Jennifer Depew, R. D.

Jennifer Depew, R. D.Jennifer Depew, R. D.Jennifer Depew, R. D.

Jennifer Depew, R. D.

Jennifer Depew, R. D.Jennifer Depew, R. D.Jennifer Depew, R. D.
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  • RS/Butyrate-How much?
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    • Home
    • Contact Jen
    • COVID19
    • Nutrients
    • Cofactors
    • Prenatal/Child
    • Membranes & Inflam.
    • Membranes
    • Blog
    • DHA & Forest Bathing
    • Magnesium
    • Zinc
    • Phytonutrients
    • Citrus peel
    • Microbiome
    • Resistant Starch/Butyrate
    • RS/Butyrate-How much?
    • MCAS/Histamine
    • Eat Mussels; save shells!
    • Wetland Superheroes
    • Education Resources
    • UN & Other Resources
  • Home
  • Contact Jen
  • COVID19
  • Nutrients
  • Cofactors
  • Prenatal/Child
  • Membranes & Inflam.
  • Membranes
  • Blog
  • DHA & Forest Bathing
  • Magnesium
  • Zinc
  • Phytonutrients
  • Citrus peel
  • Microbiome
  • Resistant Starch/Butyrate
  • RS/Butyrate-How much?
  • MCAS/Histamine
  • Eat Mussels; save shells!
  • Wetland Superheroes
  • Education Resources
  • UN & Other Resources

Resistant Starch and Butyrate - need a healthy microbiome

Microbiome
No Bubble tea or Bubble tea? Did Bubble tea help contain Covid19 in some Asians? or just a joke?

Butyrate - can be made from Resistant Starch.

But we can't do it, we need our good guy microbiome to make butyrate for us!

Time for a Bubble drink - the Bubbles are tapioca, a resistant starch. Beneficial bacteria change resistant starch into butyrate, a helpful fatty acid. 


A nursing home or 1950's diners might have tapioca pudding on the menu, most other places you will find Bubble drinks on the Thai restaurant menu. The tapioca used is black in color so the beads are easy to see in the sweetened beverage. The graphic in the image was a joke created by someone unknown, penciled in over the real graphic of the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. (27) There is a clear difference between the Asian nations who contained the epidemic fairly early and the rest of the nations including China who didn't. 

     I don't know where Bubble Tea is typically drank besides Thai restaurants, and maybe a mall food court, however the tapioca starch could be helpful by supporting a healthy microbiome and an increase in butyrate - without having to eat butter, another natural source - I can't eat dairy products due to autoimmune diseases, there are probably other people who also have to avoid it. 


Butter from grass-fed cows is a natural source of butyrate in the diet.


A dietary source of butyrate is butter, as long as it was made with the milk of grass-fed cows - their microbiome is making it for the cows from the starches in the grass, and then the cows share it with their baby calves (or a dairy farmer). Dairy cows that were given supplemental butyrate in their grass based diet produced the same amount of milk but the macronutrient balance shifted to include more milk fat and protein and less milk sugar (lactose). Microbiome species convert starches, called resistant starches, into short chain fatty acids: butyrate, propionate, and acetate. (9)


Benefits of butyrate in the diet may include increased ketone production and decreased glucose production in the liver.


The cow's livers benefited from the additional butyrate supplements - less sugar was created in the livers of the four cows (small study) and also more ketones were produced - a protein based source of energy: "The increase in ruminal butyrate supply increased ketogenesis and decreased gluconeogenesis in the liver of lactating dairy cows." (1) Decreased gluconeogenesis in the liver would be protective against Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, (NAFLD), a chronic degenerative condition which has become more prevalent in the last decade or two. 

     The increased use of high fructose corn syrup in the average diet may be the reason for the rapid increase in prevalence, and decrease in age of onset - age 15 for some. A liver transplant is in that fifteen's future if they don not manage to get the degeneration to turn around - change of habits may be needed more than any medication could help. 

     Only the liver can use fructose and excess has to be converted into fats, protecting the liver from extra glucose might be a very helpful benefit of butyrate if it helps us increase our production of ketones and decrease sugars in the liver.

     Fructose also promotes aging, diabetes, and other chronic degenerative conditions due to an increase in glycation of proteins - AGEs, Advanced glycation end products - molecules that are a combination of a sugar and a protein. (10)  AGEs within our body may be aging as cancer promoters, but also may cause problems simply because the added sugar molecule can disrupt the function of the protein.


Butyrate can help increase the release of energy as heat and improve insulin sensitivity. It may help with weight control and blood sugar control.


