When it comes to “carbohydrates,” many people avoid them, fearing that eating too much will lead to weight gain, blood sugar spikes, and even see them as a “stumbling block” on their journey to health. In fact, there is a type of “carbohydrate” that not only does not cause obesity but also helps reduce fatty liver – that is resistant starch!
This type of carbohydrate
can help reduce fatty liver and aid in weight loss.
In 2023, a study published in the journal “Cell Metabolism” by researchers including Jia Weiping from the Sixth People’s Hospital affiliated with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine showed that a diet rich in resistant starch can alter the composition of gut bacteria, reduce triglycerides and liver enzymes levels related to liver damage and inflammation, and alleviate fatty liver.â‘
After a 4-month experiment, the study found that compared to the control group, resistant starch significantly reduced the participants’ liver triglyceride content, with an absolute reduction of 9.08% and a relative reduction of 39.42%. It also significantly decreased the participants’ weight, BMI, and body fat content.
In addition, participants in the resistant starch group also showed improvement in liver damage. Moreover, the total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein of the participants in the resistant starch group all improved, alleviating lipid abnormalities.
Moreover, in February 2024, Jia Weiping, Li Huating, and others published a study in the journal “Nature Metabolism” showing that supplementing resistant starch for just 8 weeks can aid in weight loss and improve insulin resistance in overweight individuals, with the benefits of resistant starch being related to changes in intestinal flora composition.â‘¡
The study found that participants who supplemented with resistant starch for 8 weeks on average lost 2.8 kilograms, with significant reductions in fat mass and waist circumference. Additionally, it significantly improved participants’ glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.
Where can you find these “miraculous carbohydrates”?
Which foods contain resistant starch?
Resistant starch, in simple terms, is a type of starch that is difficult to digest. Resistant starch is present in many natural foods, and the following are some foods rich in resistant starch, which have a slow blood sugar rise and provide a strong sense of fullness, making them a good staple food.â‘¢
1. Whole grains
Recommended foods: oats, sweet corn, barley, wheat, sorghum, etc.
Unprocessed whole grains and seeds available 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 including whole grains.
Tips: Simply consuming whole grains can be difficult to digest, so it is more easily accepted when paired with rice. Making rice or porridge with a ratio of 1:0.5 of rice to whole grains enhances taste and helps control blood sugar.
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2. Legumes
Recommended foods: chickpeas, peas, soybeans, black beans, lentils, red beans, mung beans, speckled beans, etc.
Drink soy milk in the morning and snack on chickpeas or peas between meals. When it comes to staple foods, focus on adding a variety of legumes. For example, when cooking rice, adding red beans or mung beans to make red bean rice or mung bean rice.
Tips: Consuming legumes alone can cause bloating. For a better experience, make rice or porridge with a ratio of 1:0.3 of rice to legumes and soak the legumes overnight before use. This ensures both taste and ease of digestion.
3. Tubers
Recommended foods: sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc.
In one or two meals of the day, you can include some tubers. At the same time, reduce the intake of other staple foods.
Tips: After boiling or baking, tubers can be directly consumed as a staple food, or sliced and cooked with rice. You can also find sweet potato flour or potato flour products like sweet potato mantou or potato mantou on the market, which are good choices.
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Resistant starch
How to eat it healthily?
Kang Jingwen, from the Clinical Nutrition Department of Yuhuangding Hospital in Yantai, Shandong, introduced in a public post on the department’s public account in 2024 that when consuming foods rich in resistant starch, it is vital to have this knowledge.â‘£
1. It is recommended to let the staple food cool before consuming
After cooking rice, steamed buns, or potatoes and letting them cool in the refrigerator, the resistant starch content will significantly increase, and the glycemic index will also decrease significantly. Reheating after cooling will partially retain the resistant starch. For example, overnight fried rice is a choice that combines resistant starch and flavor.
Under high temperatures, starch gelatinizes and absorbs water, leading to a decrease in resistant starch content, making the food easier to digest and absorb, resulting in a higher blood sugar response.
2. Choose cooking methods with less water
Cooking methods such as baking and microwave heating with less water can reduce starch gelatinization; for instance, baked potatoes have a higher resistant starch content than boiled potatoes. This is why reheating refrigerated rice, steamed buns, or bread in an oven or microwave is recommended.
3. Cook mixed grain rice to be slightly chewy
Furthermore, high-pressure cooking will reduce resistant starch content. A porridge cooked with a pressure cooker that is very viscous will have less resistant starch compared to a slightly chewy mixed grain rice.
4. Avoid consuming too much greasy food
It is also important not to consume too much greasy food, as a high-fat diet can offset the health benefits of resistant starch.
5. Do not blindly buy resistant starch
It is not advisable to purchase and increase the intake of resistant starch blindly just because of its perceived health benefits. Consuming excess resistant starch can lead to gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, vomiting, bloating, increased intestinal motility, or changes in bowel movements.
Simply by incorporating an adequate selection of foods rich in resistant starch into our daily balanced diet, we can make our diet a bit healthier.
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Eat more “good carbohydrates”
Eat less “bad carbohydrates”
In addition to staples such as rice, noodles, and steamed buns, vegetables, fruits, etc., also fall under the category of carbohydrate foods. Xia Yanqiong, Chief Physician of the Nutrition Department at the Guangdong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, mentioned in a post on the Healthy China public account in 2023 that the intake of carbohydrates is essential but can be categorized into “good carbohydrates” and “bad carbohydrates.” How should one eat them?⑤
1. Eat more “good carbohydrates”
This category of carbohydrates naturally includes “resistant starch.” Additionally, increase the consumption of green carbohydrates. Vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber and contain a certain amount of carbohydrates, making them also considered “good carbohydrates.”
These foods are typically green, indicating green carbohydrates. The more variety of colors on your plate, the healthier your diet.
2. Eat fewer “bad carbohydrates”
If consumed in excess, this category of carbohydrates can increase cardiovascular burden, raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, and hinder blood pressure and weight control. These carbohydrates are typically white or rice-colored foods, such as rice, flour, and candies.
Reduce the consumption of “bad carbohydrates,” especially refined rice, flour, and sugar additives. Sugar additives refer to sugar artificially added to foods, providing sweetness and include monosaccharides and disaccharides, such as sucrose, fructose, glucose, and high fructose corn syrup, etc. It is recommended to keep daily sugar consumption below 5% (about 25 grams).
Source: Health Times
