Resistant starch is a great ally for gut healthConsumer

Bananas, potatoes, wheat, rye, barley, oats, rice, corn, lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas, soybeans or peanuts… All of these foods have something in common that also provide numerous benefits for gut health: resistant starch. “They have some of the starch fruits, vegetables, grains or legumes It is not digested by our digestive enzymes (hence the name “resistant starch”), making it indigestible. “It reaches the colon intact, where it is fermented, promoting the development of beneficial bacteria.”Explain Amparo GameroAssociate Professor at the Department of Health Sciences at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).

One of the features of resistant starch is that It varies depending on the degree of ripeness of the fruit or vegetable containing it.. “As starch ripens, starch breaks down and simple sugars are formed. Therefore, green fruits or vegetables are more sour, and when ripe, they are sweeter,” notes the UOC professor.

Various benefits

What is the benefit of resistant starch depending on the ripeness of the fruit? If we take for example, banana when it’s a little ripe (when it changes color from green to yellow) It is high in fiber and low in sugar.but when it passes into a mature state (from yellow skin to blackheads), in addition to maintaining high in fiber as well as high in antioxidants. “It is suitable for people who are intolerant to some simple sugars,” notes the UOC professor. However, its nutrient levels change again when it’s overripe (the banana skin is quite black): “This is where the vitamins and minerals go in, and the starches break down into simple sugars,” says Gamero.

Tubers also go through the same episodes as potatoes or sweet potatoeswhich usually contain 15% to 20% starch, part of this resistance. “Over time, if potatoes are stored at low temperatures (below 8 degrees), the resistant starch also breaks down into simple sugars, so the potato tastes sweeter,” says the UOC professor.

Stable starch reaction after cooking

This resistant starch It changes not only depending on the degree of maturity of certain products, but also after their preparation and subsequent cooling.. “In this case, the starch gelatinizes and then retrogrades, and part of this retrograde starch is also resistant starch,” explains the UOC professor. This happens primarily with products such as bread, especially convenience food, pasta, cereals and, to a lesser extent, legumes.

According to Gamero, the resistant starch that is formed makes food taste better. lower glycemic indexthat is, it causes fewer spikes in blood glucose levels and therefore healthier because there is less risk of diabetes in the long run. “Consuming foods with a high glycemic index over time leads to a greater risk of developing diabetes,” recalls the UOC professor and concludes: “In short, this type of starch has beneficial properties for the development of microbiota and therefore may contribute to the prevention and treatment of various metabolic disorders such as diabetes“.