Known as the "seventh major nutrient", dietary fiber has rapidly gained popularity in the current market due to its health benefits. More and more related products have entered the market one after another, and the market growth rate continues to rise. Resistant starch, as a member of dietary fiber, was first discovered in the early 1980s and is also known as anti-enzymatic starch or difficult-to-digest starch. 

Resistant starch, due to its similar color, texture, taste and consistency to starch, does not affect the taste and texture of food when used as an additive or as a standalone food ingredient. At the same time, it can also exert the functions of functional factors. What's more important is that resistant starch is abundantly present in natural foods. This accessible functional component is more likely to win the hearts of consumers. 

An important carrier for regulating blood sugar 

Each type of food has a different glycemic index (GI), and the impact on blood sugar levels varies. Foods with a high GI are more likely to raise blood sugar levels than those with a medium or low GI. Studies have shown that a low GI diet can help reduce weight, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The glycemic index reflects the relationship between the initial digestion and glucose absorption of a food, and the glycemic index of a food is influenced by factors such as the physical properties of the food, temperature, processing methods, and cooking methods. 

The latest report from the FAO states that resistant starch is a part of dietary fiber and can affect the glycemic index and insulin levels. This is related to its increased viscosity and delayed gastric emptying. The reason is that the indigestibility of resistant starch in the colon can be used as a carrier for sustained glucose release, thereby controlling the release of glucose in the body and preventing post-meal blood sugar spikes and insulin secretion. 

It is beneficial for fat control and also benefits the liver. 

The research results published in the journal "Cell Metabolism" show that consuming foods rich in "resistant starch" can alleviate fatty liver and reduce triglyceride levels and liver enzyme levels related to liver damage and inflammation. The study recruited 200 patients with fatty liver. Among them, 100 patients consumed resistant starch from corn; 100 patients consumed the same energy level of control starch. Both groups of patients with fatty liver mixed 20g of starch with 300ml of water before each meal and ate it twice a day. 

Four months later, it was found that compared with the control group, resistant starch significantly reduced the triglyceride content in the liver of the participants. The absolute reduction was 9.08%, and the relative reduction was 39.42%. In addition, it also significantly reduced the participants' weight, BMI, etc. The alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase in the resistant starch group also significantly decreased, indicating that liver damage has been improved to a certain extent. 

High-quality food for probiotics 

It is well known that resistant starch, as a new type of dietary fiber, can also regulate the composition of intestinal flora, promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, and generate short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. These have significant effects on protecting the intestinal barrier and reducing intestinal permeability. 

Bacillus thermoglucosidasius and Bifidobacterium adolescentis are widely recognized as the main degrading bacteria of resistant starch. Bacillus thermoglucosidasius is a major member of the human intestinal microbiota and has a unique amylase structure that can form a multi-enzyme complex attached to the cell surface, exhibiting special activity against resistant starch and being a key bacterial strain for degrading resistant starch. The sugars and acetic acid released by the degradation of resistant starch by Bacillus thermoglucosidasius can serve as substrates for other intestinal microorganisms that do not have the ability to degrade resistant starch, thereby enabling the beneficial effects of resistant starch. 

The quality of the intake is very important. 

Resistant starch is not lacking in natural foods; instead, its content is extremely abundant. For instance, raw potatoes contain 75% resistant starch, raw potatoes contain 50% to 60% resistant starch, and raw bananas contain over 80% resistant starch. However, these foods do not fit the daily diet of people. They usually need to be cooked to meet dietary standards. 

At this point, we need to first understand the characteristics of resistant starch. Based on the different sources of starch and the degree of enzyme resistance, resistant starch is classified into four types: RS1, RS2, RS3, and RS4. 

