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Resistant starch has been the subject of increased research since the 1980s and is said to bring some benefits to a healthy diet. Here you can find out what resistant starch is and why it is healthy.

What is Resistant Strength?

Resistant starches (RS) are subspecies of normal cornstarch. Due to their chemical composition, resistant starches are not, or only partially, digested in the small intestine. It therefore has the properties of dietary fiber. Dietary fibers are not digested, but they ensure that your digestion functions smoothly. They also regulate blood sugar levels.

The benefits of resistant starch

Resistant starch enters the large intestine undigested. There it is fermented by bacteria. This process produces a particularly large amount of butyrate, a bacterial metabolite that supports healthy intestinal flora and protects the intestinal wall and its cell walls.

According to some studies, for example by Cummings et al (1996), the consumption of resistant starches has been shown to support intestinal functions and lead to a healthy metabolism.
In addition to the effect on the intestinal flora, resistant starch is also said to help regulate blood sugar levels. According to some studies, it can help keep blood sugar levels low and improve insulin sensitivity.

Which foods contain resistant starch?

There are some foods that naturally contain resistant starch. These include, for example:
whole grain products
bananas
potatoes
legumes
beans
rice
Corn
With a balanced diet, you consume between three and six grams of resistant starch per day. The more processed the foods and the fewer raw fruits and vegetables you eat, the less resistant starch you get from the diet.

However, many studies on the health-promoting effects of resistant starch have been carried out with a daily intake of up to 40 grams of RS per day. Researchers are currently interested in developing processes to add resistant starch to everyday foods.

Special cooking methods to produce resistant starch

According to the BZfE, a study carried out by scientists in Sri Lanka found that the proportion of resistant starch in rice increased tenfold when it was cooked in a certain way.

For this, the rice was cooked with a spoonful of coconut oil for 20 to 25 minutes.
Then the rice should be kept in the refrigerator for twelve hours.
This process converts normal starch into resistant starch. In addition, the calorie content of rice decreases by more than half.
The results of the study suggest that other starchy foods, such as pasta or potatoes, can be manipulated to make them healthier for us through certain cooking methods.

Uses of resistant starch

Scientists and food experts are currently working on the production of foods that contain a lot of resistant starch without special cooking methods. For example, it would be possible to enrich many foods that are actually considered unhealthy with RS, such as:
White bread
breakfast cereals
cookies or cakes.

Resistant starch can benefit your gut health. In this article, we explain what’s behind it and how you can incorporate resistant starch into your diet.

Resistant starch is a type of dietary fiber. Resistant starch has a special structure that prevents the small intestine from absorbing it. It ends up undigested in our large intestine, where it is broken down by lactic acid bacteria. Resistant starch serves as food for the intestinal bacteria, which improves intestinal health and bowel movements.

In the following we will show you how resistant starch is created and works. We also introduce you to foods and recipe ideas that you can use to integrate resistant starch into your diet.

This is how resistant starch is created

Starch is particularly found in foods such as potatoes, rice, cereals and cereal products such as pasta or bread. Resistant starch is formed when these starchy foods are boiled or cooked and then allowed to cool. The chemical structure of the starch changes as a result of the cooling process, making it no longer digestible for us humans. Strength has become resistant strength. Even reheating the cooled food does not destroy the resistant starch.

Legumes, unripe bananas and oatmeal are particularly rich in resistant starch. In unripe bananas, the resistant starch is based on a specific arrangement of the starch molecules and is therefore not the result of a heating and cooling process.

How does resistant starch affect your body?

In the colon, beneficial gut bacteria ferment resistant starch. This not only promotes intestinal health, but also has other positive effects:

  • The breakdown products of the resistant starch by the intestinal bacteria can counteract inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
  • They can have cancer-preventive properties within a balanced diet.
  • They are associated with blood sugar regulating properties.
  • They may also have a positive effect on blood lipid levels.

Recipes that contain resistant starch

With these recipes, you can incorporate resistant starch into your diet. It is important that the starchy ingredients can be completely cooled and converted. This takes between twelve and 24 hours.

Sweet Potato Salad: Recipe with fresh cauliflower and arugula
Bavarian potato salad with cucumber: a traditional recipe
Mediterranean pasta salad with tomatoes and rocket
Coconut Rice Pudding: An Easy Vegan Recipe
Bake spelled bread yourself: ingredients and recipe
Couscous salad: 3 quick recipes for the oriental classic
Banana bread recipe: The juicy cake in 3 variants
Overnights Oats: Recipes for a quick and healthy breakfast
Make hummus yourself: A simple recipe