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How Resistant Starch Will Help to Make You Healthier and Thinner

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resistant starch potato, raw potato starch
Potatoes and other foods are good sources of resistant starch. istock.com/peangdao

I asked Dr. Amy Nett, MD, to contribute this guest post. Amy initially completed her medical training in radiology at Stanford University Hospital, but wanted to work more directly with patients, helping them to prevent and reverse chronic disease and truly transform their health.  Combined with her passion for nutrition she decided to pursue a career in Functional Medicine.  You’ll be hearing more from Amy in the future!

Over the past several years there has been an exponential increase in the number of studies linking imbalances or disturbances of the gut microbiota to a wide range of diseases including obesity, inflammatory bowel diseases, depression and anxiety (1,2,3,4,5).  One of the best ways to establish and support a healthy gut microbiome is by providing the right “foods” for your gut bacteria.  These “foods” are called prebiotics.

Why you should add resistant starch to your diet. #healthydiet #resistantstarch #gutdisgestion

Prebiotics are indigestible carbohydrates, or at least indigestible to us, that reach the colon intact and selectively feed many strains of beneficial bacteria.  Prebiotics are generally classified into three different types: non-starch polysaccharides (such as inulin and fructooligosaccharide), soluble fiber (including psyllium husk and acacia fibers), and resistant starch (RS).  Each of these types of prebiotics feeds different species of gut bacteria, but among these, RS is emerging as uniquely beneficial.

The distinctive benefits of RS seem to be unequivocally recognized, even amongst advocates of a low carbohydrate diet

What Is Resistant Starch?

Resistant starch is a type of starch that is not digested in the stomach or small intestine, reaching the colon intact.  Thus, it “resists” digestion.  This explains why we do not see spikes in either blood glucose or insulin after eating RS, and why we do not obtain significant calories from RS.

There are four types of resistant starch:

RS Type 1: Starch is physically inaccessible, bound within the fibrous cell walls of plants.  This is found in grains, seeds, and legumes.

RS Type 2: Starch with a high amylose content, which is indigestible in the raw state.  This is found in potatoes, green (unripe) bananas, and plantains.  Cooking these foods causes changes in the starch making it digestible to us, and removing the resistant starch.

RS Type 3: Also called retrograde RS since this type of RS forms after Type 1 or Type 2 RS is cooked and then cooled.  These cooked and cooled foods can be reheated at low temperatures, less than 130 degrees and maintain the benefits of RS (6).  Heating at higher temperatures will again convert the starch into a form that is digestible to us rather than “feeding” our gut bacteria.  Examples include cooked and cooled parboiled rice, cooked and cooled potatoes, and cooked and cooled properly prepared (soaked or sprouted) legumes.

RS Type 4: This is a synthetic form of RS that I’m including for completeness, but would not recommend.  A common example is “hi-maize resistant starch.”

Once RS reaches the large intestine, bacteria attach to and digest, or ferment, the starch.  This is when we receive the benefits of RS.

How Resistant Starch Impacts Our Health

The normal human gut has hundreds of bacterial species, some good and some not so good.  The overall number and relative quantity of each type has a profound effect on our health and well being.  Resistant starch selectively stimulates the good bacteria in our intestines, helping to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria (7).

These good bacteria “feed” on RS and produce short chain fatty acids (through fermentation), the most significant of which are acetate, butyrate, and propionate.  Of these three short chain fatty acids (SCFA), butyrate is of particular importance due to its beneficial effects on the colon and overall health, and RS appears to increase butyrate production more when compared with other soluble fibers (8).

Butyrate is the preferred energy source of the cells lining the colon, and it also plays a number of roles in increasing metabolism, decreasing inflammation and improving stress resistance, as described in more detail below and previously in this great article by Stephan Guyenet.

Resistant Starch Helps to Lower Blood Glucose Levels and Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin resistance and chronically elevated blood glucose are associated with a host of chronic diseases, including metabolic syndrome.  Several studies have shown that RS may improve insulin sensitivity, and decrease blood glucose levels in response to meals (10, 11, 12).  In one study, consumption of 15 and 30 grams per day of resistant starch showed improved insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese men, equivalent to the improvement that would be expected with weight loss equal to approximately 10% of body weight (13).