RS1 refers to physically embedded starch, which occurs due to mechanical processing causing the starch granules to undergo a physical shielding effect, being locked onto the plant cell wall and thus unable to be acted upon by amylase. It is commonly found in lightly milled grains, legumes, and other foods. RS2 refers to resistant starch granules, which are starch of a certain particle size, such as raw potatoes and banana starch. Physical and chemical analysis methods suggest that RS2 is highly resistant to enzymes. RS1 and RS2 can still be digested and absorbed by amylase after appropriate processing; RS3 refers to aged starch, which is a precipitated starch polymer formed by cooling gelatinized starch; among them, linear starch has a stronger enzyme-resistant ability than branched starch; RS4 refers to chemically modified starch, which is currently the main force in starch modification in food processing. 

From the perspective of anti-enzymatic hydrolysis ability, all resistant starches except RS4 have the problem of reduced efficacy. For instance, the raw potatoes, raw yams, raw bananas mentioned in the previous text belong to the RS2 category. The resistant starch in them, whether naturally or after heating and maturation, will sharply decrease, with the post-maturation contents being 3%, 7%, and 3% respectively. However, during the cooling process after maturation, the starch will undergo retrogradation, leading to an increase in resistant starch content. For example, the resistant starch content of potatoes after retrogradation will rise to 12%, and the same is true for staple foods like rice. 

Due to the existence of the "resurrection" phenomenon, some consumers often adopt inappropriate eating methods during online or word-of-mouth communication to achieve a greater intake of resistant starch. For example, they "eat cold" the staple foods. Indeed, the resurrection of rice and other foods does lead to an increase in resistant starch levels, but the intake level is related to the total amount of rice consumed. At the same time, many studies on resistant starch have found that eating foods rich in resistant starch may trigger the body's compensation mechanism, increasing appetite. Therefore, although "eating cold" can increase the intake of resistant starch, it does not necessarily reduce calorie intake, and is likely to have the opposite effect. After all, eating cold rice is not friendly to the digestive system. 

Author Profile:

Liu Liu, is engaged in research in the field of nutrition and health care. His main areas of focus include policy interpretation and technical analysis research. 

Known as the "seventh major nutrient", dietary fiber has rapidly gained popularity in the current market due to its health benefits. More and more related products have entered the market one after another, and the market growth rate continues to rise. Resistant starch, as a member of dietary fiber, was first discovered in the early 1980s and is also known as anti-enzymatic starch or difficult-to-digest starch. 

Resistant starch, due to its similar color, texture, taste and consistency to starch, does not affect the taste and texture of food when used as an additive or as a standalone food ingredient. At the same time, it can also exert the functions of functional factors. What's more important is that resistant starch is abundantly present in natural foods. This accessible functional component is more likely to win the hearts of consumers. 

An important carrier for regulating blood sugar 

Each type of food has a different glycemic index (GI), and the impact on blood sugar levels varies. Foods with a high GI are more likely to raise blood sugar levels than those with a medium or low GI. Studies have shown that a low GI diet can help reduce weight, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The glycemic index reflects the relationship between the initial digestion of food and the response of glucose absorption, and the glycemic index of food is affected by factors such as food's physical properties, temperature, processing methods, and cooking methods. 

The latest report from the FAO states that resistant starch is a part of dietary fiber and can affect the glycemic index and insulin levels. This is related to its increased viscosity and delayed gastric emptying. The reason is that the indigestibility of resistant starch in the colon can be used as a carrier for sustained glucose release, thereby controlling the release of glucose in the body and preventing post-meal blood sugar spikes and insulin secretion. 

It is beneficial for fat control and also benefits the liver. 

The research results published in the journal "Cell Metabolism" show that consuming foods rich in "resistant starch" can alleviate fatty liver and reduce triglyceride levels and liver enzyme levels related to liver damage and inflammation. The study recruited 200 patients with fatty liver. Among them, 100 patients consumed resistant starch from corn; 100 patients consumed the same energy level of control starch. Both groups of patients with fatty liver mixed 20g of starch with 300ml of water before each meal and ate it twice a day. 

