Health effects of resistant starch

Abstract

The merits of a fibre-rich diet are well documented. Resistant starch (RS) is a form of starch that resists digestion in the small intestine and, as such, is classified as a type of dietary fibre. RS can be categorised as one of five types (RS1-5), some of which occur naturally in foods such as bananas, potatoes, grains and legumes and some of which are produced or modified commercially, and incorporated into food products. This review describes human evidence on the health effects of RS consumption, with the aim of identifying any benefits of RS-rich foods and RS as a functional ingredient. The reduced glycaemic response consistently reported with RS consumption, when compared with digestible carbohydrate, has resulted in an approved European Union health claim. Thus, RS-rich foods may be particularly useful for managing diabetes. There appears to be little impact of RS on other metabolic markers, such as blood pressure and plasma lipids, though data are comparatively limited. Promising results on markers of gut health suggest that further research may lead to the classification of RS as a prebiotic. Microbial fermentation of RS in the large intestine to produce short-chain fatty acids likely underpins some of its biological effects, including increasing satiety. However, effects on appetite have not resulted in notable changes in bodyweight after long-term consumption. Emerging research suggests potential for RS as an ingredient in oral rehydration solutions and in the treatment of chronic kidney disease. Overall, RS possesses positive properties as a healthy food component.

Endogenous rice endosperm hemicellulose slows in vitro starch digestibility

“…High GI diets can potentially cause many metabolic syndromes, such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease (Blaak et al, 2012). Though starch structure, i.e., the morphology and size of starch granules, the ratio of amylose to amylopectin, and the intricate structure of amylose and amylopectin, has an impact on starch digestibility (Lockyer & Nugent, 2017), the indigestible cell wall in the starchy endosperm also plays an important role in its digestibility (Syahariza et al, 2013;Butardo & Sreenivasulu, 2016). In recent years, healthier rice with an improved dietary fibre composition has attracted much attention due to the increasing prevalence of dietrelated non-communicable diseases (Butardo & Sreenivasulu, 2016).…”

Prebiotics – an added benefit of some fibre types

“…These effects have potential relevance to weight loss and weight maintenance and are thought to be due to increased production of SCFAs in the gut which stimulate cells that produce gut hormones. Increased SCFA production has also been described after consumption of the candidate prebiotic, resistant starch (Lockyer & Nugent 2017). Interestingly, a prospective cohort study carried out in Spain (n = 8569 university graduates, mean age 37 years, median follow-up 9 years) reported that risk of overweight was 15% and 17% lower for subjects in the highest quartiles of fructan and GOS consumption, respectively (Perez-Cornago et al 2015).…”

Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of an Unusual Succinylated Starch Applied to Carbon Paste Electrodes

“…Starch is a reserve polysaccharide (POLI), commercially isolated from several vegetable sources and when in solution, it presents the following characteristics: high viscosity, easy expansion of granules, and low gelatinization temperature . It is made of two polymers, amylose and amylopectin, whose ratio interferes in its physical, functional, and technological properties …”