Starch is one type of carbohydrate that is consumed in large amount by most Americans. The common sources of starches include breakfast cereals, breads, potatoes, pasta, crackers, muffins, bagels, baked goods and any other foods made from grain or flour. Oatmeal is no exception and also contains starches because it is made from the grain oats.
Starches
Carbohydrates are made of three main nutrients, which include starches, sugars and fiber. Starches are considered a polysaccharides, which made that they are made from long chain of sugars. The starches found in oatmeal as well as in other grains and flours are made of ten of thousands of molecule of glucose connected together. When you eat oatmeal, which contains 13 to 22 g of starches per serving, the starch is digested and broken down into single units of glucose, which can then be easily absorbed into your bloodstream.
Amount of Starches
Most nutrition facts table appearing on food labels do not indicate the amount of starches found in oatmeal. You can find the amount of total carbohydrates, fiber and sugar present per serving, but not the amount of starches your oatmeal contains. You can figure out the starch content by subtracting the grams of fiber and sugar from the total carbohydrates. For example, a serving of oatmeal made from 1/4 cup of dry plain steel-cut oats containing 27 g of carbohydrates, 4 g of fiber and 1 g of sugar contains 22 g of fiber.
Type of Starches
Starches can be categorized into two main types: amylose and amylopectin. Starchy foods, like oatmeal, contain both amylose and amylopectin in different proportions. Amylose is made of a linear chain of glucose, while amylopectin is highly branched and takes a bit longer to digest. Oatmeal contains a higher proportion of amylopectin compared to amylose, which makes it more satiating compared to other starchy foods that contain more amylose and are more quickly digested.
Blood Sugar Levels
Not only can the sugar found in food rise your blood sugar levels, but starches can also have the same effect. Even if you eat unsweetened and sugar-free oatmeal, your blood sugar levels can rise after your meal once the glucose obtained from the starches enters your bloodstream. Steel-cut oats and old-fashioned oatmeal have a more gentle effect on your blood sugar levels because they take longer to digest compared to minute or instant oatmeal.
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