Photo Credit: @jeshoots

I am not going to tell you about some super mutated potatoes from outer space, but hopefully the headline caught your attention long enough to tell you about a cool thing called starch resistance and how it can help your health and diet goals.

Let’s talk about your small and large intestine a bit. As you probably already know, the food you eat passes through your stomach and into the small intestine. The small intestine breaks down food for important nutrients and minerals. About 90% of your digestion happens in the small intestine. After the small intestine gets done with its processes, food then passes to the large intestine. The large intestine has four main functions; 1) reabsorption of water and mineral ions, 2) formation of feces, 3) maintaining a population of 500 species of bacteria, and 4) bacterial fermentation of indigestible materials.

Okay, let’s jump back to starch resistance. Starch resistant carbohydrates do not get broken down in the small intestine, and instead ferment in the large intestine. This fermenting of starch resistant carbs acts like a prebiotic to your gut.

A young toddler aged boy wearing a pink button up shirt with a grey tweed vest and jeans, holding a book with a surprised look on his face

Here’s the cool part, and why you should care about starch resistance………Starch resistance carbs don’t raise your blood glucose (blood sugar), and since they are broken down in the large intestine they help to improve your overall health by improving the gut bacteria level.

Now for the Super Powered Potatoes! You can easily make your potatoes starch resistant by cooking them, and then letting them fully cool. Cool your potatoes overnight in the fridge. Go ahead and heat them up the next day and they are ready to eat. The starch resistance has already occurred and will not reset when reheated. Ready to have your mind blown??!!! Repeated heating and cooling cycles increase the starch resistance.

Are you diabetic? Are you trying to consume less carbs? Are you having gut problems? Try this super simple trick to add starch resistant carbs to your diet.

Also, I should add, this same trick can also be done with rice, beans, and pasta.

Sources:

http://hopkinsdiabetesinfo.org/what-is-resistant-starch/

https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-Does-the-Small-Intestine-Do.aspx

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1832-large-intestine-function

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26326668_Studies_on_effect_of_multiple_heatingcooling_cycles_on_the_resistant_starch_formation_in_cereals_legumes_and_tubers

Photo Credit: @benwhitephotography

Super Powered Potatoes!!