Resistant starch: promise for improving human health.
Diane F Birt1, Terri Boylston, Suzanne Hendrich
1Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)
|November 15, 2013
Summary
Developing digestion-resistant starch offers health benefits by preventing chronic diseases like diabetes and colon cancer. Further research is needed to fully integrate resistant starches into human diets for optimal disease prevention.
Area of Science:
- Transdisciplinary research integrating starch chemistry, food science, nutrition, and microbiology.
- Focus on human health promotion through novel starch development and food modification.
Background:
- Ongoing research aims to develop digestion-resistant starch for health benefits.
- Resistant starches are being investigated for their role in preventing chronic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify starch structural components conferring digestion resistance.
- Develop novel plants and starches with enhanced resistance.
- Modify foods to incorporate resistant starches for health promotion.
Main Methods:
- Review of transdisciplinary research on resistant starches.
- Analysis of plant factors affecting starch digestion resistance.
- Examination of mammalian intestinal and gut bacterial metabolism.
Main Results:
- Progress made in understanding resistant starch types and their effects.
- Studies address impacts on gut microbiota and chronic disease prevention.
- Challenges identified in developing resistant starch food products.
Conclusions:
- Resistant starches show potential for preventing colon cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
- Further research is required to optimize the use of resistant starches in human diets.
- Full potential of resistant starches for disease prevention is yet to be realized.
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