 experiment found that rodents that were given prebiotics have improved non-REM sleep (the corrective phase) compared to rodents that didn't have them.

HOW TO INTRODUCE STARCH INTO YOUR DIET

When you begin your journey, add just one tablespoon of raw white potato starch a day and increase the amount gradually into whatever you feel is right. Don't worry about the extra carbohydrates-- carbs from resistant starch is keto-friendly because it bypasses digestive function, and isn't broken down like regular carbs.

Not all results are guaranteed. Some react well to this starch, and others don't. In addition to bloating, other issues can pop up, like joint pain. The results vary based on the individual. In general, it takes about a month and a half for your body to adjust to it.

You will have gas and bloating at first, but having your gut examined by a doctor is advised if it goes on longer than two weeks. You could have an imbalance of bacteria in your gut, which often happens when taking antibiotics or eating industrial meat.

Your doctor can look at your gastrointestinal pathogen composition or your bacteria's genetic sequence. Many times, probiotics are the cure.

BEST SOURCES OF RESISTANT STARCH

Try some of these options. Keep in mind that it's good to experiment a bit with each to understand how your body reacts to resistant starch.

Raw Potato Carbohydrate

Bob's Red Mill Potato Starch is a good brand. Don't prepare it – just mix it with lukewarm or cool water or in your smoothie.

Prepared and Cooked White Rice

The rice could be warmed up again without damaging its resistance.

Green Bananas or Uncooked Plantains

Be sure they are green. They won't taste great, but they have the most amount of resistant starch.

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