Resitant Starch

[B.E.N.]

This was brought up about a month ago. I think BigSexy and Abbot were involved in the conversation. I thought it was interesting...first I have read about this in detail. Thoughts???? (I made bold the major points...for skimmers.)

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Potatoes are a great source of carbohydrates and historically are a staple food for many of us in the West. Many traditional British meals are based around the potato cooked in a range of different ways. Also sweet potatoes are becoming increasingly culinary fashionable because their health benefits as a slowly digested low glycaemic index carb source are realised by more and more people. For convenience many bodybuilders cook their potatoes in advance and let them cool, but this may not be the best thing to do.

When potatoes are cooled, there is a structural change to the starch and resistant starch forms. Resistant starch is a type of starch which we can't digest, as the enzyme amylase, which breaks down starch to maltose, cannot act on its complex structure. The resistant starch makes its way though our digestive system to the colon as the intact polysaccharide. The average white potato is about 20% total starch content, when cooked the amount of resistant starch is approximately 7%, which increases to about 13% on cooling (Englyst et al 1992). This only leaves about 7% non-resistant starch in cold potatoes which may explain why their glycaemic index is low at around 23. Furthermore, this resistant starch remains even if the potato is reheated and may cause indigestion / gut issues in sensitive individuals.

But, many of you will now be asking, surely a lower GI is good as more slowly digested carbs are what we want? Also wouldn't less absorption of starch mean fewer calories, when cutting isn't consuming fewer calories a good idea? These, of course, are very sensible questions, but one of the major negative points about resistant starch is that it is a very strong bowl irritant and increases the inefficiency of the bowl. An efficient digestive system is important for health and physical performance, and cold or reheated potatoes are a big no-no if you have irritable bowl syndrome (IBS).

Rice can also be affected by the formation of resistant starch on cooling, but not to such a degree as in potatoes and sweet potatoes. I know many of us bodybuilders like to plan ahead and prepare foods in advance, especially to save time. But with potatoes I wouldn't recommend this and it may be better to opt for pasta or bread as our carb foods for our cold packed lunches.

[novastepp]

irritable bowl syndrome

[sizerp]

When potatoes are cooled, there is a structural change to the starch and resistant starch forms. [/I]

What about canned goods?

[I_Want_Abs]

LMAO i dont have IBS but this gives me some insight as to why my trips to the toilet havnt been as pleasent since switching my carb source from pasta/rice to sweet and normal potatoes

[B.E.N.]

irritable bowl syndrome

LOL...okay Nova they can't spell but what kind of credence do you give this in your diet?

[abbot138]

Very good read Ben, thanks. I had been meaning to try the cool potato low GI thing, but probably not now......not a big fan of an inefficient bowl, lol.