Carbs for Weight Loss
Nature's Fat-Burning Breakthrough
We Found It: Why eating carbs can help you slim down--and how to do it right!
Provided by Prevention
Fighting Disease, One Potato at a Time
The research on resistant starch doesn't stop at weight loss. This powerful nutrient is also earning accolades as a major disease fighter from standard bearers such as the World Health Organization. Here's why scientists around the globe are so excited about its health benefits:
It can prevent cancer. Research shows that the butyrate created by resistant starch may protect the lining of the colon, making it less vulnerable to the DNA damage that triggers diseases, such as colon cancer. It can also create a pH drop inside the colon, which boosts the absorption of calcium and blocks the absorption of cancer-causing substances.
It may fight diabetes and heart disease.
Let's Dish
It boosts your immune system. "When you have low levels of good-for-you bacteria in your digestive system, it's very difficult to fight off disease," says Joanne Slavin, PhD, RD, a nutrition professor at the University of Minnesota. Resistant starch may boost the growth of probiotics, the same kind of healthy bacteria found in yogurt that keep bad bacteria in check.
How to Eat Enough
Right now, there is no specific target for resistant starch intake. But preliminary data shows that the average American woman consumes about 4 g of resistant starch each day. Experts such as Gerbstadt believe the research is strong enough to advocate doubling that.
Adding just 1/2 to 1 cup of cooled resistant starch–rich food per day can do the trick. See "6 Best Fat-Burning Foods" below for ideas, and follow this advice to maximize your intake.
Keep it cool. In cooked starchy foods, resistant starch is created during cooling. Cooking triggers starch to absorb water and swell, and as it slowly cools, portions of the starch become crystallized into the form that resists digestion. Cooling either at room temperature or in the refrigerator will raise resistant starch levels. Just don't reheat. That breaks up the crystals, causing resistant starch levels to plummet.
Look for fortified foods. A growing number of commercial foods have been bolstered with Hi-maize, the brand name of a resistant starch powder made from corn. You can use it in baking (and lower calories) by replacing up to one-quarter of traditional flour in any recipe without affecting taste or texture (King Arthur Hi-maize Natural Fiber, $5.95 per 12-ounce bag; kingarthurflour.com). Or, look for packaged products that include Hi-maize, as another easy way to boost your intake.
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