Resistant Starch: What Is It and Why Should We Consume It?
Resistant starches are not digested in the inner stomach or small intestines like breads and pastas which are are broken down into glucose, but resistant starches actually make it all the way to the large intestine intact. These starches ferment in your large intestine and create more good bacteria, boosting your overall gut health.
Some starches are quickly digested (cereals, sugary processed foods, fruits, white bread, processed carbs), some are slowly digested (beans, brown rice, oats, yams - anything with higher fibre) or some are simply not digested at all (aka, resistant starches). Because these starches can make it further down into the gut, they become fermentable food for our good bacteria, meaning they feed the good guys and make our gut healthier and more diverse.
The Benefits Of Short-Chain Fatty Acids
These are the main source of energy for the cells lining your large intestine and are CRUCIAL to a healthy gut. The main three are butyrate, propionate and acetate. They are all an end-product of bacterial fermentation. These important metabolites are natural chemical compounds formed from fermentation in the gut, and they play an incredibly important role in the health of your gut lining, brain functioning, appetite, mood, body composition, and also regulate your metabolism and immune system. Without these little babies, our gut will be super out of whack!
Acetate: the most abundant metabolite, as many bacteria can produce it. Acetate acts as an essential energy source for many other bacteria – many of which actually use acetate to produce butyrate.
Propionate: helps with the release of glucose in the liver to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. Propionate also helps trigger the release of anti-inflammatory molecules and also those that control appetite.
Butyrate: one of the most important for gut health. Butyrate is fuel for intestinal cells and assists in maintaining integrity of the gut lining. It can also trigger the release of anti-inflammatory molecules and control appetite like propionate.
The amount of SCFAs we have in our colon depends on:
The amount and type of carbohydrates we eat
The abundance, or lack, of SCFA producing gut bacteria we have and feed
Prebiotics are also crucial for a well balanced gut as they promote the production of short chain fatty acids. The goal for a healthy gut is to increase the diversity of your gut microbiome. The best way to do this is by eating a variety of different types of fibres/prebiotics (30-40 different ones per week, ex: carrots, shallots, broccoli, chickpeas, lentils, Swiss chard, bananas, berries, yams, cabbage, etc). This encourages bacterial abundance, cross-feeding of different species from each other’s metabolites and evenness in your gut population (no one species dominates – well balanced). If we eat adequate resistant starch and prebiotic foods, we will feed the beneficial bacteria (and probiotic bacteria) that make plenty of SCFAs and nourishes the SCFA producing gut bacteria that live in our large intestine.
Resistant Starch Benefits
Improved insulin sensitivity
Slowly moves through digestive system and doesn’t spike blood sugar. This means the body doesn’t need to release insulin in response to this digestion process.Lower blood cholesterol and fats
Improves blood fat profiles and has the potential to reduce risk factors involved with atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes development in overweight individuals.Nourishes and repairs gut lining, boosts beneficial gut bacteria + reduces inflammation in the gut
Long term intake of resistant starch has been shown to improve the integrity of mucus lining the gut, while reducing inflammation. The diversity of beneficial gut microbes boosts the production of short chain fatty acids creating an overall healthier gut and also strengthens the immune system.Aids in weight loss
Resistance starch have been shown to reduce fat storage cells and help keep you fuller longer.Reduces the number of harmful metabolites.
Examples of Resistant Starches
greenish bananas (or just ripe)
cooked + cooled potatoes - potato salad is a great option here!
legumes + beans
cooked + cooled white rice (this can be reheated after being cooled)
Jerusalem artichokes
organic GF oats (cooked and cooled is best)
barley
green peas (cooked + cooled)
yams + sweet potatoes (cooked + cooled)