Butyrate helps the mitochondria in our body to be able to use blood sugar directly as heat - cold thermogenesis in brown fat, (15, 17), and can help reduce insulin resistance and reduce risk of diabetes or improve management of the blood sugar levels. (16, 17) Butyrate can activate the niacin receptor (18) which is involved with mitochondrial use of glucose for energy conversion into ATP or if uncoupled from the ATP production, the energy is burned and simply released as extra warmth - useful in very cold climates, and useful to relieve the body of excess inflammation. (17) 

 

  • “GPR109A (encoded by Niacr1) is a receptor for butyrate in the colon. GPR109A is also a receptor for niacin, which is also produced by gut microbiota and suppresses intestinal inflammation.”  (18)


Brown fat levels can be increased by spending more time in cold temperatures - keep moving and it won't feel that cold! Menthol - mint, can also increase cold thermogenesis by activating TRPM8 channels, magnesium ion channels. (19) Magnesium is critical and a topical source may be needed. Epsom salt soaks provide a hydrated form that is well absorbed through skin pores. Epsom salt in a brief ice bath to increase brown fat levels is suggested in this article, (15), brrr.


  • Webpage: Magnesium.
  • Mitochondria need plenty of magnesium to function well, along with niacin, the other B vitamins, vitamin C, CoEnzyme Q10, certain amino acids, and other minerals. 
  • An overview about mitochondrial function is available here: Mitochondria & Mitochondrial Disease. (20)
  • A graphic showing the nutrients needed by the mitochondria to use glucose for energy with oxygen is available in this post: Niacin may help prevent or treat migraines. (21)  
  • Nutrients used in the Citric Acid Cycle by mitochondria include: B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate), Mg++ (magnesium), Mn++ (manganese), K+ (potassium), zinc, iron, copper, sulfate, CoQ10, carnitine, cysteine, glutathione, Alpha Lipoic acid.


Butyrate helps us to use energy and reduces our risk for excess fat storage which adds to the problem of insulin resistance - the fat cells can't hold anymore. Butyrate also helps reduce inflammation by modulating the activity of nuclear factor-kappa-B1 (NF-kB). (24)


Ketones, ketogenesis and gluconeogenesis:


Ketogenesis, the production of ketones, can be converted by the body from medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) or the amino acids from proteins. Ketones can be used for energy during times of fasting but some glucose is also needed and glucose can also be made by cells - gluconeogenesis - from other types of chemicals. (2) 


Ketones are generally beneficial for health, however diabetics may be at increased risk of ketoacidosis when their insulin levels are dysregulated, the condition is associated with increased acidity and ketone levels. Mixed meals and snacks can help in addition to reducing simple carbohydrates and total carbohydrates. Insulin resistance may be imprved with a ketone promoting diet. (12) Other benefits of ketones may include, (2): 

  1. increased production of mitochondria; 
  2. improved recovery from a brain injury or inflammatory damage; 
  3. reduced need for antioxidants, as there is less oxidative chemicals being produced as a waste product of glucose use;
  4. preserves muscle tissue, particularly helpful as we age - there is a typical loss of muscle tissue later in life, which if severe is considered sarcopenia. Having adequate protein throughout the day may also be protective (about 20-30 grams of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, rather than a large serving at dinner and not much at breakfast).;
  5. reduces risk for cancer growth - the mitochondria in cancer cells can not burn glucose with oxygen instead a fermentation type of process is used which increases the acidity level of the cell. Glutamate is also burned by the mitochondria of cancer cells and reducing total carbohydrate and glutamate content in the diet might help in addition to an increased use of ketones for energy.;
  6. ketogenic diets may improve symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder - that finding is likely explained by point 2 - improved recovery from a brain injury or inflammatory damage. (2)


Recipes for a ketone promoting, lower carbohydrate meal balance, are available on the same site: ruled.me/ 600+ Easy Keto Recipes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, & More. (3)


But what about butyrate? 

How much butter do I eat? What if I don't eat butter? 

- Let the microbes make butyrate! Eat resistant starch!

    

Paying attention can be a good way to individualize your own diet. Individualized diets, individualized health, is what can be obtained by listening to your body and remembering what leaves you feeling better and what seems to leave you feeling worse later on or the next day.

Terrain and Germ Theory - two schools of thought about infection and our microbiome.

We benefit from having a healthy microbiome - all the microbes of our intestines and other areas of our body can help protect us from more harmful species. They also help keep each other in balance, so that beneficial species do not become so numerous that they also become a problem. Terrain Theory and Germ Theory are two .competing ideas about our microbiome and infectious disease. 


Terrain Theory suggests that infection is a result of dysfunction in our cells and body that allow the microbiome species to grow excessively. Mitochondrial dysfunction is generally associated with degenerative disease and comorbid infections (occurring along with the chronic condition).


Germ Theory suggests that infection is always the result of a person or other species randomly being exposed to a pathogenic microbe and it causes the infection. The big flaw with that theory is that many fairly severe illnesses can result from a microbe that is usually present in large numbers in many apparently healthy people. How to explain that?


