Resistant starch: top 7 your benefits

"Getting good players is easy. Getting them to play together is the hard part." Casey Stengel “New York Yankees”

We all understand how important a sports team coach is; often, a team's success depends not just on the star players, but on the coach who leads them. A coach aims to help each player, and the team as a whole, perform at their best. Interestingly, our gut health acts a lot like a coach inside our bodies.

Just like a coach, gut health manages various functions, from digestion to immune responses, making sure our bodies work well. Ignoring gut health is like a team not listening to their coach, which can lead to poor performance, less stamina, and more losses.

Today we'll have a resistant starch in the role of coach and here's why:

Resistant starch (RS) is a type of starch that our stomach and small intestine don't digest, which means it reaches the colon whole. It works similarly to fiber, helping the growth of good bacteria in our gut and the production of short-chain fatty acids, which are good for colon health.

Why is this important?

Resistant starch (RS):

• reduces cholesterol

• prevents obesity

• improves the lipid profile

• reduces insulin resistance, and prevents type 2 diabetes

• enhances fatty acid metabolism

• improves gut microbiota

• reduces inflammation, and restores connections of the intestinal barrier

RS is divided into four types.

However, it's best not to increase RS1 in our diets because it comes from grains and seeds that contain gluten and lectin, which can be bad for our intestines. RS4 is found only in genetically modified starch used in highly processed foods, which have been proven to be harmful many times.

The good news is that we still have two other types of resistant starch that are beneficial.

RS2 is a type of starch that naturally resists digestion due to its high amylose content. It is found in foods like raw potatoes, green bananas, and some legumes.

RS3 (Retrograded starch) that forms when starchy foods are cooked and then cooled, such as in cooked-and-chilled pasta, rice, and potatoes.

Foods Rich in Resistant Starch:

Green Bananas: When bananas are still green and unripe, they contain a lot of resistant starch (RS2). As they ripen, this starch turns into sugars, so for a higher resistant starch intake, go for green bananas.

Legumes: Foods like peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas are great sources of resistant starch, especially RS2. They're naturally occurring and beneficial.

Potatoes: When you cook potatoes and let them cool down, such as in a potato salad, their RS3 type of resistant starch increases.

Cooked and Cooled Foods: Foods like pasta and rice, when cooked and then cooled, form RS3. Reheating these foods does not decrease their resistant starch content significantly.

To avoid bloating from legumes, start by slowly adding them to your diet. Gradually adding legumes to the diet will help the body adapt and avoid problems with bloating and discomfort.

Adding resistant starch to your diet can boost gut health by helping grow beneficial bacteria and increasing the production of short-chain fatty acids. These acids are crucial for keeping your colon healthy and helping your immune system work better.

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Each mindful small step today will become a giant leap for your well-being tomorrow.

Warm regards,
Kos