A few weeks ago, I wrote about how uncooked cornstarch may prevent low blood sugar. Today, I will share how another starch may help diabetics manage blood sugar levels. It’s called resistant starch.
Resistant starch is a fermentable fiber that is resistant to digestion, hence its name. Instead, it passes through the small intestine undigested and enters the large intestine, where it ferments inside the colon and feeds gut bacteria. To put it another way, resistant starch feeds your gut bacteria, rather than feeding you.
Because we don’t digest resistant starch, glucose isn’t rapidly released in the bloodstream and blood sugar does not rise. Resistant starch also improves insulin sensitivity and increases satiety.
You can find resistant starch naturally in these foods:
I mentioned earlier that I wrote about uncooked cornstarch in my previous post. Turns out that uncooked cornstarch is also a resistant starch, which is probably another reason it helps stabilize blood sugar levels (https://backtonaturediabetic.com/cornstarch-may-prevent-low-blood-sugar/).
I’ve included bread as a separate food category because there are many ways to make it starch resistant. For example, freezing can change the molecular structure of bread. Freezing and then toasting bread changes starch molecules so they are more resistant to digestion. Here are other ways bread can be resistant to starch:
You can also increase the resistant starch in some foods by heating the food, then cooling it. This is also called retrograde starch. Heating and then cooling certain foods will change their molecular structure. As a result, it will increase their resistant starch.
The reason for this is that during cooking, the starch will swell, which is called gelatinization. Then, when cooled, the gelatinized starch converts to resistant starch.
But don’t worry, once you have heated and then cooled the food, you can reheat it again without worrying about undoing or reducing the resistant starch. Foods with retrograde starch include:
A study compared freshly cooked white rice with white rice that was cooked, refrigerated for 24 hours, and then reheated.
The result was 2.5 times as much resistant starch in the cooked and cooled rice as there was in the freshly cooked rice (Effect of cooling of cooked white rice on resistant starch content and glycemic response – PubMed (nih.gov). So, go ahead and enjoy leftover rice!
Many trials and studies show resistant starch is beneficial for blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. Here are a few:
Because resistant starch is a fiber and is harder to digest, you may experience side effects like bloating and stomach discomfort. As with adding more fiber to your diet, drink more water as you add resistant starch to your diet to help with digestion and gastrointestinal issues.
Be a diabetic detective and add resistant starch to your diet. For example, eat overnight oats instead of hot oatmeal; eat unripe bananas; reheat refrigerated pasta or rice; and toast frozen bread. See if it makes a difference in your blood sugar levels. Observe whether using these methods makes high-carb foods like bread, potatoes, and rice more diabetic-friendly.
Consuming foods with resistant starch or heating then cooling foods like potatoes, rice, and pasta may stabilize your blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity. It also boosts gut health. You can also sprinkle raw potato starch or Hi-maize on your food. Try using resistant starch as a natural diabetic remedy to manage your blood sugar levels.
I have high blood sugars, and Type 2 diabetes is not going to kill me. But I just have to eat right, and exercise, and lose weight, and watch what I eat, and I will be fine for the rest of my life – Tom Hanks
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