A combination of the two theories is probably most correct - a healthy functioning body can keep a large number of microbial species in check - while an unhealthy, dysfunctional and/or malnourished body is probably going to have trouble removing infected or damaged cells quickly enough to keep inflammation in check and prevent excessive growth of a microbial species, whether that microbe is generally considered dangerous or is more typically simply a benign and normal part of most people's microbiome.


For an overview video by Dr. Sam Bailey, Germ Theory vs Terrain Theory, click:

Germ vs Terrain Theory

Resistant Starch - Bubble Drink bubbles!

What is Dominican Republic's secret weapon against COVID19?

What is Dominican Republic's secret? 

The rate of Covid-19 deaths is far less severe than that of the US and the European Union - answer -  it might be resistant starches: 


  • "All or nearly all food groups are accommodated in typical Dominican cuisine, as it incorporates meat or seafood; grains, especially rice, corn (native to the island), and wheat; vegetables, such as beans and other legumes, potatoes, yuca, or plantains, and salad; dairy products, especially milk and cheese; and fruits, such as oranges, bananas, and mangoes," (12)

That list represents a very good diet balance and rich in excellent sources of resistant starch - potatoes, yuca, plantains, beans, bananas and mangoes. Chilling food can increase resistant starch, but some foods are very good sources anyway. Unripe or under-ripe bananas, plantains, mangoes and papaya have more resistant starch than a riper piece of the fruit. (13) Eating raw produce is a much richer source, but also more indigestible to us. Too much raw fruit can cause gassiness from too many good guy bacteria making butyrate.


While we can't all move to the Dominican Republic (we wouldn't all fit), Aunt Clara from the Dominican Republic has shared her delicious looking cooking and baking secrets with us, via the internet! The Bread and Tuber Recipes include cassava and plantain recipes, sweet potato dumplings, coconut or pumpkin bread. (14)


  •  Recipe examples for increasing resistant starch in the diet are available here yurielkaim.com. (7) 
  • The Mediterranean Diet tends to include beans, nuts and seeds, olive oil, seafood, and plenty of fresh vegetables. An overview of the eating pattern and recipes from a Mediterranean person is available at themediterraneandish.com. (27)


A Mediterranean style diet has also been found to promote beneficial species of bacteria including types that will produce butyrate from resistant starch. 

 

  • “Results from this study confirm that a strong adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) increases the population of some beneficial bacteria improving microbiota status towards a healthier pattern. Bifidobacterium animalis is the species with the strongest association with the MD. One of the highlights is the beneficial role of SCFA production, specially butyrate. This study shows that Mediterranean Diet, fibre [fiber], legumes, vegetables, fruit and nuts intake increase butyrate-producing taxa such as: Ruminococcus faecis, R. bromii, Oscillospira (Flavonifractor) plautii and Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum.” (23)


Tuber and Root Vegetables are good sources of resistant starch, once cooked and chilled.

The amount of Resistant Starch increases in starchy foods after it is cooked with liquids, and then chilled, and leftovers are then planned-overs - (use within 5-7 days or so generally or freeze extra portions once chilled). 


The main thing to remember for increasing resistant starches in your diet is simply to have more of your starchy carbohydrate foods served prechilled - potato salad instead of a hot baked potato fresh from the oven; or have a piece of the cornbread and then put the rest in the refrigerator overnight and serve the remainder after it was chilled first - it could then be made into croutons and made into cornbread stuffing - just chill the pan of cornbread first, before making the croutons.      
    Put the muffins in the refrigerator after cooling - in a closed container. The moisture content is part of the resistant starch effect - cooked starches were hydrated starches. A dry cracker is not going to change to resistant starches because you chilled it, but the fresh hot one will if it is chilled while cooling. Food processors could add a healthy feature to their advertising by increasing resistant starches during the food preparation. Repetitions of heating and chilling increases the resistant starch content more each time. Eventually the food texture and taste is reduced in quality and four cycles have been tested to measure the amount of resistant starch increase with the heat/chill/repeat method. (11)  


  • "The starch retrogradation cooling process is responsible for enhancing resistant starch content in specific foods after cooking, in which type 3 resistant starch is produced. Once these starches are cooled after being cooked, there is formation of a new structure that is digestion-resistant. The optimal temperature for retrogradation is between 1-25°C and longer storage time enables more retrogradation to take place." (26)


  • Recipe examples for increasing resistant starch in the diet are available here yurielkaim.com. (7) 


Amylose is a type of resistant starch that is rich in many tuber and root vegetables. Potato salad whether white or sweet potatoes would be a cooked and chilled food with resistant starches. 


