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 section about oxalates.
Or to rephrase the question, how much butyrate might be produced from eating a certain amount of a resistant starch food? The summary answer:
Two to five grams of butyrate per day from a resistant starch rich diet per day is the ~ goal.
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.
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.
The work it took me to reach the summary answer is longer. I shared the path I took to arrive at that answer, skim for whatever looks interesting to you, foods, recipes, resources are included in various sections (the reference list is incomplete at this update/ 7-30-21):
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)
Or, how much butyrate might be produced from eating a certain amount of a resistant starch food?
That question is complicated as the answer is - It depends . . . on whether the strains of microbes that produce butyrate and other short-chain fatty acids from Resistant Starches are present in the person's colon, rather than less beneficial species or very few microbial species which might occur in someone taking antibiotics. Someone taking antibiotics fo extended time periods would be more at risk for yeast overgrowth, as bacterial species help keep yeast growth in check.
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?'.
But . . . how much to eat or supplement?
A study used four grams for a four week time period and had some benefit for intestinal symptoms - four grams sodium butyrate was given daily for 4 weeks (122)
Compared to 60% of the total calories that all of our colonic epithelial cells need for energy use, or 5-15 % of our total calories, (123), … 4 grams is not much - slightly less than one level teaspoon of a powder or salt. A supplement capsule of 500 milligrams of butyrate would be one eighth of 4 grams - even less - would it help colon health? - maybe a tiny amount. How much butyrate might be produced from eating a quarter cup of tapioca pearls/bubbles? Raw green bananas would have more than a cooked starch product.
Good sources of resistant starch have 20-30% of the starches as resistant starch. Cooking may bring that down to 2-3%. Cooked rice after chilling has 3% resistant starch, ½ cup serving would provide 103 calories, 23 grams of starch - with approximately 3% as resistant starch, and potentially some butyrate and other SCFAs, three calories worth - is less than a gram of carbohydrate, 750 milligrams potential SCFAs, “∼60% acetate, 25% propionate, and 15% butyrate, ” (123) - equals 113 milligrams butyrate, 187 milligrams propionate, and 450 milligrams acetate. (128)
The half cup of chilled and reserved rice producing 113 milligrams of butyrate doesn't sound like much - but if resistant starches were included in most meals and snacks, then it might add up over the day.
I did not find many specific research findings regarding the question: "How much butyrate is made from eating how much _____ specific resistant starch food source," other than the rice.
General findings - the raw sources are much richer than after cooking, which increases digestibility significantly - cooked averages a reduction to 1-3%. Grain species with more amylose average more resistant starch content:
- "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)
- "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)
The advantage of eating more healthy fiber and resistant starch rich foods, instead of buying a butyrate supplement, is the propionate and acetate that are produced also, as well as the other benefits of a healthy microbiome.
There is a suspicion that an unhealthy microbiome increases the risk of lung complications in severe COVID-19 by way of the gut-lung interactions. Parkinson's Disease has been found to be causally linked to an unhealthy microbiome by way of the vagal nerve conduit between the gut and brain. The condition seems able to start either in the brain and pass to the GI tract, or start in the GI Tract and pass to the brain. Leaky membranes in the intestines would suggest there are also leaky membranes making up the blood brain barrier, and there may likely be outer skin rashes, or sores in the mouth nose or ears. Fingernail and hair health can give some idea of general health.
We need adequate protein food to build any of the enzymes needed to do anything else. Health is like an interconnected factory system producing many things and transporting them throughout a nation for use in extended regions. Food is key - we are built out of food, and we use the food to build the tools we need to build any other of our parts.
Resistant Starch example menu for one day
With a half cup of coked and prechilled rice producing approximately 113 milligrams of butyrate as a rough guide - better sources may provide more, with the help of a healthy microbiome, a day's menu might add up. The goal we are aiming for is 5-15% of the total daily diet. If even better sources provide only 3% of the calories as resistant starch - then we would need to try to include several good sources in our meals and snacks on a regular basis - to hope that those foods would add up to provide 5-15% of our total calories from "∼60% acetate, 25% propionate, and 15% butyrate". (123)
Using 2000 calories per day as the standard used on Nutrition Facts labels for an example:
- 2000 x 5% = 100 calories, 60 from acetate, 25 from propionate, and 15 from butyrate. Short chain fatty acids provide 9 calories per gram roughly, so that would be approximately 1.7 grams of butyrate, 2.8 grams of propionate, and 11.1 grams of acetate.
- 2000 calorie standard x 15% = 300 calories, 180 kcal acetate (20 grams), 75 kcal propionate (8.3 grams), and 45 kcal butyrate (5 grams).
