You have probably heard me discuss this type of carbohydrate before, but did you know just how easy it is to incorporate resistant carbs or starches in your diet? You can find them in up to 49 different foods.
Here’s a helpful update on the science behind the power of this starch. Then, I will introduce you to some new ways to get more of it into your diet starting today.
The list of foods with resistant starch is quite long, but before we get to it let’s do a quick overview of what this starch is and the benefits it can provide.
Fibers are among the most beneficial food constituents we know of, and they only come from carbohydrates. So, we have to start this conversation by dismissing the idea that we should avoid carbohydrates.
This special form of starch is not entirely fiber and not quite a carbohydrate. It has the best properties of both. Unlike carbohydrates, it is not absorbed in the small intestine, and it does not demand insulin.
Instead, these special carbs or resistant starches are absorbed in the large intestine after good bacteria have had their chance first. Because it is absorbed in the large intestine, foods with resistant starch give us 7 to 9 hours of stable blood sugar.
Critical Insight: Carbs can do your body a lot of good – the right ones, in the right amounts. It is all about balance, variety, and knowing what you are doing, so we made meal planning more versatile and easier by selecting a diverse group of foods with a variety of flavor profiles. We made sure to make our list of resistant starch foods long enough to provide complimentary flavors that can add balance to your meals.
Typically, the bad thing about “bad carbs” is that they absorb fast and make your body work harder. This gives us a good clue about what we might do with “good carbs” in our diet.
What we can see from good carbs is that they:
This is especially true for the group called the anaerobic protective bacteria. Resistant starch foods fuel these bacteria, which are not typically as influenced by probiotic supplements.
Bottom Line: Resistant starches and carbs combine the benefits of fiber and regular carbohydrates. Fiber is suitable for your flora, but it is not digestible, while carbohydrates do not feed the flora but give it nutrients. This type of carbohydrate provides a small amount of nutrients and digests slowly, delivering 7 to 9 hours of stable blood sugar.
Regarding energy and body weight, it all comes down to your blood sugar being in the “good range” and not being high or low (while not moving fast, up or down).
The truth is, what we do know about the starches found in our list of resistant starch foods is that they stay longer in that curve, more than regular starches/carbs from other foods.
Here’s how it all works. Starches are made of two polysaccharides:
This long, straight chain of amylose, because there is a long, single straight chain, becomes harder to break down. Your body has to cover it one bite at a time, which ultimately leads to slower digestion.
With the branched versions, like amylopectin, you can take many bites at once – leading to faster digestion but more surface area being covered overall.
Bottom Line: Resistant carbs have a long, singular chain that your body can only break down in the large intestine.
What are some of the overall benefits of resistant starch you might get from using this list of foods for your next recipe? Well, one key benefit of eating these foods is that they produce more short-chain fatty acids in our bodies.
When we have more of these foods, we are better able to:
Ultimately, the things included here are called:
Resistant starch also plays a big role in improving:
Many foods have this kind of starch! Here is a comprehensive list of foods that contain more than four grams of resistant carbs per serving.
Please note that the active ingredients in food can vary from batch to batch. This variation is common for RS extracts or flour products, and unless they are formulated to specifically contain RS, they may not have any measurable resistant starches.
Let’s begin with beans and other legumes:
Many grains, nuts, and fruits are also resistant starch foods.
Critical Insight: If you are sensitive to wheat and must avoid it, then stock up on other RS-rich foods. I have provided many options in this list of resistant starch foods.
Have you been thinking about including more RS foods in your diet? If so, is it because you have been feeling less energized or that something might not be right?
1 – https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2005.00481.x/full
P.S. Whenever you are ready, here is how I can help:
Dr. C’s gift for figuring out what really works, like adding items from this list of foods with resistant starches and carbs to your diet, has helped hundreds of thousands of people reverse thyroid disease and diabetes, lose weight, and regain energy. Learn more about the surprising story that started his quest.
Dr. Alan Christianson
Alan Christianson is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD) who is a board-certified Naturopathic Endocrinologist with a focus on thyroid disorders. He is the author of The Metabolism Reset Diet and the New York Times bestselling book The Adrenal Reset Diet.
He founded Integrative Health, a physician group dedicated to helping people with thyroid disease and weight-loss resistance regain their health.
He has been named a Top Doctor in Phoenix magazine and has appeared on national TV shows and in numerous print media.
Dr. Christianson resides in the woods by a lake in Northern Minnesota with his wife Kirin.
