RESISTANT STARCH...NEW WEIGHT-LOSS MIRACLE?

I suppose by now, most of you who are constantly out there fishing for the latest technique on keeping weight from packing itself onto your hips and belt line have probably read or heard about a phenomenon called “resistant starch.”

Okay, So Just What Is Hype and What Is Truth?
The hype is that RS, found in certain foods, is a type of carbohydrate that can work wonders, promoting weight loss and digestive health, helping to maintain blood sugar levels, and reducing your risk for diabetes.

The truth? Well, the above may be partially true. Studies do show this nutrient may provide an array of health benefits. But as most experts point out, many of the claims demand more research. Researchers also emphasize that RS is not a revolutionary discovery, but rather another piece of the complex nutritional puzzle.

What, Exactly, Is Resistant Starch?
Many foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and certain dairy products contain an assortment of carbs, including sugars, starches (RS falls in this group), and fiber. During digestion, most sugars and starches break down in the small intestine into glucose, which is the primary energy source for the body. But fiber, soluble (that partially dissolves in fluid) and insoluble (that does not dissolve) moves to the large intestine undigested. Studies have shown that fiber is very important in the diet because it helps reduce the risk of conditions such as constipation, heart disease, and diabetes.

Now, onward to RS. On a molecular level, resistant starch is still a starch, and, logically, should get burned as energy. However (and here is the key), during digestion, RS actually mimics some of the properties of dietary fiber, “resisting” digestion and passing into the large intestine. Similar to insoluble fiber, it helps prevent constipation by “increasing bulk and making elimination faster,” says Janine Higgins, PhD, a professor at the University of Colorado who has extensively studied RS.

“Like insoluble fiber, RS ferments in the large intestine, lowering the pH level, which makes the colon more acidic,” says Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, a lecturer in food science and nutrition at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. This makes it less hospitable to bacteria that can cause illness. At the same time, a lower pH level helps the good flora (bacteria) thrive.

Weight-Loss Magic?
While digestive health is important, it doesn’t get the media attention that the words “weight loss” do. The excitement enters when researchers announced that RS seems to “inhibit certain enzymes responsible for the creation of fat and increase the amount of fat your body burns,” says Hope Warshaw, RD, author of Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy.

A small study conducted by Janine Higgins and published in Nutrition & Metabolism, found that participants who replaced about 5 percent of their total carbohydrates with foods high in RS “significantly increased” fat burning. Higgins and her colleagues concluded that consuming resistant starch on a regular basis “could possibly decrease fat accumulation in the long term,” which may help people maintain a healthy weight.

Why RS may help with fat burning is not yet clear. Higgins says, “It could be because when you eat resistant starch, you’re not getting as many calories gram per gram as with regular starches, or it could be other reasons. We haven’t nailed down the mechanisms for explaining that yet.”

RS is a way to up your total fiber intake, which should be about 25 grams a day. Start by consuming more legumes, suggests, George Fahey, Jr., professor of animal and nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois, who has studied the health benefits of RS and the RS content in different foods. Slightly green bananas, cooked, cold potatoes, cold pasta, and cold rice contain resistant starch. See the table below.

In the end, nutritionists like Bowerman look at RS as more support for eating a nutrient-dense, whole-foods diet. “RS strengthens the argument that people should eat a wide variety of whole plant foods, since this ensures that we get the huge array of healthy compounds nature intended.”

 Up Your Intake of Resistant Starch With:

• 1 Medium Green Banana, 4.7 grams
• ½ Cup Cooked Black Beans, 2 grams
• ½ Cup Cooked Kidney Beans, 2.4 grams
• ½ Cup Cooked Navy Beans, 3.8 grams
• ½ Cup Cooked Brown Rice, 1.7 grams
• ½ Cup Cooked Corn, 0.3 grams
• ½ Cup Cooked Lentils, 3.4 grams
• 1 Cup Cooked Oatmeal, 0.5 grams
• ½ Cup Cooked Pearl Barley, 1.9 grams
• 1 Medium Boiled Potato, Cold, 1.3 grams
• ½ Cup Cooked Split Peas, 3.1 grams
• ½ Cup Cooked White Rice, Cold, 0.95 grams
• 2 Slices Whole-Grain Bread, 0.5 grams
• 1 Cup Cooked, Cold, Whole-Wheat Pasta,

The amounts of resistant starch given above may vary, depending on origin of food, how it’s grown, etc.

The list above provided by Oldways, from data published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association and in Die Nahrung.

For more information click on www.eatright.org.

Comments

[Timothy W.]

This is totally AWESOME!!! Yes, studies have proved that not all starches are weight-gaining agents, and resistant starch is definitely the opposite! I have tried some of the listed above in the past, and it turned out to be effective for weight loss; however, I did not know a cold boiled potato could do the magic too. This goes against what the public in general believes (or used to believe). Another awesome post, "Dr. Vonnie"! We missed you a lot. Welcome back!

Sincerely,

Timothy W.