Should we eat less high-starch foods? Research has found that a special type of starch can help relieve obesity and fatty liver

In recent years, we often hear the saying that we should "eat less staple foods such as steamed buns and rice" because these foods contain a lot of starch. Excessive intake of high-starch foods will cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels and may cause health problems such as diabetes, fatty liver, and obesity.

However, a recent study found that a special kind of "resistant starch" not only does not cause obesity and fatty liver, but has the potential to help lose weight, relieve fatty liver and dyslipidemia!

PART 1 This special starch can help lose weight and relieve fatty liver

In February 2024, Nature Metabolism published a study that used resistant starch combined with a balanced diet to intervene in overweight and obese people for 8 weeks. The results showed that resistant starch combined with a balanced diet can alleviate obesity by regulating intestinal flora.

Another study published in the journal Cell Metabolism in September 2023 showed that eating foods rich in "resistant starch" can reduce fatty liver and lower triglyceride and liver enzyme levels associated with liver damage and inflammation.

This study recruited 200 patients with fatty liver, 100 of whom ate resistant starch and 100 ate regular starch of the same energy. Both groups of patients with fatty liver took 20 grams of starch mixed with 300 ml of water before each meal, twice a day, for 4 months. Combining the results of the two studies:

1. Supplementing resistant starch reduces visceral fat

The first experiment showed that after 8 weeks of resistant starch combined with a balanced diet intervention, overweight and obese subjects lost an average of 2.8 kg in weight and their abdominal fat was significantly reduced!

The same result was found in the second experiment, that is, the weight, body mass index (BMI), etc. of the participants were significantly reduced.

2. Supplementing with resistant starch can alleviate fatty liver

The study found that resistant starch significantly reduced the triglyceride content in the participants' liver, with an absolute decrease of 9.08% and a relative decrease of 39.42%, which indicates that fatty liver was alleviated.

3. Supplementing with resistant starch improves liver damage

Participants in the resistant starch group also had significant decreases in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, suggesting that liver damage was improved.

4. Supplementing with resistant starch can improve dyslipidemia

Participants in the resistant starch group showed improvements in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein, alleviating dyslipidemia.

Long-term intake of resistant starch combined with a balanced diet to maintain intestinal homeostasis is critical for weight control. Integrating long-term sustainable intervention into daily life is the best solution to the problem of obesity. Resistant starch exists naturally in food and can also be added to the daily diet as a dietary supplement.

PART 2 Which foods are rich in resistant starch?

What foods contain resistant starch? In fact, many starchy foods contain resistant starch. You can also use some "little tricks" to turn ordinary starch foods into foods rich in resistant starch!

1. Oats

Oats are one of the most convenient ways to add resistant starch to your diet. Every 100 grams of cooked oatmeal contains about 3.6 grams of resistant starch.

2. Beans

Every 100 grams of beans contains about 5 to 12 grams of resistant starch. Pinto beans, black beans, soybeans, peas, and broad beans are all good foods rich in resistant starch.

3. Raw potato starch

Potato starch is the most concentrated resistant starch, with 80% of it being resistant starch.

4. Resistant corn starch

Resistant corn starch is a starch made from corn, of which 40% to 60% is resistant starch. So you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of raw potato starch or resistant corn starch to your yogurt on a daily basis to supplement resistant starch!

5. Raw potatoes

Freshly cooked potatoes contain only 3%, but this content increases to 12% after cooling. For example, raw potatoes contain 50% to 60% resistant starch, while cooked potatoes contain only 7%. Therefore, there is a saying that "sweet potatoes are best eaten raw, while potatoes are best eaten cold".