Light up the star, don’t miss every push notification
When it comes to “carbs,” many people tend to avoid them, worrying that eating too much will cause weight gain, raise blood sugar, and even see them as a “stumbling block” on their journey to health. In fact, there is a type of “carb” that not only doesn’t cause obesity but also helps reduce fatty liver, and that is—resistant starch!
This type of carb
Can reduce fatty liver and help with weight loss
In 2023, researchers including Jia Weiping from the Sixth People’s Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine published a study in the journal “Cell Metabolism,” showing that a diet rich in resistant starch can alter the composition of intestinal bacteria, reduce triglycerides and liver enzymes related to liver damage and inflammation, thus reducing fatty liver. â‘
After a 4-month trial, it was found that compared to the control group, resistant starch significantly reduced the participants’ liver triglyceride content by 9.08% in absolute terms and 39.42% relative decrease, also significantly reducing the participants’ weight, BMI, fat content, etc.
In addition, participants in the resistant starch group also saw improvements in liver damage. Moreover, participants in the resistant starch group showed improvements in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein, easing lipid abnormalities.
Moreover, in February 2024, Jia Weiping, Li Huating, and others published a study in the journal “Nature Metabolism,” showing that supplementing with resistant starch for just 8 weeks helps with weight loss and improves insulin resistance in overweight individuals, with the benefits of resistant starch related to changes in the gut microbiota composition. â‘¡
The study found that participants who supplemented with resistant starch for 8 weeks lost an average of 2.8 kilograms, with significant reductions in fat mass and waist circumference. Additionally, there were significant improvements in participants’ glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.
This “magical carb”
Where can it be found in food?
Resistant starch, simply put, is a type of indigestible starch. Resistant starch is found in many natural foods, the following foods are rich in resistant starch, slow in blood sugar rise, provide a strong sense of fullness, and can serve as high-quality staple foods. â‘¢
1. Whole grains
Recommended foods: oats, sweet corn, barley, wheat, sorghum, etc.
Untreated whole grains and seeds on the market generally contain resistant starch. It is recommended to include 1/4 or 1/2 of whole grains in daily meals, with at least one meal containing whole grains.
Tips: Eating whole grains alone is not easily digestible, it is better accepted when combined with rice. Making rice or porridge with rice and whole grains in a ratio of 1:0.5 improves taste and helps control blood sugar.
Health Times data image
2. Legumes
Recommended foods: chickpeas, peas, soybeans, black beans, lentils, red beans, green beans, mung beans, kidney beans, etc.
You can drink soy milk in the morning and have chickpeas or peas as a snack between meals. Pay attention to adding mixed beans in your diet. For example, when cooking rice, add red beans and mung beans to make red bean rice or mung bean rice.
Tips: Consuming legumes alone may cause stomach bloating. Making rice or porridge with a ratio of 1:0.3 of rice to legumes and soaking the legumes overnight is recommended. This ensures taste and aids digestion.
3. Tubers
Recommended foods: sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc.
Include some tubers in one or two meals a day and reduce the intake of other staple foods.
Tips: After boiling or baking, tubers can be directly eaten as a staple food, or cut into pieces and cooked with rice. There are also sweet potato or potato flour-made buns on the market, a good choice.
Health Times data image
Resistant starch
How to eat it more healthily?
Kang Jingwen, clinical nutritionist at Yuhuangding Hospital in Yantai, Shandong, introduced in a publication on the department’s public account in 2024 that when consuming resistant starch foods, one needs to understand these points. â‘£
1. It is recommended to let the staple food cool before eating
Rice, steamed buns, and potatoes, when cooked and then refrigerated, significantly increase the content of resistant starch, leading to a noticeable decrease in the glycemic index. Upon reheating, some resistant starch will still be retained. For instance, overnight fried rice presents a choice that combines resistance starch and taste.
In a high-temperature state, starch swells and gelatinizes, reducing the content of resistant starch, making the food easier to digest and absorb, and resulting in a higher glycemic response.
2. Choose cooking methods with less water
Cooking methods like baking and microwave heating with less water can reduce starch gelatinization, with baked potatoes having a higher resistant starch content compared to boiled potatoes. This is why it is suggested to reheat refrigerated rice, steamed buns, and bread using baking or microwave methods.
3. Cook whole grain rice slightly firm
Furthermore, high-pressure cooking can reduce the resistant starch content. Grain porridge cooked to a thick consistency using a pressure cooker has less resistant starch compared to grain rice cooked slightly firm via steaming.
4. Avoid eating too greasy
Also, remember not to eat too greasy, as a high-fat diet can negate the health benefits of resistant starch.
5. Don’t blindly purchase resistant starch
Don’t just buy and increase your intake of resistant starch because of its health benefits. Eating too much resistant starch may cause gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, increased intestinal motility, or changes in bowel movements.
By incorporating resistant starch into your balanced daily diet through appropriate food choices, you can make your diet healthier.
Health Times data image
Eat more “good carbs”
Eat less “bad carbs”
In addition to staples like rice, noodles, and steamed buns, vegetables, fruits, etc., are also carbohydrates. Xia Yanqiong, chief physician of the Nutrition Department at the Guangdong Maternal and Child Health Hospital, stated in a publication on the Healthy China public account in 2023 that consuming carbohydrates is essential, but carbohydrates are also divided into “good carbs” and “bad carbs.” How should you eat? ⑤
1. Eat more “good carbs”
This category of carbohydrates includes “resistant starch,” of course. Additionally, increase the intake of green carbohydrates. Vegetables and fruits rich in fiber and containing carbohydrates can also be considered “good carbs.”
These foods are usually green, meaning they are green carbohydrates. The more colors on your plate, the healthier your eating habits.
2. Eat less “bad carbs”
If you consume too much of these carbohydrates, it can increase the burden on the cardiovascular system, raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, and be detrimental in controlling blood pressure and weight. These carbohydrates are mostly white or beige foods, such as rice and sugar-based products.
Reduce the intake of “bad carbs,” especially refined rice and sugar additions. Added sugars are artificial sweeteners added to food, providing sweetness, including monosaccharides and disaccharides like sucrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, etc. It is recommended to keep daily sugar intake to less than 5% (about 25 grams).
For more exciting content,
Download the People’s Daily Health App
Selected
Articles
This article is a compilation of:
â‘ Resistant starch decreases intrahepatic triglycerides in patients with NAFLD via gut microbiome alterations. Cell Metabolism. SEPTEMBER 05, 2023. doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2023.08.002
â‘¡Resistant starch intake facilitates weight loss in humans by reshaping the gut microbiota. Nature Metabolism. 26 February 2024. doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-00988-y
â‘¢2024-01-16 Diabetes Companion Magazine “These 4 types of staple foods contain ‘resistant starch,’ slow blood sugar rise, strong satiety, suitable for diabetics to eat” (Dong Yi, Wang Hao)
â‘£2024-06-11 Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Clinical Nutrition Department “A starch that can help with weight loss, have you heard of it?”
⑤2023-08-21 Healthy China “If you choose carbs incorrectly, you’ll get hungry quickly and might get fat!”
Editor: Wang Zhen
Review: Lu Yang
