more carbs, better gut health
if you have ever wondered how you can eat more carbohydrates and benefit your health you are in the right place. ( because, yes, it is possible!!! )
potatoes, rice, and pastas may get a bad rep, but they can actually be quite beneficial to our health. besides the fact that carbohydrates are our bodies preferred source of energy, carbs such as the ones listed above can be prepared in a way that provides outstanding benefits to our health.
resistant starch refers to a wide range of starchy foods that resist digestion as they pass through the digestive tract. they are not fully digested like a regular starch and because of this offer some more health benefits than your average starch - the small intestine or the stomach are unable to digest them, they go to the colon where they get fermented and converted into wonderful things which can positively impact health. (1)
some of these happy wonderful things that can occur include —
🤍 lower glycemic index
aka happier blood sugars. serious magic. this is a big deal for type 1 and type 2 diabetics, as well as those looking to keep blood sugar balanced.
✨increased production of butyrate
butyrate is a short chain fatty acid that is created by fermentation of fibers in the colon. butyrate has been shown to have beneficial effects on energy metabolism, intestinal homeostasis, as well as providing anti inflammatory effects. other short chain fatty acids’s are also produced with the intake of resistant starch, such as acetate and propionate. (2)
🦠 positive impacts on gut health
this includes more regular bowel movements, reduced risk of colon cancer, and improvements in digestion
🧬 weight loss
other than promoting feelings of satiety, an consuming more resistant starch than completely digestible starch may benefit weight loss due to less energy being absorbed. a study done by Liversy in 1994 showed that the energy value of RS has been calculated as 2 kcal/g, which is considerably lower than the energy value for completely digestible starch at 4.2kcal/g. this means you can eat more food for less calories! (3)
the easiest form of resistant starch to add to your diet is type iii rs.
take your starchy potatoes or rices. cook em. cool em. enjoy.
sources ;
Birt DF, Boylston T, Hendrich S, Jane JL, Hollis J, Li L, McClelland J, Moore S, Phillips GJ, Rowling M, Schalinske K, Scott MP, Whitley EM. Resistant starch: promise for improving human health. Adv Nutr. 2013 Nov 6;4(6):587-601. doi: 10.3945/an.113.004325. PMID: 24228189; PMCID: PMC3823506.
2. Liu H, Wang J, He T, Becker S, Zhang G, Li D, Ma X. Butyrate: A Double-Edged Sword for Health? Adv Nutr. 2018 Jan 1;9(1):21-29. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmx009. PMID: 29438462; PMCID: PMC6333934.
3. Nugent, A.P. (2005), Health properties of resistant starch. Nutrition Bulletin, 30: 27-54. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2005.00481.x
