Resistant Starch: Functional Food Alternative to Glucose Homeostasis, Decrease of Fat Profile and Gut Microbiota Modulation

Abstract

Introduction: the resistant starch (RS) is a non-viscous and fermentable soluble fiber which is classified as the portion of starch that cannot be digested by small intestine amylases and upon reaching the intestinal colon is fermented by gut microbiota. RS has funcional properties due to its impacts on blood glucose, lipid profile, satiety increase and gastrointestinal health.

Objective: compiling studies which aim the effects of resistant starch in body, discussing the different results obtained about RS in clinical and preclinical trials, demonstrating how it’s impact on human health.

Materials and methods: 30 articles were collected and among them experimental and clinical studies and reviews. It was obtained by PubMed, Scielo, Portal de Periódicos CAPES, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect data which has been published since 2013 as a search criteria.

Results: impacts were found in resistant starch consumption regarding decrease of glycemic response, weight loss linked to increase of satiety, fat profile and gut microbiota improvement due to its potential to increase short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production as a prebiotic.

Conclusion: resistant starch has physiological and metabolic implications in human organism which may be widely used as a functional ingredient.