Are Resistant Starches Good For You?
A Day In The Life of a PT | Diet | Nutrition
Posted on October 24, 2014 by Jenny Cromack
As a personal training company we discourage our weight loss clients from eating processed carbohydrates such as bread and pasta as we believe they are detrimental to weight loss, so you can imagine the looks of happiness on our clients’ faces last week when it came out in the press that you can eat ‘resistant starch’, especially as the research was performed on pasta! I could see everyone planning a huge plate of spaghetti bolognese for dinner!
I thought I’d spend some time researching this and give you some insight into whether resistant starches are good for you. But let’s look at what a resistant starch is first.
What Is a Resistant Starch?
* The research in the recent press was performed on pasta, but there are actually 4 types of resistant starches –
- Type 1 = found in seeds, grains, and legumes. Resists digestion as it is bound within the fibrous cell walls.
- Type 2 = found in some starchy foods, such as unripe (green) bananas and potatoes. Beware though, allowing a banana to ripen and turn yellow will no longer mean the banana is a resistant starch and so the benefits will be lost.
- Type 3 = formed when starchy foods such as rice and potatoes are cooked and then cooled (as described above.
- Type 4 = man made through a chemical process.
* If you cook a starch (carbohydrate) such as pasta in water and then cool it, the structure of the starch changes.
* The new structure is resistant to digestive enzymes in the body and therefore cannot be digested and, therefore, becomes known as ‘resistant starch’.
* Resistant starches cannot be absorbed and therefore has to pass through the body to the colon.
What Are The Benefits of Resistant Starch?
* Resistant starch releases less sugar into the blood stream which keep blood sugar levels more stable and keeps insulin levels more stable. Both of these factors should help with weight management.
* As resistant starch cannot be digested it passes to the colon and acts like fibre by helping food pass through the gut and improves digestion.
* When resistant starch reaches the lower area of the gut it works with good bacteria which can improve the immune system.
* Research shows that fewer calories are absorbed from resistant starches. For example 4 calories are absorbed per gram of ‘normal’ carbohydrate but it is thought that only 2 calories are absorbed from resistant starches. Combine this with the ‘fullness’ you feel from eating fibre and you feel fuller but absorb less energy.
* The above statement may help people feel more full and less likely to snack.
* It is really important to note there has been no research to prove that resistant starches will lead to weight loss. After all, as we know, there is no miracle cure……we can’t say it enough…..fresh, clean eating is the best way to achieve your body fat and weight goals.
Is This Too Good To Be True?
Personally I think there is a place for resistant starches in the diet if you wish to eat them, BUT before you dash out and buy a big bag of pasta, then please bear the following in mind.
* Let’s start with pasta. Pasta is still a processed food so I would still recommend not to eat it
* Resistant starches should only be consumed in wholefood, natural format.
* As with all carbohydrates it’s how you cook them and what you put with them which is important. Whilst brown rice may be healthy blathering it in a creamy sauce is not!
* For optimum fat loss and body composition goals I would still recommend only eating complex carbs with one to two of your meals, depending on how much training you do and your training goals.
For more information check out the following links:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-resistant-starch
http://authoritynutrition.com/resistant-starch-101/