In a world of low-carb love, starchy foods often get a bad rap.
What is resistant starch?
Resistant starch is a bang out of carbohydrate that travels through the small intestine without fully digesting.
Resistant starches are often categorized into four groups, based on the source.
It’s also important to note that one throw in of food can contain different types of resistant starches.
This causes the carbohydrates to transform into glucose and often leads to a spike in blood sugar.
Is resistant starch good for you?
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As a prebiotic food, resistant starches helppromote a healthy gut and may aid in digestion3.
They do this by feeding the good bacteria (probiotics) already existing in the gut microbiome.
This is why it’s important to have a healthy combination of prebiotics and probiotics.
“The decrease in obesity associated with consumption of resistant starch is significant enough toimprove insulin sensitivity4.”
Resistant starches have also been shown tohelp manage weight, as well as metabolic and cardiovascular diseases5.
How to add more resistant starch to your diet.
Supplementing your diet with raw potato starch is another simple way to increase your intake of resistant starches.
Although, Maren recommends focusing primarily on adding whole foods to your diet.
What foods are high in resistant starch?
Plantains are high in amylose, making them resistant to digestion.
They’re also higher in resistant starches than ripe bananas.
Since unripe bananas may be difficult to eat raw, consider freezing them for use in smoothies.
In this case, their resistant starch levels increase when cooked, then cooled.
Potatoes
White potatoes and sweet potatoes also contain resistant starches when cooked, then cooled.
Otherwise, you might toss them into fresh green salads or cold potato salads.
