Resistant starch is a type of fiber -- indigestible plant material that slows digestion -- and may help you feel satisfied with fewer calories, promoting weight loss. It's called resistant starch because it "resists" being digested in your small intestine. Resistant starches are carbohydrates, like fiber, starch and sugar. But starch and sugar are easily digested and can greatly impact glucose levels, while resistant starch and fiber will help stabilize glucose.
Diabetes and Digestion
The faster your body can digest carbohydrates, the faster glucose is produced. The more quickly your body makes glucose, the higher your blood sugar will rise. Sugar and starch are easily digested and can have a dramatic impact on blood sugar. Foods that slow digestion help stabilize glucose and regulate insulin levels. Fiber and resistant starch, as well as fat and protein, fall into this category. Diabetics benefit from eating foods that slow digestion, not only to keep blood sugar levels stable, but because they can promote weight loss. Foods that slow digestion help you feel satisfied eating less food and stave off hunger for a longer time -- leading to less overall calorie consumption.
Resistant Starch Foods
Resistant starch is found in a variety of foods. Navy beans and black-eyed peas have the highest resistant starch content, followed closely by bananas. Other foods that contain notable amounts of resistant starch include corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, barley, lentils and brown rice. The way foods are prepared can affect the resistant starch content -- cooling foods before eating them maximizes resistant starch content. And because chewing helps your body digest carbohydrates, the less you chew, the better.
Resistant Starch and Diabetes
Although foods that slow digestion stabilize glucose, if you have diabetes you must consider your overall carbohydrate intake. Eating bananas, corn and potatoes will impact your glucose levels. If you want to add more resistant starch to your diet, choose ones that are lower on the glycemic index, such as barley, lentils and other legumes and oatmeal. The glycemic index, or GI, measure a food's potential to raise blood sugar. Foods that score 55 or less on the GI have minimal impact on blood sugar.
Other Benefits of Resistant Starch
Although regulating glucose and insulin production is the most important aspect of a diabetic diet, resistant starches may have other important health benefits. Like other high-fiber foods, resistant starch may help lower cholesterol levels and decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease. Diabetes increase your risk of heart disease; having elevated cholesterol levels in addition to diabetes increases your risk of a serious cardiac episode. Because resistant starch may promote weight-loss it can help diabetics use insulin more effectively. Excess body fat interferes with insulin sensitivity. Maintaining a healthy weight can help your body use insulin more effectively.