Two to five grams of butyrate per day from a resistant starch rich diet per day is the goal.
Breakfast - tapioca, green banana flour, arrowroot starch, etc, used in a muffin, pancake, or pudding, and chilled before serving - would all be good sources of resistant starch. There would be some in the freshly baked good as well, but more would be present after it was chilled.
Lunch - Pasta or potato salad are resistant starch sources. Using a garbanzo bean pasta instead of wheat flour pasta, and green peas as an ingredient would increase resistant starch content in the salad. I like the combination with pistachio nuts that I briefly boil and rinse to reduce oxalates and improve digestibility. Legumes, peas, and nuts can be difficult to digest for someone with intestinal symptoms and may need to be limited initially while health is being restored. White beans tend to be more digestible, and an organic soy tofu is also fairly easy to digest during an inflammatory type bowel problem. Hydrating during the cooking process is part of chemical process that is making some of the resistant starch more digestible, as well as making other chemicals in foods more digestible. Chilling the hydrated cooked food then allows for more chemical changes within the hydrated food.
*Humans may have increased their intelligence with the transition to cooked food because it provides us more calories for less work - a different story: video, What is so special about the human brain? - Suzana Herculano-Houzel. (130) Spoiler - our brains use a lot of energy - so we have to eat a lot of energy (and micronutrients) - raw food has fewer digestible calories for our energy needs then cooked food.
Sweet potatoes, yams, parsnips, cassava, yucca, Taro, or celeriac root, sunchoke or Jerusalem artichokes (128) in place of white potatoes may also increase the amount of resistant starch in a 'potato' salad. *Sweet potatoes or yams are a very good source of beta-carotene and would need to be limited if Retinoid Toxicity is an underlying problem.
Dinner - polenta is chilled precooked corn mash that can be purchased in the refrigerator section of a store. Cut the tube into slices and fry or bake with toppings like mini-pizzas. Slices of eggplant are also baked like mini-pizzas. Amaranth is a South American seed like grain that can be cooked as a hot porridge or serve chilled as crunchy chunks. It becomes polenta like after being chilled but the seeds remain crunchy and are gritty if added to a soup broth (not in a good way), but is good just cut in chunks and added to an entre' salad as the grain portion. Leftover lasagna or pizza served rewarmed after having been chilled after cooking would have more resistant starch then freshly made.
Rice made into a chilled rice salad or rice pudding would have more resistant starch than freshly prepared rice - or just reheat the chilled leftover rice and serve it hot, and there will be more resistant starch content, - more calories for microbial species to convert into SCFAs and fewer calories for us, if weight control is a goal.
After Dinner Mint? - Fennel seeds - available as a flour, ¼-½ cup per batch of cookies or muffins tastes good. The seeds are eaten like an after dinner mint in some cultures, a pinch or two (½-1 teaspoon) is chewy and flavorful, aids digestion and freshens breath while leaving a few seeds stuck in your teeth for later ;-).
Dessert -
Desserts add up in calories and can trigger a sweet tooth and over-eating, so caution! Butyrate may help with weight control - however, eating too much coconut milk tapioca pudding can definitely be fattening, while delicious.
Custard or fruit pies, or muffins, pancakes, or other baked goods can have more resistant starch content if they are made with flours or other ingredients rich in amylose starch. Using tapioca or arrowroot starch would have more resistant starch than those made with corn starch - unless it was the newer amylose rich corn starch. Switching to tapioca or arrowroot starch for any thickened savory sauces instead of regular cornstarch would likely also be increasing resistant starch in the diet.
A modified cornstarch that has increased resistant starch due to using a different species of corn is also being studied for use in processed foods. I am not sure how available that is yet, or if it is in research stages only, (*mentioned in an earlier section). Crackers and other baked goods may also be prepared with specialized flours or starches that were pre-cooked and chilled to increase the resistant starch content of the flour, or which was made from grain that was developed for the resistant starch content.
Greener bananas have more than ripe ones, or mangoes, or papayas, or potatoes - the less digestible starch is changed to sugars as the fruit ripens or ferments as it gets over-ripe. Using green banana flour in baked goods would also increase resistant starch once the product is chilled. Potato starch is not a resistant flour, it is not made out of green potatoes.
How much resistant starch to eat? More probably, then we are eating on average.
The easy, or not simple, answer to how much resistant starch to eat is - probably more than you are eating; and trying to use some throughout the day may be best for colon health as well as hoping to reach a goal anywhere near four grams of butyrate per day. If you have bowel symptoms, supplementing with butyrate may be helpful.