  • "Canna and yam flour contained similar amounts of amylose (32.7 % and 33.1 %, respectively), followed by arrowroot (29.4 %), sweet potato (26.8 %) and konjac (21.7 %). Taro and cassava had the lowest amounts of amylose of all with 17.3 % and 13.1 %, respectively. Among the starch samples, canna contained the highest amount of amylose (35.0 %) followed by similar amounts for yam (23.7 %), arrowroot (21.9 %) and konjac (21.3 %). Sweet potato and cassava also contained comparable concentrations of amylose (15.9 % and 14.6 %, respectively) while taro was the lowest with only 10.1 %." (8)  


According to the author's review of previous results, the canna and yam results were similar to previous published numbers, while the levels were lower than found in other studies for: sweet potato, arrowroot, konjac, and taro starches. (8) 


Cooking increases digestibility of the raw food's resistant starch and the higher levels are decreased in the amount that will be eaten. Chilling increases that remaining amount of resistant starch. 


  • "Naturally, different types of rice will have varying levels of amylose (resistant starch) content ranging from 0-35%. Digestibility of cooked rice starch is typically influenced by the amount of amylose, with higher amylose content resulting in slower digestion and lower glycemic index of the rice. However, after cooking rice, there is typically less than 3% resistant starch that will not get digested. " (26)
  • “Among the flours and seasoned flours analyzed, the highest levels of resistant starch were observed in the flour from Bahia state (2.21%) and the seasoned flour from Paraná state (1.93%). Starch, tapioca, and sago showed levels of resistant starch ranging from 0.56 to 1.1%. The cassava products analyzed can be considered good sources of resistant starch; which make them beneficial products to the gastrointestinal tract.” (25)


Polenta, amaranth, and green banana flour too.

Polenta is a cornmeal mush that is sold in the refrigerated section of a grocery store in a tube like log. Slices of the cornmeal log are cut and fried to serve hot, or it may be baked as little slices with individual toppings. Amaranth is a tiny seed used as a gluten free flour or porridge. Once the porridge is chilled it sets up like polenta and can also be cut in pieces, which I eat on a crunchy garden salad. Amaranth remains crunchy while also having a porridge consistency.


Green banana flour or plantains are also a source of resistant starch once cooked and chilled. Beans, oats, wheat, buckwheat, other grains and seed flours would also have an increase in resistant starch content once coked and then chilled before eating. There is a texture change that may see moister or more pudding like depending on how much resistant starch content are in the flour choices. 

Tapioca too! Bubble drink bubbles are also known as tapioca pearls

A nursing home or 1950's diners might have tapioca pudding on the menu, most other places you will find Bubble drinks on the Thai restaurant menu. The tapioca used is black in color so the beads are easy to see in the sweetened beverage. The graphic in the earlier image was a joke by someone unknown, penciled in over the real graphic of the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a clear difference between the Asian nations who contained the epidemic fairly early and the rest of the nations including China who didn't. I don't know where Bubble Tea is besides Thai restaurants however the tapioca starch could be helpful by supporting a healthy microbiome and more butyrate.


  •  How to make Bubble Tea, (Boba Tea, 波霸奶茶/珍珠奶茶), (22) 


Tapioca or arrowroot starch can be used to thicken sauces or make gelatin like desserts, and it can also be used as part of the flour in any baked good - not too large a percentage though as the starch is pure refined starch, like corn starch, and it would seem a little like chalk dust to eat if no other more flavorful and fiber rich flours and ingredients were used. I use about a 1/2 cup tapioca starch with 3 cups of other flours to make a batch of 24 vegan muffins (they are dense and pudding like when first out of the oven and become more cake like after being chilled). My egg substitute would also increase resistant starch content after chilling - golden flax meal, powdered sassafras leaves (Gumbo file), and a little pomegranate peel (inner membrane, dried and powdered).  

Resistant starch overview

Resistant starch is a type of fiber - a carbohydrate based molecule that can not be digested well or at all with our available enzyme, α-amylase. Species that digest plant fiber well have a different type of enzyme for the purpose. Wood is made of sugars and minerals like calcium and magnesium. The sugars in a tree trunk or plant stem are linked with a different type of bond, than in the sugar of maple sap, which is concentrated to make maple syrup, and is digestible by humans. 

     Other starches have the digestible kind of bond but the rest of the molecule or food makes the specific chemical too difficult for the enzyme to fit within the starch molecule's shape. Then it is unable to react with the chemical bond in order to break it and separate the two parts of the larger chain of sugar molecules.  


"Resistant starch overview":

  • "Starch, the major storage polysaccharide in plants, is composed of two glucose polymers: amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is a minimally branched, linear structure linked by α1, 4 bonds that is tightly packed within the starch granule found in the endosperm of cereal grains.  Amylopectin is a branched molecule that contains both α1, 4 and α1, 6 bonds, yielding a complex structure that tends to take up the majority of space in the starch granule of cereal grain endosperm.2 " (9)
  • "Resistant starch passes through the human small intestine unaffected by α-amylase and other pancreatic enzymes, despite the presence of glucose polymers held together by α1, 4 and α1, 6 linkages.11" (9)

"There are five types of resistant starch defined primarily by their structural properties."