Further, RS has been shown to exert a “second meal effect.”  This means that not only does RS beneficially decrease the blood glucose response at the time it’s consumed, but, somewhat surprisingly, blood glucose and insulin levels also rise less than would otherwise be expected with the subsequent meal (14).

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Why the Popular Press Has Touted Resistant Starch as a “Weight Loss Wonder Food”

RS appears to have several beneficial effects that may contribute to weight loss, including decreased blood insulin spikes after meals (as discussed above), decreased appetite, and decreased fat storage in fat cells.  There may also be preservation of lean body mass, though further studies in humans are needed to confirm if there is a significant impact in overall body weight (15).

Further, several studies have shown alterations in the gut microbiome in association with obesity, which subsequently change towards that seen in lean individuals with weight loss (16, 17).  For example, one study demonstrated that the relative composition of the gut microbiota of two predominate beneficial bacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, varied considerably in association with body composition. 

Specifically, obese individuals often have a higher proportion of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, which may be reversed with weight loss, gastric bypass surgery, or treatment with prebiotics (3).  However, not all studies confirm a significant or measurable change in the composition of the microbiome in obese compared to lean individuals, and further studies are needed (18, 19).

Butyrate Plays an Important Role in Gut Health and Decreasing Inflammation in the Gut and Other Tissues

As mentioned above, RS intake allows for increased production of butyrate by our gut microbes.  Butyrate acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent for the colonic cells, and functions to improve the integrity of our gut by decreasing intestinal permeability and therefore keeping toxins in the gut and out of the bloodstream. (20, 21).  

The SCFAs that aren’t utilized by the colonic cells enter the bloodstream, travel to the liver, and spread throughout the body where they exert additional anti-inflammatory effects.

Resistant starch is also associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancer, thought to occur through several different mechanisms including: protection from DNA damage, favorable changes in gene expression, and increased apoptosis (programmed cell death) of cancerous or pre-cancerous cells (22, 23).

Adding Resistant Starch to Your Diet

Some common food sources of RS include green (unripe) bananas, plantains, properly prepared cooked and cooled parboiled rice or legumes, and cooked and cooled potatoes.  See this link for a more complete list of RS quantities in food.

However, if you are on a low carbohydrate diet or don’t tolerate those foods well, you can add RS to your diet without adding digestible carbohydrates.

Bob’s Red Mill Unmodified Potato Starch (NOT potato flour) is one of the best sources of RS with approximately eight grams of RS in one tablespoon.  Potato starch is generally well tolerated even by those who react adversely to nightshades.

Plantain flour and green banana flour are also excellent sources of RS, and there may be benefit to including all three of these sources (specifically alternating your source of RS rather than relying on a single one).

These are relatively bland in flavor and can be added to cold or room temperature water, almond milk, or mixed into smoothies.  But to maintain the benefits of RS, these should not be heated above 130 degrees.

Tim Steele (Tatertot) has written about some of the research on RS supplementation, and in particular the potential further benefit of combining potato starch with psyllium husk fiber to even further increase butyrate production in the colon.

Take It Slow

If you choose to try supplementing with RS, start with small doses of about ¼ teaspoon once daily, and very gradually increase the amount as tolerated.  Some increased gas and bloating is expected as your gut flora changes and adapts, but you do not want to feel uncomfortable.  If you experience marked discomfort, then decrease the amount you’re taking for a few days until your symptoms resolve, and then try increasing again gradually.

Studies indicate that the benefits of resistant starch may be seen when consuming around 15 to 30 grams daily (equivalent to two to four tablespoons of potato starch).  This may be too much for some people to tolerate, particularly in the setting of gut dysbiosis, and going above this amount is not necessarily beneficial.

