Super starch
Tik Tok starts some great discussions with our clients. Recently a client asked me to settle an argument that was going on between coworkers. Tik Tok said that cooking pasta and cooling it and then reheating it is healthier for your blood sugar. True or false?
It is TRUE that blood sugars can benefit from cooking pasta, rice, beans, and potatoes this way. The starch in these high carb foods changes in the cooling process and forms resistant starch. The result of this cooking/cooling process can also improve gut health.
What is resistant starch?
Resistant starch resists digestion in the small intestine is digested later in the large intestine. It gets fermented there and creates short chain fatty acids. Because the digestion was delayed and because happens in a different part of the body, this high carb food now acts more like fiber instead of starch. This is a benefit to your gut and to blood sugars.
Some foods don’t need to be cooked and cooled to create resistant starch, some foods have it naturally:
Beans and lentils
Dried peas
Green bananas
Cashews
Oats
Health benefits
Studies reveal better glycemic control (more blood sugars at goal, less ups and downs), lower fasting glucose numbers, lower blood sugars after meals, and improvement in insulin resistance. Improvement is also seen in the gut microbiome and digestive system function.
How can I use resistant starch in my diet?
It takes several weeks to start seeing benefits from increasing resistant starch in your diet. In Part Two of this blog (coming next week) we’ll talk more about ways to use resistant starches in your diet. Remember, these foods are still high carb foods; cooking and then cooling them doesn’t transform them into and all-you-can-eat carb buffet!
Resources:
What does Healthline say about resistant starch?
Method of Food Preparation Influences Blood Glucose Response to a High-Carbohydrate Meal: A Randomised Cross-over Trial. Hodges, C.; Archer, F.; Chowdhury, M.; Evans, B.L.; Ghelani, D.J.; Mortoglou, M.; Guppy, F.M. Foods 2020, 9, 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods90100231.
Effects of Resistant Starch on Glycaemic Control: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Xiong K, Wang J, Kang T, Xu F, Ma A. The British Journal of Nutrition. 2021;125(11):1260-1269. doi:10.1017/S0007114520003700.
Resistant Starch Improves Cardiometabolic Disease Outcomes: A Narrative Review of Randomized Trials. Maiya M, Adorno A, Toulabi SB, Tucker WJ, Patterson MA. Nutrition Research (New York, N.Y.). 2023;114:20-40. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2023.04.001.
Author: Jodi Serafin, RDN, CDCES