ARE STARCHES BAD FOR YOU?
Starches are a form of carbohydrate, an important source of energy. Starches are classified as complex carbohydrates since they consist of many sugar molecules chained together. When we eat certain starches we break down those glucose bonds, which impacts our glucose levels leading to a faster uptake of glucose and a blood sugar spike.
Some examples of foods that contain starches include potatoes, grains, breads, and various fruits.
That said, not all starches are created equal.
RESISTANT STARCHES
Resistant starches act more like a fiber as they are not digested in the small intestine but rather, pass through into the colon - where it feeds our good gut bacteria. This process slows the breakdown of those glucose bonds and actually reduces the potential for a spike in blood sugar.
There are 4 types of resistant starches:
Type 1: Found in legumes, seeds and whole grains. These starches cannot be digested because they're essentially trapped in the cell. Milling or grinding can release this type of starch, making it more digestible. Pressure cookers may also help release these starches making these foods easier to digest.
Type 2: Naturally occurring in raw or under ripe foods such as bananas, plantains, raw potatoes, artichokes and lentils. Don’t wait too long to eat that banana!
Type 3: My personal favorite because you’re already doing this if you meal prep your food! When cooking starchy foods like rice and potatoes, allowing them to cool first actually helps to create more resistant starches. This type of starch is also referred to as retrograde starch.
Type 4: This type of starch is created through chemical processes. The same process can be done with the introduction of dietary fat.
Resistant starches have become a popular additive to packaged food products due to their ability to control pH, moisture, temperature, and other processing conditions while also adding to the dietary fiber content of the packaged food.
Due to their small particle size, white appearance and bland taste they are also used as a flour substitute while still achieving the texture, appearance and “mouthfeel” that you would from a traditional grain flour.
Metabolically, studies have shown a significant improvement in men’s insulin sensitivity when 15-30g of resistant starch is consumed daily. Another study showed females who ate just 6.5 grams of resistant starch a day had lower insulin levels two hours post meal.
How does this happen?
When we are breaking down starch in the small intestines, we are using that glucose for energy. However, the resistant starch is not being digested in the small intestine - and so, the glucose isn’t being rapidly released into the bloodstream. Instead, the resistant starch is being fermented in the colon and utilized by our good gut bacteria.
Win win - no blood sugar spike and beneficial for the gut!
HOW TO ENSURE YOU’RE GETTING ENOUGH
Because food labels do not list resistant starch content it can be difficult to determine how much you’re consuming on a daily basis. To ensure you’re getting resistant starch:
Don’t cut all of your carbs out!
Eat your bananas before they're ripe, along with foods like plantains, legumes, *overnight* oats and cashews. (Note: heating these foods can REDUCE restatance starch.)
Heat and THEN COOL foods like rice and potatoes, this is the process that changes the molecular structure making the starch more resistant.
You can also include a teaspoon or two of supplemental starch such as potato or green banana flour. Be sure to introduce any new supplementation slowly to minimize any potential bloating or GI distress.
REFERENCES
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3301990/
https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/29/5/976
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