Resistant starch feeds foreign inhabitants in our body- gut microorganisms. It is a type of starch which is not metabolised in the small intestine & directly reaches Large intestine. As such it resists digestion. In the large intestine, it functions like soluble fermentable fibre & feeds our intestinal gut bacteria. As shared earlier, our body has more foreign cells than human cells. Epigenetically, at max we are only 1% human. 90% of our body is made up of bacteria. The food we eat nourish only 10 % of our cells & other 90% feeds off fermentable fibre & resistant starches. These resistant starches, which feed gut bacteria in our body, facilitate formation of short chain fatty acids such as Butyrate which have a beneficial impact on our health. Clearly these short chain fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects, serve as a source of energy for cells in the colon, protect against metabolic disease & obesity & modulate the immune system in such a way that reduces risk of attracting cancer.
Some of other benefits of resistant starch include:
- Increases butyrate which acts as a source of energy to feed intestinal bacteria & cells that lies the large intestine which helps to maintain a healthy balance of gut flora, eliminated boating & facilitates proper digestion
- Increases the number of intestinal bacteria thereby strengthening the immune system against harmful bacteria.
- Lowers pH level in large intestine, thereby reducing inflammation, symptoms of leaky gut, IBS, Crohn diseases & Coeliac disease.
- Improves Insulin sensitivity- lowers blood sugar level, reduces symptoms of diabetes & improves fat metabolism, thereby assisting in weight loss.
- Reduces appetite-high fibre content creates a feeling of fullness, thereby desiring less calories.
So how can you increase consumption of resistant starch:
- Navy Beans-boiled overnight & cooked
- Chickpeas-boiled overnight & cooked
- Green Bananas
- Sweet Potato- boiled & cooked
- Brown, red or black rice-boiled & cooked
The way these foods are cooked have been proven to increase resistant starch concentration.
These are few of some foods that help increase our intake of resistant starch. As mentioned above, resistant starch supports a healthy digestive system by feeding the right type of bacteria inside our gut specifically Akkermansia muciniphila.
When our gut is out of balance, it results in gut dysbiosis which can lead to
- Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, bad breath, abdominal pain
- Lactose Intolerance
- Joint Pain
- Allergies
- Yeast Infection
- Fatigue
- Mental Fog
- Weight Gain
- Sugar Cravings
- Depression
Out gut bacteria is a very complex ecosystem since our gut has more than 1000 difference species of bacteria.
To sum up, everything starts in our gut but does not stay there. It goes everywhere. When our gut is out of balance, it can expose us to chronic inflammation & host of chronic & life threatening diseases. If you are facing digestive issues, have fatigue, depression or experiencing weight gain, probably some specific bacteria are out of balance. Sign for our Gut Microbiome Testing here: to understand the composition of our gut bacteria & which group of bacteria is working against your body.