Four months later, it was found that compared with the control group, resistant starch significantly reduced the triglyceride content in the liver of the participants. The absolute reduction was 9.08%, and the relative reduction was 39.42%. In addition, it also significantly reduced the participants' weight, BMI, etc. The alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase in the resistant starch group also significantly decreased, indicating that liver damage has been improved to a certain extent. 

High-quality food for probiotics 

It is well known that resistant starch, as a new type of dietary fiber, can also regulate the composition of intestinal flora, promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria and inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, and generate short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. These have significant effects on protecting the intestinal barrier and reducing intestinal permeability. 

Bacillus thuringiensis and Bifidobacterium adolescentis are widely recognized as the main degrading bacteria of resistant starch. Bacillus thuringiensis is a major member of the human intestinal microbiota and has a unique amylase structure that can form a multi-enzyme complex attached to the cell surface, exhibiting special activity against resistant starch and being a key bacterial strain for degrading resistant starch. The sugars and acetic acid released by Bacillus thuringiensis during the degradation of resistant starch can serve as substrates for other intestinal microorganisms that do not have the ability to degrade resistant starch, thereby enabling the beneficial effects of resistant starch. 

The quality of the intake is very important. 

Resistant starch is not lacking in natural foods; instead, its content is extremely abundant. For instance, raw potatoes contain 75% resistant starch, raw potatoes contain 50% to 60% resistant starch, and raw bananas contain over 80% resistant starch. However, these foods do not fit the daily diet of people. They usually need to be cooked to meet dietary standards. 

At this point, we need to first understand the characteristics of resistant starch. Based on the different sources of starch and the degree of enzyme resistance, resistant starch is classified into four types: RS1, RS2, RS3, and RS4. 

RS1 refers to physically embedded starch, which is caused by mechanical processing that results in a physical shielding effect on the starch granules, locking them onto the plant cell wall and preventing them from being acted upon by amylase. This is commonly found in lightly milled grains, legumes, and other foods. RS2 refers to resistant starch granules, which are starches of a certain particle size, such as raw potatoes and banana starch. Physical and chemical analysis methods suggest that RS2 is highly resistant to enzymes. RS1 and RS2 can still be digested and absorbed by amylase after appropriate processing; RS3 refers to aged starch, which is a precipitated starch polymer formed by cooling gelatinized starch; among them, linear starch has a stronger enzyme-resistant ability than branched starch; RS4 refers to chemically modified starch, which is currently the main force in starch modification in food processing. 

From the perspective of anti-enzymatic hydrolysis ability, all resistant starches except RS4 have the problem of reduced efficacy. For instance, the raw potatoes, raw yams, raw bananas mentioned in the previous text belong to the RS2 category. The resistant starch in them, whether naturally or after heating and maturation, will sharply decrease, with the post-maturation contents being 3%, 7%, and 3% respectively. However, during the cooling process of the maturated starch, the retrogradation phenomenon occurs, leading to an increase in resistant starch content. For example, the resistant starch content of potatoes after retrogradation will rise to 12%, and the same is true for staple foods like rice. 

Due to the existence of the regrowth phenomenon, some consumers often adopt inappropriate dietary methods during online or word-of-mouth communication to achieve a greater intake of resistant starch. For example, they "eat cold" the staple foods. Indeed, the regrowth of rice and other grains does lead to an increase in resistant starch content, but the intake level is related to the total amount of rice consumed. At the same time, many studies on resistant starch have found that eating foods rich in resistant starch may trigger the body's compensation mechanism, increasing appetite. Therefore, although "eating cold" can increase the intake of resistant starch, it does not necessarily reduce calorie intake, and is likely to have the opposite effect. After all, eating cold rice is not friendly to the digestive system. 

Author Profile:

Liu Liu, is engaged in research in the field of nutrition and health care. Her main areas of focus include policy interpretation and technical analysis research.