 

  • Resistant starch type 1, commonly found in whole grains, is resistant to digestion because it is physically inaccessible to enzymes owing to the presence of the bran and germ layers.12 
  • Resistant starch type 2 is resistant to digestion on account of ungelatinized starch molecules tightly packed in the endosperm, making their accessibility to digestive enzymes minimal13; 
  • resistant starch type 3 is composed of retrograded amylose, which forms a tight, crystalline structure that is inaccessible to digestive enzymes12; 
  • resistant starch type 4 is created through chemical modification of starch; 
  • and resistant starch type 5 comprises a complex of amylose and lipids which can be found naturally in starch granules or can be created through chemical modification.14,15" (9)

Care and Feeding Tips for our Microbiome

Line graph showing a drop from around 400 mg/100 gr, 1914, to ~ 25 mg/100 gr by 1992 to present.

We need to feed our microbiome a good diet, or less beneficial species grow instead of helpful ones.

It is healthy to have a healthy microbiome - they do a lot for us, or can when healthy species are most common. And they can make butyrate for us out of some of the starchy foods that we eat - depending on how it is prepared, there can be an increase in the amount of resistant starch and less digestible starches that reach the blood as sugar. Increasing resistant starch in a carbohydrate food can make it less of a risk for people with diabetes. 


So we need to feed our microbiome, and in order to have more beneficial species, we need to feed them well. If we eat ultra-processed foods in poor nutrient balance then the beneficial species cannot thrive and less beneficial or harmful ones takeover as the more common types.  

Beneficial species really need zinc, quite a lot of our dietary zinc.

Our beneficial ones need adequate zinc to be in our diet, (Zinc), - and so do we. Trace minerals may be lacking in the average diet because glyphosate based herbicides chelate minerals in the soil and the nutrient content of the crops is reduced. The graphic in the image (Workinger et al. 2018) (15),, shows the dramatic drop in the calcium, iron and magnesium content of US crops since 1914 - 625% more than we are getting now in standard commercial foods. 


Between 1942 and 1992 fossil fuel based chemicals were used in greater amounts for fertilizers and pesticide and herbicide use increased as well. Glyphosate use increased significantly in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Glyphosate is a longer story:  Glyphosate and COVID-19. (28)


Trace mineral deficiencies or excesses can affect levels of other minerals because they share transport proteins. Electrically active minerals can not be present in excess or they will cause us damage. The protein transport is like a cruising tai cab waiting for the passenger to signal a need to stop and unload.

Microbiome

Fiber is very important for the microbiome because it is their food.

Fiber is our microbiome's main food, called prebiotics - supporting 'biotic' - bacterial life. Probiotics are considered the bacteria rich fermented food or fortified food or supplement. 


Because we can't digest fiber it is still left on the dinner table for our microbiome, so to speak. 


On average U.S. citizens may be getting too little fiber in their diets, possibly ten to twenty-three grams too little per day: "Recommendations for dietary fiber consumption vary by organization, but the adequate intake as recommended by the Institute of Medicine is 25 g/d for females and 38 g/d for males, yet the average intake in US adults is 15–16 g/d. 24 " (9) 


People with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) or some other condition affected by an increased microbiome load (IBS) may need to avoid having too much fiber, or certain types of fiber, in their diet to decrease promoting their growth.  


Good sources of fiber, soluble or insoluble, include: 

  • Berries, guava, apples, pears, pre-ripened peaches and nectarines, cherries, bananas;
  • tuber and root vegetables: carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, yam, canna root, taro, cassava, turnips; 
  • horseradish, turmeric and ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, other herbs and spices; 
  • onions, garlic, asparagus, artichoke, mushrooms, leeks, dark green veggies, 
  • peas, green beans, other beans; 
  • nuts, fennel, fenugreek and other seeds; 
  • corn and other whole grains; 
  • aloe vera, slippery elm powder, Gumbo file, agar, arrowroot and marshmallow root, tapioca starch;
  • and other unrefined fruits and vegetables. 


Fiber is found in all plant foods. 


Soluble fiber holds water well, giving a sponge like effect in our digestive system - and thickening gravies in our kitchens! Soluble fiber rich foods or ingredients tend to make a creamy broth or porridge - oatmeal, slippery elm powder, tapioca starch and other starches used for thickening or gelling foods. Soluble fiber can help relieve or prevent constipation problems depending on the reason for the bowel difficulty. It is also helpful for resolving diarrhea along with some of the bulkier insoluble fiber found in the bran of whole grains. Some of each type is most helpful for regular bowel movements, along with plenty of water or watery foods and non-diuretic beverages, and regular exercise or stretching in a chair or bed if somewhat limited in mobility.