If you experience marked GI distress with even small amounts of RS, this may be an indication of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) or microbial dysbiosis, and you may need to consider working with a healthcare practitioner to establish a more balanced gut microbiome through the use of herbal antimicrobials and probiotics before adding RS or other prebiotics.

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616 Comments

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  1. My son has pretty bad Ulcerative Colitis. I had thought prebiotics were not good for him but after reading this I can see I was possibly wrong. What forms of RS might be helpful to him?

    Thanks!
    Rob

  2. I have a protein shake in the morning after my workout which will be an ideal time to add the starch. The shake contains amino acids, magnesium, lecithin and gelatin. Are there any issues in taking starch with protein and/or supplements – is this combo acceptable or should it be consumed separately? Thanks!

    • I really don’t have an issue with Hi-Maize if used in it’s raw form. I’m not a fan of gluten free baking in general, but if that’s your thing, Hi-Maize is fine. Banana flour better, I believe.

      Synthetic RS is not available to the consumer as far as I know, just food manufacturers. Google ‘Penfibe RS’ ‘BarleyMax’ or ‘CrystalLean’. I’ve never seen anyone selling small quantities and I wouldn’t recommend them if I did. Frankenfood as far as I’m concerned, but who knows, maybe somebody will market a good one for consumer use. I’ll stick with potato starch.

  3. What happens if resistant starch potato flour is heated above 130 degrees, and then cooled? Will it be resistant starch again, or is it changed to something else? For example if it is used in baking, crisp bread etc.

    • It transforms from RS2 to RDS (readily digestible starch) when heated, then begins to form retrograded RS3 when cooled to below 50 degrees.

      The percentage of RS in potato starch will go from approx 65% when raw, 0% when cooked, and maybe 2-5% when cooled. Repeated heating and cooling cycles will increase the RS3 slightly to maybe 6-8% with 3 or 4 cycles.

  4. I have been reading everything about RS I can get my eyes on… And I have three questions.
    1. How important is it to ingest organic potatoes? I’ve read they are super high in pesticides when conventionally grown. I’ve also read that more RS and butyrate helps block (to describe it completely unscientifically) negative pesticide effects.
    2. I saw an organic PS on amazon but it was stated that it is not raw—because to get the starch out, they heat the potato. I am assuming it has been verified Bob’s PS is raw?
    3. I asked my husband to grab a plantain at the store… He did, and it was not green (it also tasted kinda sweet). Does a plantain need to be green skinned to have the RS (at the 50% by weight amount)?
    I am not a patient person and I am itching to add more RS to my diet (without increasing my carb intake because I like to be really lean and I wanna lose my 10lb baby weight)… I just want to do it right so it’s effective! Thanks in advance for insights.

    • 1. How important is it to ingest organic potatoes? I’ve read they are super high in pesticides when conventionally grown. I’ve also read that more RS and butyrate helps block (to describe it completely unscientifically) negative pesticide effects.

      — If you are eating raw potatoes, please buy organic or home grown if possible. Yes, potatoes from Safeway are generally covered in stuff deemed ‘safe’ by the USDA but not so great in reality (herbicide, fungicide, sprout inhibitors). RS will hopefully help create a better gut flora. A well-functioning gut flora can chelate toxins and pesticides for you. A fiber-filled diet results in decreased transit time of your fecal matter, meaning less time for toxins to absorb. This doesn’t make it OK to eat bad food on purpose, though. If you need to eat cheap taters, wash and peel them before cooking.

      2. I saw an organic PS on amazon but it was stated that it is not raw—because to get the starch out, they heat the potato. I am assuming it has been verified Bob’s PS is raw?

      — Probably the company selling the starch doesn’t really understand the process. Starch production starts by blasting the potatoes with hot water to remove peels and dirt, from that point on its all done cold. Potatoes are finely ground and the starch is filtered through increasingly smaller sieves. Finally it is sprayed onto rotating drums or screens and air dried. Any deviation from this will turn the starch production line into a gooey mess. There is a market for pre-gelatinized (cooked) potato starch, but this will be labeled as ‘modified’ or ‘pre-gelatinized’. This type of starch will thicken with room temperature water. Easy to test. Just mix with water and see if it settles to the bottom of the glass or gels up. My guess is that anything sold as ‘unmodified starch’ in the US is just that–raw starch granules that qualify as RS.