Butyrate supplements
A butyrate supplement available for $30.50 for one month supply if used as directed provides 610 milligrams of butyrate per tablet. That would provide 1830 milligrams ~ 1.8 grams, if one tablet is taken as directed with each meal. ***I would not recommend the product as it contains titanium dioxide, so I am not including the link either. (132) Titanium dioxide is considering "safe" for food and cosmetic use as a whitener, however it contains as much as 30% in nanoparticle form and titanium is a metal which may collect as a nanoparticle as our body doesn't remove nanoparticle size materials very easily. White blood cells typically remove larger particles. Why does a capsule have to white anyway? I am just swallowing it. Why do commercial mashed potatoes have to be eerily, oddly super white? I don't know, I prefer food that looks like food rather than white paste that you might spackle your dry wall with.
Why pay $30.50 per month to ingest a potential toxin? Many things considered "safe" by the FDA have not really ad modern testing as the substances were grandfathered in as GRAS - Generally Regarded as Safe, without further modern testing.
A sodium butyrate supplement provides 1.2 grams of butyrate in two capsules, with no titanium dioxide (or other ingredients I avoid such as non-organic gelatin capsules - likely a glyphosate source), for $19.99 for a one month supply, or $29.99 for 100 capsules ~ a six-seven weeks supply. (BodyBio, Sodium butyrate / iherb.com)
Having a capsule morning and evening would be better for feeding the colon cells throughout the day, rather than taking two at one time. Supplementing with 1.2 grams of butyrate per day - AND - trying to increase resistant starches throughout daily meals and snacks would be my recommendation rather than focusing only on the butyrate supplement. With a two to five gram per day goal 1.2 grams would get it closer but not be as much as we may benefit from getting in our daily diet.
What about Butter? Grass-fed that is?
Yes, if you are able to consume animal/dairy products without adding to inflammation (I can't), then butter made from the milk of grass-fed cows (or goats), would have more butyrate than butter made from dairy animals raised on commercial grain based diets.(124)
Grass-fed butter on your chilled and then toasted muffin, pancake, or other baked good, would be adding to your daily butyrate intake.
Butter made from the milk of grass-fed cows has more butyrate, omega 3 fatty acids, and vitamin K2 than butter made from commercially fed cows (how much is not given). Butter from grass-fed dairy cows has five times more CLA, Conjugated Linoleic Acid, a beneficial omega-6 fatty acid. (124)
Butyrate is a very short chain fatty acid - only 4 carbons long. Other fatty acids may have 18, 20, or more carbons linked together. The chemical formula of butyrate is C4H7O− 2, four carbon atoms, 7 hydrogen and one oxygen with a negative 2 electrical charge. (124) Negatively charged molecules can help repel other negatively charged membrane surfaces - such as that of a pathogenic bacteria with sialic acid on its surface. (125)
Thickening foods: from gravies to dessert.
Tapioca Pie - a resistant starch dessert.
My version of Kraft Minute Tapioca Pudding - recipe on the box - made into a pie filling: 1 egg, 2 3/4 cup milk (whole or 2% recommended, I used 2%), 1/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons Minute Tapioca, 1 teaspoon vanilla - in addition to those listed ingredients I added an extra teaspoon of vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom and and extra three tablespoons of tapioca starch. See image at the end of this section.
Arrowroot and corn starch may also be used to thicken gravies, puddings or fruit pies.
Corn starch is the most commonly used thickener in Western cooking, with tapioca starch as runner up. A new type of corn starch that is higher in resistant starch is now available: "King Arthur Flour offers a Hi-Maize Natural Fiber that can be substituted for up to ¼ to 1/3 the flour used in your baked goods." - David H. Rahm, M.D. (vitamedica.com) The starch is made from a specially bred corn species that is higher in amylose content which has more resistant starch than the other type of starch commonly found in corn.
When I started experimenting with other types of thickeners besides corn starch, I found arrowroot starch or tapioca made a very nice fruit sauce or pie. Resistant starch has a more gelatinous texture than a typical corn starch thickened food and the food is more translucent in appearance rather than opaque - more like a clear jelly rather than a creamy sauce.
As you become more practiced with starch for thickening your own soups, gravies, puddings and pie filling, you will learn ratios - one tablespoon starch per cup of liquid makes a thin sauce if served hot, or be jelly-like once chilled; two tablespoons makes a thicker pudding once chilled; three tablespoons might make a custard like pie filling that can be cut in slices once it is chilled - roughly. Different starches may behave slightly differently but all are somewhat similar in the basic ratios.
Then the fun begins! Thicken whatever combinations of foods and flavors you can imagine!
