Resistant Starch: Health Benefits & Safety

Latest Update

Cooled Pasta Benefit?

Medically reviewed and edited by Tod Cooperman, M.D.

Written by Meredith A. Worthington, Ph.D.

Latest Update April 23, 2026 ⓘ

Answer:

Starches function as a major dietary source of carbohydrates for humans. In contrast to rapidly digestible starch, as found in bread, pasta, and cooked potatoes, which is quickly digested to sugar (glucose) by enzymes in mouth and small intestine, resistant starch can only be broken down when it reaches the large intestine (the colon). There, resistant starch is fermented by gut bacteria to form short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyrate (Sajilata, Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2006).

Resistant starches have been promoted for numerous conditions including improving bowel function, blood sugar control, reducing risk factors of metabolic syndrome, and for weight loss. Sign in as a member to find out if resistant starches are beneficial for these conditions and what are the most common side effects.

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