      3. I asked my husband to grab a plantain at the store… He did, and it was not green (it also tasted kinda sweet). Does a plantain need to be green skinned to have the RS (at the 50% by weight amount)?

      — Even green, unripe plantains might have some black spots on them, but they need to be very green and very firm. They rarely turn yellow even when very ripe, but they get soft and blacker skin. You will need to peel an unripe plantain with a knife for sure. When you cut up a really green plantain, you will find a white, starchy residue on your knife and fingers when you are done. Plantains are more forgiving than bananas as even when really ripe don’t have very high sugar content. But get the greenest, firmest ones you can find. You’ll get the hang of it.

      If you are really bored, click on my name and look around, I collected about 100 RS articles from the past year and put them in one place. Use the search function if you get tired of reading, but lots of info there.

      • How important is it to ingest organic potatoes? I’ve read they are super high in pesticides when conventionally grown.

        Interestingly, organic potatoes are believed to have more glycoalkaloids than conventionally grown potatoes.

        http://pmid.us/16019825

        Perhaps when man-made pesticides are absent, the potato compensates with higher glycoalkaloid output.

        Of course, there appear to be beneficial hormetic effects of some glycoalkaloids…

        From: Potato Glycoalkaloids and Metabolites: Roles in the Plant and in the Diet

        “Food and biomedical scientists, including nutritionists, pharmacologists, and micro- biologists, are challenged to further define the beneficial effects of the glycoalkaloids against cancer, the immune system, cholesterol, and inflammation, as well as against pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.”

        So, as long as you can tolerate them, glycoalkaloids may be good for you. Natural pesticides for the win!

  5. The table in the linked article on RS research shows
    uncooked rolled oats with nearly triple the RS of bananas,
    and certain breads and cereals higher than any of the potato amounts, with pumpernickel being the highest . Eating” uncooked rolled oats” – which I believe have been steamed and then industrially flattened – or yeasted wholegrain breads would seem to
    then not meet the criteria for proper preparation for digestibility/phytate neutralization. Isn’t that a concern?

    • There are still lots of unknowns. Oats have the potential to be a ‘superfood’ of sorts due to their beta glucans and RS. It’s the processing methods that destroy these properties. I think old-timey raw, rolled oats, soaked overnight, are really good for your guts. Instant oatmeal, no.

      Same goes for cereal grains, but I don’t like wheat. The WAPF has the lowdown on cereal grains. Maybe Laura Schoenfeld has more ideas on making grains healthy.

  6. I have been battling with dysbiosis in the gut for over 5 years.. My colon is sick and very leaky as well as other parts of my intestines and colon. The latest stool test showed elevated cholesterol and also no lactobacillus in the stool. I eat yogurt so why no LB? I have a fungal infection longstanding for 5 years also plus blastocystis hominis, I am pretty weak and my liver is being affected now as the fungus is eating my nutrition. Please help.

  7. Would eating green plantain crackers be considered an RS source? They are cooked but then eaten after cooling. Are sweet potatoes a source or just white potatoes? I am following AIP and sensitive to nightshades so I am not wanting to challenge the potato starch just yet and have not yet challenged rice or beans, etc. (cooled or otherwise). Green bananas don’t seem to bother me but I know I should mix up the sources and the foods AIP offers to sneak in some RS flour are limited.

    • Hi Amb,

      Based on the reference I used in this article, sweet potatoes and yams are a source of RS. Though I don’t think you will be missing any benefits by choosing to get your RS through plantains (or plantain flour) and green bananas.

      And I would think that the plantain crackers would be a source of RS, as would dehydrated plantain chips.

  8. Sorry if this has already been addressed, but could I just put the potato starch in a little water and drink it that way?

    • I take mine by mixing powdered psyllium husk and raw potato starch, dry, and mixing with water in a shaker bottle. The mixture of the dry components keeps the psyllium from clumping as easily, and the starch won’t settle out as quickly.

