Resistant Starch – The Best Food to Boost Overall Health
If there’s one thing true in life it is that our health is our wealth. What better food to increase overall health than resistant starch! What is resistant starch and how is it used by the body to boost overall wellness to the max? Let’s find out.

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about this amazing nutritious food, what benefits it has, risks, and how you can eat it.
What is Resistant Starch
What is resistant starch? This is a type of starch that is not completely digested by the body. This makes it act more like a fiber would while being digested. Due to this, it is a vital ingredient that can help to feed and nourish the gut microbiome.
This is a starch that is created when using certain cooking methods for certain foods. However, some foods have it naturally.
Health Benefits of Resistant Starch
There are all the key benefits of this amazing starch. These are just bribes, reasons that you should be adding this starch into your diet!
Boost Microbiome Health
In case you missed it in this article here, the gut microbiota affects every single part of our life, from our physical endurance, sleep, metabolism, and much more. Our gut microbiome is even a key element in our mental health since about 90% of serotonin, a happiness chemical, is created in the gut. Having nutritional food for the gut like resistant starch is a game changer for our microbiome.
Blood Sugar Control
This type of fiber is also known to help control blood sugar levels. This is because it is slowly digested. Foods that are less complex and easier to digest lead to sharp and high spikes in blood sugar. These spikes when experienced too frequently may lead to insulin resistance and more serious conditions such as diabetes. When you eat something that has this kind of starch, you prevent blood sugar levels from spiking.
Feel Fuller for Longer
Due to how slowly the body digests this type of fiber, you will feel Fuller for longer. This will help reduce hunger, increasing satiety and satisfaction with meals.
Reduce Cancer Risk
Preliminary studies suggest that resistant starch may be very beneficial in lowering our risk for serious illnesses such as colon cancer. This is because an unhealthy and unbalanced gut microbiome has been linked to colon cancer. Because resistance starch tends to increase gut health, this in turn decreases colon cancer risk.
Foods High in Resistant Starch
Here are some examples of foods that are high in resistant starch. Some foods are naturally high in this starch while other foods have to be cooked a certain way to achieve high levels of this fiber. Check them out and add them to your diet for a boost in health benefits!
Natural Foods High in this Fiber
Examples of foods that are naturally high in resistant starch include unripened bananas, plantains, nuts, and oats. While some foods, such as plantains and oats are cooked, the food itself has a high amount of this fiber without needing a certain technique.
Cooking to Increase This FIber
A fun life hack to know is how to make some foods higher in resistant starch. For example, potatoes that are cooked and chilled are high in this starch. This is particularly true for red and yellow potatoes. All you need to do is cook them, put them in the fridge overnight, and reheat them the next day to enjoy a resistant starch fiber-filled meal.
Another food that can be high in resistant starch is rice. Rice that is cooked and then cooled has more of this starch than rice that is freshly made.
Common Questions About Resistant Starch
Here are some common questions about this fiber that you may want to know the answer to. These include questions such as how necessary is resistant starch in the diet, whether can anyone eat resistant starch, and more.
Is resistant starch needed?
So, what’s a good serving size of this starch? In reality, you need small amounts of this starch to gain benefits. For example, a 100 g serving of potatoes contains about 5 g of resistant starch. This starch may increase when the potatoes are cooked, chilled, then reheated. There’s no formal recommendation on how much of this fiber you need to eat, though many people tend to get a very small amount unless they are actively trying to eat and cook in a way that increases resistance to starch. For maximum benefits, aim for around 15 to 20 g.
Can people with sensitive stomachs consume resistant starch?
Kinda. Resistant starch is usually well tolerated by many individuals, even those with a sensitive stomach. However, when eaten in high amounts, there are mild side effects such as gas and bloating. If you have a sensitive stomach, eating too much resistant fiber may be detrimental and may cause issues such as gas, bloating, or cramps.
Eating too much of any sort of fiber can worsen already existing digestional issues such as IBS. If you have a sensitive stomach, try to start small with only a few grams of this starch per day.
Why does the gut microbiome need resistant starch?
The gut microbiome is a colony of live bacteria. These live organisms need food, which is where fiber comes into play. Resistant starch is a type of fiber that feeds good gut bacteria which can in turn make the gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids. These short-chain fatty acids improve gut health, lower cholesterol, and reduce our risk of colon cancer.
The Takeaway
Resistant starch is a game changer for overall health, especially due to its link to our gut microbiome. Our gut is responsible for so many different biological processes, so making sure it’s healthy should be our number one priority. This starch is an easy way to quickly boost gut health and ensure that the microbiome is balanced and prosperous.
Remember that health comes from within. Eat nutritious food, exercise when you can, and take care of your mental health. The small daily habits you cultivate become the basis for overall wellness. Don’t forget about microbiota health too! Gut microbiota affects the entire body, from the skin to muscles, to immune and mental health! Get all the resources you need about microbiota health for free here!