Resistant starch

Good day, Mr. Jelínek,

I use tapioca starch for thickening or make pudding for my son with tapioca pearls, believing it is a starch beneficial for the intestines. The internet says it contains resistant starch, while some sources claim it does not due to processing. So, is it more suitable to use potato starch if I want to support intestinal bacteria? And is it true that cooking oats, rice, or potatoes and letting them cool down before consuming them cold increases the intake of resistant starch? The ZOF application does not calculate this for me, so is it more certain to use potato starch or juice from raw potatoes?

Thank you for your response.

Tapioca starch contains a minimal amount of resistant starch due to the technological processing of the raw material. If you are targeting the prebiotic effect of the diet, use either potato starch (the most advantageous is pressed potato juice) or focus on the complexity in choosing fiber-rich foods.

Heat treatment changes the structure of starch; after cooling the food, the content of resistant starch is always higher. In this respect, it is more advantageous to consume heat-treated foods cold, but in practice, this rule is applied very rarely. For this reason, we did not include the function of calculating resistant starch in relation to heat treatment of food in the ZOF application, as it does not have broader practical application.

Hello,
I would like clarification on the term resistant starch – I came across it in an article about fiber. What is its role and how is it related to fiber?
Thank you.

Resistant starches are those that resist the digestion process. They essentially behave similarly to soluble fiber—they undergo fermentation by the activity of the gut microbiome in the colon. The result of this process is the production of short-chain fatty acids, which are an important energy source for the cells forming the lining of the colon. Among other benefits, resistant starches have additional (health-promoting) effects, with one of the most important being their ability to enhance the sensitivity of cells to insulin (very important for diabetics).

There are several types of resistant starches, found in grains, legumes, seeds, tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes), or fruits (unripe bananas—during the ripening process, these resistant starches turn into digestible ones).

Good day,
I would like to inquire about resistant starches, specifically the type that forms after cooking and then cooling rice/potatoes. If I wanted to increase the intake of these polysaccharides to boost my prebiotic intake, would it be advisable to let the potatoes and rice cool before consumption and then reheat them? If I don't want to eat the side dish cold...
Thank you for your response.

This type of resistant starch is not formed during cooking; it is already present in the food. Its structure becomes digestible by the human digestive tract when heated, but after cooling, it structurally changes back to an indigestible form, which acts as a prebiotic for gut microorganisms. If you want to use this form of retrograded starch as a prebiotic, it is necessary to consume the food either raw or after it has been cooked and then cooled down to be eaten cold.

Hello,

Could you please clarify the term resistant starch? I encountered it in an article about fiber. What is its role and how is it related to fiber?

Thank you.

Resistant starches are those that resist the process of digestion. They essentially behave similarly to soluble fiber—they undergo fermentation by the activity of the gut microbiome in the large intestine. The result of this process is the production of short-chain fatty acids, which are an important energy source for the cells lining the large intestine. Additionally, resistant starches have other health benefits, the most important of which is their ability to enhance the sensitivity of cells to insulin (very important for diabetics).

There are several types of resistant starches, found in grains, legumes, seeds, tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes), and fruits (unripe bananas—during the ripening process, these resistant starches convert into digestible ones).