Fermented Foods, Probiotic supplements or fortified foods, are sources of more bacteria for our micr

Recipes, just browsing through cook books, can help give an overview of what a different way of eating might be like as well as giving you ideas to try for yourself. The example recipes on the ruled.me website, 600+ Easy Keto Recipes: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, & More, (3), are rich in healthy produce that would help support our microbiome with fiber and other trace nutrients like zinc. Other resistant starch recipes are available at yurielkaim.com. (7) 

     The keto recipe collection includes a fresh pickle recipe (4) that could be a probiotic if allowed to ferment and pickle longer instead of using it promptly. Switching the erythitol out and using more stevia as a low carbohydrate sweetener might be more beneficial for our microbiome than the erythritol which is indigestible to them and us. It may cause digestive upset if eaten in large amounts. (5)      

     A vinegar free fermented pickle recipe using a traditional salt brine is available with more information about the fermentation steps at the site feastingathome.com. (6) *Fermented foods may make a MCAS/Histamine problem worse and a probiotic supplement might be a safer idea for those with histamine excess or mast cell overactivity.

Resistant Starches also help support beneficial species for our microbiome.

We can help our microbiome make butyrate for us by eating more resistant starches in our meals and snacks. this may require learning more about which foods are better sources and buying and cooking them more often, or ordering your favorites at restaurants and snack locations, such as a Bubble Tea.

     Resistant Starches help support beneficial species in our gastro-intestinal tract. Many types of starchy foods will become more difficult for us to digest after being cooked and then chilled, and then the microbiome species can gain energy in the conversion to butyrate. 

     During the chilling of the cooked starches, some of the starch content changes form and may seem more pudding like or gelatinous in texture compared to when it was first eaten freshly cooked and warm from the oven or stove. The resistant starch then is available for the bacterial species to eat - because we didn't digest the carbohydrate further - saving us the carbohydrate calories and potentially providing us with the fatty acid, butyrate, instead. 


The basic point to remember for increasing resistant starches in your diet is to have more of your carbohydrate foods served prechilled - potato salad instead of a hot baked potato fresh from the oven. Quick breads stored in the refrigerator after baking.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes. 

Reference List

Bubble Drinks to the rescue?

Tapioca starch "bubbles" are from Cassava root

Tapioca pearls and Bubble tea tapioca bubbles.

Cassava root is a starchy potato like root that is made into refined tapioca flour/starch. Tapioca starch is also sold as preformed beads that may be called tapioca pearls. Western eaters may be most familiar with tapioca pudding made with the white tapioca pearls. It is an egg and milk pudding flavored with vanilla. The Asian style, Boba tea, Bubble drink bubbles may be made with a black form of tapioca starch which makes the bubbles more visible in the sweetened tea beverage. 


Tapioca pearls or minute tapioca flakes are white and generally are used in the creamy white custard style pudding or may be used to thicken fruit pies. If you are a traditionalist and want the familiar bubbly tapioca pudding texture, use the regular full size tapioca pearls that take longer to cook. The minute flakes are smaller and make a creamy pudding with a little texture rather than the larger beads that give a little to chewiness to the pudding. 


Add an extra tablespoon of tapioca starch per cup of milk, to a box mix of cooked pudding, to make the pudding mix with a more pie like texture. Pour the cooked pudding into a graham cracker crust for a quick dessert that will set up firm enough to hold a slice, once it is chilled. More about thickening foods or making a tapioca custard pie is in the next section.

Health benefits of Resistant Starch.

 Resistant starch helps us help our microbiome be healthier - and a healthier microbiome helps us stay healthier too!

  1. Doesn't spike blood sugar or insulin levels.
  2. Feeds the microbiome and creates a healthier gut.
  3. Increases short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) for optimal colon health.
  4. Enhances nutrient absorption and overall digestion.
  5. Keeps you full longer, so may help with weight loss (also reduces total calorie content of the starchy food as the bacteria are using some of the calories before the conversion to SCFAs.
  6. Binds to toxins.
  7. Lowers triglycerides and LDL.


Read more: 7 reasons you should be eating Resistant Starch. (eatnakednow.com)  


An addition - Number 8. or 1a. via a Contact Form comment. thank you very much!. 

Eating more resistant starch, may help increase insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin resistance. 


  • "In Dec of 2016, the FDA approved a qualified health claim that states that limited evidence suggests that resistant corn starch reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes because it improves insulin sensitivity."  from the email, thanks!


The mechanism of action is unknown but thought to involve changes in the genes of intestinal cells, however the production of butyrate from the resistant starch may also be a reason.  See the site resistantstarchresearch.com for more information about resistant starch and references supporting the insulin sensitivity topic.


Butyrate or niacin helps improve mitochondrial use of sugar for energy by activating the GP109 receptor, which can cause excess inflammation to be lost as heat, similarly to brown fat burning sugar for heat release. Brown fat is a type of adipose tissue that burns sugar to release as heat. People who grew up in a cold climate tend to develop more brown fat and fewer sweat glands than toddlers raised in a hot climate. Toddlers raised in air conditioning may not have as much brown fat or sweat glands as the kids who play outside in hot weather or cold weather regularly. 


