In recent years, the microbiota has gone from being unknown to being one of the keys to good health. As explained by the Spanish Foundation for the Digestive System (FEAD), microbiota is set of microorganisms which are contained in the body and play important functions for health. “The microbiota is necessary for good digestionbecause it helps protect the digestive system from other opportunistic microorganisms (causing diseases), in addition to eboost the immune system and help carry out part of the digestion,” emphasizes FEAD.
Food, among other things, is important in order to keep her healthy and in her resistant starcha concept that is increasingly talked about can be a great ally. Articles, social media accounts and podcasts from nutritionists and nutrition experts never fail to praise this type of carbohydrate, of which we are going to give five keys to learn how to get the most benefit from it:
What it is?
Resistant starch is a component found in some foods and, as the name suggests, it is resistant to our digestion, that is It is not digested by our digestive enzymes, but is absorbed by our microbiota.. It reaches the large intestine intact, and there the intestinal flora or microbiota, fermentable waste that could not be digested to obtain useful substances from it. This is where resistant starch becomes interesting prebiotic.
What are its advantages?
It is a prebiotic and therefore food for those good bacteria found in microbiota. Among its benefits, it can help improve gut health; is anti-inflammatory agent; promotes the production of short-chain fatty acids; reduces intestinal pH; reduces the risk of colon cancer; improves the absorption of minerals; and can help with Fat Loss.
What foods naturally contain resistant starch?
Is in green bananas, mangoes, chestnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, legumes, tubers and roots (potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava…), cereals and pseudograins (wheat, spelt, kamut, rye, oats, rice, corn, millet, quinoa…) and their derivatives such as bread, pasta, flour, cookies … .
How to prepare resistant starch?
By cooking you can get pasta, rice or potatoes, for example, to convert some of their regular starch into resistant starch. And it’s very simple, the main thing is to warm them up. After the potatoes, pasta or rice are cooked, they should be left to cool in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheated to be eaten. (not exceeding 130 degrees).
How many types of starch are there?
On the one hand, there are fast digesting starches, which are absorbed in 20 minutes, cause spikes in blood sugar and are found in white bread, pasta and overcooked rice. On the other hand, there are slow digestible starcheswhich are digested in 100 minutes, provide better glycemic control and are found in vegetables, whole grain flour and pasta, nuts, avocados…
Finally, resistant starch It is further divided into four types (depending on the mechanism that ensures its stability):
– Type 1 or unavailable starch. It is indigestible because it is encapsulated between the walls of legumes, whole grains and seeds.
– Type 2 or raw starch. Difficult to digest due to amylose content. It is found in raw potatoes and tubers, edible roots and green bananas. If high temperatures are used in cooking, it becomes easily digestible.
-Type 3 or retrograde. It is called retrograde starch because it is formed during the cooking and subsequent cooling of certain foods (tubers, legumes and cereals).
– Type 4 or chemically modified. This is a type of artificial starch found in processed foods.