Key takeaways
- Some types of starch, called resistant starch, are resistant to digestion. Examples include oats, rice, green bananas, beans, and legumes.
- How food is prepared can affect resistant starch. For example, cooking potatoes then letting them cool can provide a good source of resistant starch.
- Resistant starch offers a range of potential health benefits, including helping manage blood sugar levels and body weight.
Only a few foods contain high amounts of resistant starch. Furthermore, resistant starch can be affected by both cooking and cooling foods.
Read on to learn about foods that are high in resistant starch, as well as the related benefits.
Oats are a convenient way to add resistant starch to your diet.
Oats, a whole grain, are also high in antioxidants.
Letting your cooked oats cool for several hours — or overnight — could further increase resistant starch, though more research is needed.
Rice is a typically low cost and convenient way to add resistant starch to your diet.
“When rice is cooked and cooled, some of its starch is converted to resistant starch.
A simple way to take advantage of this is to prepare a large batch ahead of time. Store it in the refrigerator or freezer, and reheat portions as needed throughout the week
Several healthy grains,
Natural whole grains can also be excellent sources of dietary fiber and resistant starch, along with various other nutrients.
The average resistant starch content of grains such as barley, oats, and whole wheat is around 3 to 7 g per 100 g.
Make sure to soak both and fully heat them to remove
After cooking them, they contain around 4 to 10 g of resistant starch per 100 g.
Examples of sources include pinto beans and black beans.
If prepared and left to cool, potatoes are a good source of resistant starch.
It’s best to allow them to cool for at least a few hours. When fully cooled, cooked potatoes will contain more resistant starch than potatoes that have not cooled. You can reheat the potatoes after they have cooled, as they will retain the resistant starch.
Green bananas are another source of resistant starch.
Additionally, green bananas provide other nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin C, and fiber.
As bananas ripen, the resistant starch transforms into simple sugars such as:
- fructose
- glucose
- sucrose
Therefore, you should aim to buy green bananas and eat them within a couple of days to maximize your resistant starch intake.
Resistant starch functions similarly to soluble, fermentable fiber. It helps feed the friendly bacteria in your gut and increases the production of short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate.
Short-chain fatty acids play a key role in gastrointestinal health. For instance, some research suggests that they help prevent cancer, though more research is necessary.
Resistant starch may help with:
- digestive health
- weight loss or maintenance
- blood sugar management
- insulin sensitivity
Resistant starch is a unique type of starch. Some sources include oats, cooked and cooled potatoes and rice, green bananas, beans, and legumes.
Resistant starch may offer numerous possible health benefits. For example, it may improve digestive health, support weight loss or maintenance, and help with blood sugar management.
You can add more resistant starch in your diet by consuming foods high in the nutrient or by cooking other starchy foods and letting them cool before eating them.