Butyrate can cause any mitochondria to release energy as heat instead of transferring energy to an ATP molecule. The entire body can become more efficient at removing inflammation and releasing it as warmth - known as the niacin flush, as the GP109 receptor is activated by niacin or butyrate. So more efficient use of glucose may be occurring when we eat more resistant starch and our microbiome makes more butyrate for our colon cells.


The GP109 receptor has some control over serine kinases and that may also affect insulin sensitivity. Butyrate down regulates an inflammatory protein:  "Here, we show that serine/threonine protein kinase CKII is a target of butyrate activity. In the human adenocarcinoma cell line, HT29, treated with 2 mM" (1) 


Serine kinases may have pro-inflammatory effect: 

"Interestingly, these serine kinases, in particular IKK and JNK, are integral components of two major proinflammatory pathways (20) and thus provide a potential link between inflammation and insulin resistance. Along these lines, numerous insulin-resistant states (e.g., obesity, type 2 diabetes, and lipid/heparin infusion) are associated with increased activation of JNK (18, 21) and/or IKK (21–25) in parallel with inhibitory serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 (18, 21). In contrast, inhibition or inactivation of JNK (18, 26) or IKK (22, 24, 25, 27) improves insulin sensitivity in various models of insulin resistance in association with reduced inhibitory serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 (18)."  (2) 


  1. https://moh-it.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/down-regulation-of-protein-kinase-ckii-activity-by-sodium-butyrat 
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2522344/


Taro root, Manioc, Arrowroot, Yuca, and Celeriac root?

Celeriac root is the standout - cassava root may be referred to manioc, yuca, or Brazilian arrowroot.


Arrowroot starch or flour as sold for purchase would not be the same as tapioca starch made from cassava root.  Arrowroot starch is made from an herbal plant called Maranta arundinacea rather than from a root. 


Celeriac root is mildly celery like in flavor and is a the bulbous root of a special type of celery which grows a larger root and smaller stalks than typical celery. The root is sold as a starchy vegetable that can be cooked and served similarly to boiled or mashed potatoes, or eaten raw. It is lower in starch than other root vegetables. (Celeriac) 


Parsnips are a carrot like root that is white, mildly sweet, and cooks a little quicker than carrots. It is nice in a roast vegetable mix or sauteed with leeks.


Taro root is also a large potato like starchy root vegetable used in tropical regions such as Hawaii and the Phillipines. More info:  

  • The 11 Taro Root Benefits You Need to Know-Seriously, get taro root in your diet ASAP. (SpoonUniversity.com) 

Oxalates are a negative: Taro root is high in oxalates and therefore needs to be cooked to reduce the oxalate content. Boiling food items that are high in oxalates and discarding the cooking water helps to reduce the crystal like oxalates. Removing the peel generally also reduces oxalate content. Oxalates can cause painful digestion and bladder symptoms in addition to increasing the risk of kidney stones forming.

  • For more information or individual counseling with Monique Attinger, BA, MLIS, CHN, regarding oxalate reduction see: (lowoxcoach.com) *Unaffiliated but guidance is helpful and oxalates are not a commonly discussed problem. The crystalline chemical can cause significant digestive and urinary pain as well as lead to long term risks of kidney injury. Diarrhea may be a symptom that eventually leads to chronic constipation as the intestinal health is further disrupted by the buildup of the oxalate crystals (which are literally sharp and literally painful). People switching to a 'healthy' diet with lots of beans, nuts and vegetables (like me ;-) may also get more oxalates then is healthy. Tea is the well-known source of oxalates. Increasing certain supplements (including calcium and vitamin C) can help the body remove the oxalate crystals by modifying the chemical form.

Glucomannan - a food additive, & type of fiber that is not a resistant starch

Glucomannan is a dietary fiber made from the konjac root. It has been used in China for over 2000 years. Medicinally it may help constipation, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Glucan and mannan polysacchrides that are also found in yeast (Baker's yeast or Nutritional Yeast flakes) and glucomannan is a combination. 


  • "In addition to the action of individual mannans or glucans, glucomannan conjugates have been gaining significant attention lately. Besides their nutritional values, these conjugates have important health benefits such as the reduction of cholesterol and improvement of immune reactions [9,10]." (Korolenko, 2019)


Food processors are working with resistant starch ingredients in baked goods and other foods, however the topic has not been popular enough with the public yet for it to be used as a marketing pitch on product labels. You are unlikely to see boxes labeled - "Now with more resistant starch content!" - but it may have more. Consumers who write to corporations asking about ingredients can impact what those corporations use and how they market their products. 

Resistant starch - cook then chill increases Resistant starch in potatoes, pasta, beans & other star

Whit rice and white potatoes will have more resistant starch after they are cooked and then chilled. The texture changes slightly in the chilled version compared to the freshly preparedOther foods have more Resistant starch - harder for us to digest than other starch of the same chemical bond type. Bacteria in our colon can digest it partially and convert it into short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate and propionate. SCFAs are good for the immune function and membrane health of the colon.


