When it comes to optimal food and nutrition for gut health, resistant starch is something that falls into this category. But what is it, exactly? Put simply, resistant starch is a type of dietary fibre that passes through the digestive tract undigested.
One of the best ways to support a thriving gut microbiome is to feed it with the right kind of foods and nutrients. This means supplying the “good” bacteria with what it needs to survive and grow, and maintaining a healthy microbiome balance between good and bad bacteria.
What is resistant starch?
Resistant starch is a type of prebiotic that is a non-digestible food ingredient that selectively feeds these friendly organisms - good bacteria. Prebiotics are dietary fibres such as inulin, galactooligosaccharides and fructooligosaccharides. These are found throughout a range of legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
What's so special about these dietary fibres?
Prebiotics undergo bacterial fermentation that become the food and fuel helping good bacteria thrive and grow in abundance. Short-chain fatty acids (acetate and butyrate) are produced by these beneficial bacteria as a result and become the main source of energy for the cells lining the colon, which consequently contributes to healthy gut integrity. Interesting, right? Short chain fatty acids also assist in the absorption of nutrients, maintain a healthy gut pH and are important for optimal gut functioning.
What foods are high in resistant starch?
Glad you asked. As it’s a dietary fibre, resistant starch can be found in whole foods such as grains, seeds and legumes. The starch content of these foods resists digestion because it’s bound within the fibrous cell walls.
Raw food such as unripe, green bananas naturally contain resistant starch. Depending on how food is cooked and prepared will impact the type and level of resistant starch that food contains. The starch content in cooked rice and potatoes once cooled safely becomes indigestible through something called ‘retrogradation’.
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Reviewed by the healthylife Advisory Board October 2022.
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