If you end up with rubber bouncy ball texture after chilling your experiment - you can just reheat and add more water. If your fruit sauce ended up too thin still after chilling, you can just reheat it and add more starch slurry to thicken it more. The starch starts to thicken your liquid mixture while you are heating it, and continues to thicken even more during the chilling stage.
- More Information about thickening foods with starches: Thickeners - A guide to the starches that make pie fillings, sauces, and gravies gel. By Nicole Rees Fine Cooking Issue 81. (finecooking.com)
Most important tip - dissolve your starch in cold liquid first!
My biggest quality control tip for using starch to thicken fruit sauce or gravy - always remember to mix your starch in a little cold liquid before adding it to your boiling pot of fruit or gravy - otherwise you will have lumps. The starch liquid mixture is called a cornstarch slurry - when using cornstarch. White flour gravies may be made with a butter roux - the flour is first mixed in a saute pan with butter to make a mixture that will not clump when added to a hot liquid.
Starches will clump in the boiling liquid so quickly that it forms almost instantly cooked lumps - tiny mini dumplings - and then the lumps can not be dissolved by stirring. You would have to strain the gravy to remove the lumps and try again to thicken it with a 'cornstarch slurry' - the recipe's starch mixed in a few ounces of water.
Pectin powder is mixed with a little sugar to help prevent it from clumping as you add it to a boiling batch of jelly.
Minute tapioca is mixed in the cold liquid for a few minutes before heating it. Clumping is only a problem if the starch is to be added to a boiling liquid.
Starches are fairly interchangeable for thickening purposes, 1 to 3 tablespoons per cup of liquid =
As you become more practiced with starch for thickening your own soups, gravies, puddings and pie filling, you will learn ratios - one tablespoon starch per cup of liquid makes a thin sauce if served hot, or be jelly-like once chilled; two tablespoons makes a thicker pudding once chilled; three tablespoons might make a custard like pie filling that can be cut in slices once it is chilled - roughly. Different starches may behave slightly differently but all are somewhat similar in the basic ratios.
Then the fun begins! Thicken whatever combinations of foods and flavors you can imagine!
If you end up with rubber bouncy ball texture after chilling your experiment - you can just reheat and add more water. If your fruit sauce ended up too thin still after chilling, you can just reheat it and add more starch slurry to thicken it more. The starch starts to thicken your liquid mixture while you are heating it, and continues to thicken even more during the chilling stage.
- More Information about thickening foods with starches: Thickeners - A guide to the starches that make pie fillings, sauces, and gravies gel. By Nicole Rees Fine Cooking Issue 81. (finecooking.com)
Coconut Banana vanilla cardamom pudding - a delicious experiment!
Attempt two with Minute Tapioca TM - a vegan version.
- 1 can regular unsweetened coconut milk (13.5 oz ~ 1 2/3 cups)- stir until smooth, in a sauce pan, set aside.
- Dissolve 3 tablespoons Minute Tapioca, 3 tablespoons Arrowroot starch, and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder in 1/3 cup water in a seperate bowl. Once dissolved add another 1 cup water, 1/3 cup coconut sugar (is caramelized in color and flavor slightly) 1/4 cup brown sugar and a few tablespoons of stevia (I was out of brown sugar). Let set for 5 minutes for the tapioca to hydrate.
- Combine the dissolved starch slurry with the coconut milk in the saucepan. Bring to a full boil (bubbles continue while stirring) over medium high heat. Stir frequently or continually. To set correctly the starch needs to boil about one minute then remove from heat.
- Add 1 1/2 teaspoons banana extract, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, stir (volatile alcohol based extracts will dissipate during the heating process - add at the end.)
- Stir occasionally while it is cooling for an even texture and to help it cool faster. The pudding could be done at this point but I had one more ingredient to add once semi chilled.
- Put the saucepan in the refrigerator to chill slighlty but not fully gelled. then add 3/4 cup aloe vera gel and stir until smooth. Pour into a container to store in the refrigerator. It will be a soft set pudding with the aloe vera gel addition or a firm set without it. It takes about 4-6 hours to fully gel - and transform into the textrue of resistant starch instead of a hot gravy or sauce.
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.
Care and Feeding Tips for our Microbiome
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.
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 bacterial species
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.
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!
- Doesn't spike blood sugar or insulin levels.
- Feeds the microbiome and creates a healthier gut.
- Increases short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) for optimal colon health.
- Enhances nutrient absorption and overall digestion.
- 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.
- Binds to toxins.
- Lowers triglycerides and LDL.
Read more: 7 reasons you should be eating Resistant Starch. (eatnakednow.com)
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 resistant starch food additive
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 & starches
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.