Resistant starches, despite their name, are a type of fiber. You might have heard the term used as a buzz word in one diet craze or another. The nutrient indeed has several healthful benefits, and you can get them naturally through a host of carb-containing foods. You could also buy manufactured resistant starch in the form of flour or various powders. The low-carb foods sitting on your grocer's shelves might also contain resistant starch. Food makers like the substance because it's an easier and less expensive way to enrich the fiber content of foods than using whole grains.
The Basics
Starches are long chains of complex carbohydrates formed when chains of sugar molecules join. What sets resistant starch apart from others is that it isn't digested in your small intestine. This means it doesn't provide your body with calories, or energy, and this makes it classified as a dietary fiber. The starch molecules are locked in the cell walls and therefore are inaccessible to the enzymes in your gut responsible for digestion. Resistant starch occurs naturally in some foods, but it can also be created when you cook some foods. In addition, it can be manufactured. Consuming resistant starch can help maintain the health of your colon, according to Iowa State University. In addition, it might help lower your cholesterol and control your appetite and weight.
Natural Sources
Bananas, bread, cereal, potatoes, oats, barley, bulgur, brown rice and legumes such as black beans are natural sources of resistant starches. In addition, when you cook starchy foods such as white rice, pasta and potatoes, resistant starch is formed as they cool. You might also create resistant starch when reheating naturally starchy foods. Food makers use cereal starches to create resistant starches and bake them into foods to increase their fiber content. So when you see bread products labeled as high fiber, they might contain some resistant starch.
Processed Resistant Starch
Manufacturers also create resistant starch in powdered form for use as a supplement. The marketing idea is to sell a product that you can sprinkle on your foods to increase the fiber content. In addition, resistant starches from maize are sold as substitute flours for diabetics and others wishing to control their blood sugar and consume fewer carbs. Look for high-maize, high resistant corn starch and some types of banana flour if you want this kind of product.
Intake Recommendations
Public health authorities want you to consume more dietary fiber in general. Many types of fiber exist, and resistant starch is just one of them. The Institute of Medicine says your children are getting enough fiber if they consume between 19 and 38 g of fiber daily. They generally need incrementally more as they get older. Adults need incrementally less as they age. The recommendation for men is 38 g daily until age 50, at which point you need 31 g. For women, the needs are 25 g and 21 g, respectively. Pregnant and nursing mothers need 28 and 29 g, respectively.
References
- "Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients)"; Institute of Medicine; 2005
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes -- Macronutrients
- Linus Pauling Institute; "Fiber"; Jane Higdon; December 2005
- "Los Angeles Times"; "The Questionable Claims about Resistant"; Elena Conis; June 28, 2010
- Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center; "Fiber: Bulk of Life"; Patricia Raya
- "PLoS ONE"; "Impact of Resistant Starch on Body Fat Patterning and Central Appetite Regulation"; Po-Wah So et al.; December 2007