Good sources of resistant starch, and more digestable than beans and peas:

 Fruits:

  • Green plantains
  • Green bananas
  • Green mango
  • Green papaya
  • Persimmon


Root vegetables, grains, and others

  • Cassava (tapioca)
  • Sweet potatoes or yams
  • Rutabaga
  • Parsnips
  • Yucca
  • Celery root (also called celeriac)
  • Glucomannan (konjac root)
  • Jicama
  • Taro root
  • Turnips
  • Tiger nuts
  • Millet
  • Sorghum
  • White Potatoes, when cooked and left to cool
  • Gluten-free oats
  • White rice 


Read more, a list of beans are included as foods with resistant starch that may be more difficult to digest for someone with GI difficulties:  7 reasons you should be eating Resistant Starch, by Margaret Floyd Barry, Functional Nutritionist. (eatnakednow.com) 

  • *I am unaffiliated, but the site looks like a good counseling service and food preparation guide by a wife and husband team - he is the chef. Digestive problems can effect both mental and long term health. Individual counseling can be very helpful when trying to make significant changes in your diet. Recipe guidance can be critically important for preparing unusual foods so they will be both tasty and safe - edible is always the goal to remember in the kitchen!

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.  

How much Resistant Starch or Butyrate to eat?

How much Resistant Starch to eat or Butyrate to supplement?

Ideally we need enough to feed our colon cells well. The answer to how much butyrate or resistant starch we need to eat? - is more than you might think; and a lot less if the resistant starch source is raw rather than cooked - however cooked is more digestible in general and is needed for a food like Taro root, see the earlier section about oxalates 


Or to rephrase the question, how much butyrate might be produced from eating a certain amount of a resistant starch food?


Probiotic & Prebiotic foods  microbes help us by transforming Fiber and Resistant Starches into short-chain fatty acids and other nutrients. We need quite a bit of the beneficial Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs): SCFAs may provide 5-15% of our total calories and the epithelial cells lining our colon use even more - 60-70% or their energy use is from SCFAs. (123) 


Butyrate also helps as a signaling chemical, affecting immune cells such as the CD4+ T cells, in the graphic, in a way that leads to increased bone formation by osteoblasts. (Tyagi, et al., 2018). (127)  So we want enough butyrate to make strong bones and have healthy digestion, and Butyrate is directly anti-inflammatory by affecting NF-kB, an inflammatory protein. (126)


  • “Among SCFAs, butyrate has received particular attention for its beneficial effects on both cellular energy metabolism and intestinal homeostasis (5). Although it is the least abundant SCFA produced (∼60% acetate, 25% propionate, and 15% butyrate in humans) (6, 7), butyrate is the major energy source for colonocytes (8, 9). Butyrate modulates biological responses of host gastrointestinal health by acting as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor and binding to several specific G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs)* (10).” (123) *including the niacin receptor, GP109R, mentioned in an earlier section..


A study used four grams butyrate for a four week time period and had some benefit for intestinal symptoms - four grams sodium butyrate was given daily for 4 weeks (122)  

 

Two to five grams of butyrate per day from a resistant starch rich diet per day is the ~ goal. 


This is continued on another page, summary point - we need more butyrate probably then we are getting. Supplementing with some butyrate, ~ 1 gram, (or more if a bulk powder is available, less cost then capsules), might be a healing idea, while also trying to increase the resistant starch in your diet. The microbiome health helps our health in many ways.  

RS/Butyrate-How much?

Diet balance - in balance for us and our microbiome symbionts!

Our microbiome is a diverse community, ideally. Some people may benefit from supplements of butyrate while trying to restore bowel health. Probiotics are foods or supplements with microbial species such as fermented foods that have not been pasteurized or canned with enough heat to kill the live culture bacteria. Prebiotics are foods or supplements that are rich in the fiber or Resistant starch that promote the growth of beneficial species. 


It may be helpful to work towards switching a mindset of: 'microbes are bad and dangerous;' to a mindset of: 'microbes are diverse and many are critically important for my health and the health of my microbiome - so how can I take better care of my own microbiome - my own symbionts?'.


The overall diet goal roughly is 5-15% resistant starch foods. Each serving only provides a little butyrate with the help of a healthy microbiome, 113 mg in a serving of rice that was cooked  and then chilled, providing about 3% resistant starch. One to three percent may be average for resistant starch foods once cooked, so it seems many portions throughout the day are needed to reach 5-15%, or include some raw sources too, green banana flour smoothies?


Eating a diet with more resistant starches would be helping the colon cells and the microbiome health is also being supported. 


Be patient. Healing and growth take time. Seven days roughly for intestinal lining cells to regrow on a typical cycle of growth and degeneration, or many at once during healing after a sickness caused more extensive damage. 

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.  


Thanks for visiting!

 Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes. 

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