  9. I did not see an answer to the type 2 diabetes question and I have the same question. If I eat beans or rice my sugar rises significantly and stays up for a day or two(code word :stabilizes blood glucose) I’m also nightshade intolerant. How many dehydrated plantain chips would it take to achieve 15g RS?

    • Fully green plantains, dried, are roughly 50% by weight RS. If I remember right, a large plantain, dried weighs about 100g so 50g of RS per plantain when dried.

      When I make them, I slice them lengthwise into about 4 slabs, I know each slab will contain about 12g of RS. They make great cracker when done this way, great for almond butter, pate, etc…

      Your concerns about BG with cooked/cooled RS is a valid one, for prebiotics also consider Arabinogalactan, Beta-glucan, Inulin, Oligofructose, and that sort of thing. RS only one way to skin the cat, not the be-all end-all to gut health.

      • Tim,
        I have no idea if you’re reading these comments almost a year later. You write above “Arabinogalactan, Beta-glucan, Inulin, Oligofructose, and that sort of thing.” One of my nutrition teachers insists that to feed the microbiome properly, one must include ALL of the following, without exception: psyllium, acacia, FOS, inulin, PS, plantain flour, spirulina and chlorella PLUS SBOs and a high concentration of aerobic probiotics, like 500 billion. Eventually the probiotics are reduced but not the fibers and prebiotics. I’d like to reduce the number of prebiotics and fibers, especially the algaes, because I’d like to incorporate good protocols with my patients, and where I live it is very difficult to get people to do all of the above (expensive, overwhelming, yucky tasting…). What do you think is a well rounded protocol of fibers and prebiotics in entirety? I’m not so concerned with probiotics, more the bacteria food – to be well covered. Besides the food additions that is, I’m talking about supplemental. Thanks!

        • Laura – Please look at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140528105252.htm

          Here we see evidence that more diverse prebiotics leads to less bacterial diversity.

          I have good reason to believe this is also true for humans and I have shifted to thinking that it may be best to use just one type of fiber, such as inulin or RS as tolerated than mixing a blend of all the fibers you can find.

          Also, just out: Resistant starches differentially stimulate toll-like receptors and attenuate proinflammatory cytokines in dendritic cells by modulation of intestinal epithelial cells. found at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26015170

          It appears RS may have more tricks up its sleeve than simple gut bacteria food!

          This was also explained by Dr. Art Ayers at his blog, Cooling Inflammation, a while back:

          ” Each healthy human maintains a subset of a couple of hundred of the couple of thousand different species of bacteria found in humans around the globe. The diverse community in each individual may differ in species, but has approximately the same complement of genes in people sharing the same diet.

          1-200 different species of bacteria per person
          1-2000 different species of human gut bacteria
          1 million different genes among the different bacteria
          Most genes are involved in digesting plant carbohydrates, i.e. soluble fiber: inulin, pectin, fructans, algal sulfated polysaccharides, etc.
          Diet diversity, e.g. the Modern American Diet, reduces the diversity of the gut bacterial community, presumably because the rapid change in foods permits survival of only generalist bacteria that can digest many different foods.
          Simple diets produce gut flora diversity, but only if there is access to diverse bacteria.
          Health may result from diverse gut flora developed from a simplified diet and ample bacterial resources.
          Obesity and other diseases may result from simplified gut flora developed from a changing, complex diet and a sterile environment/isolation.
          Vegan and paleo extremes can lead to healthy gut flora diversity, if the gut bacterial community is permitted to adjust to the diet composition by avoiding rapid changes and providing diverse bacterial sources.
          Meat contains complex polysaccharides, e.g. glycosaminoglycans, such as chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate proteoglycans, which are bacterial fodder equivalent to soluble fiber.
          Probiotics are unique bacterial species that do not persist in the gut of adults, but dominate the gut of milk eating babies and stimulate development of the gut and immune system.
          Probiotic bacteria can temporarily provide developmental signals for immune system development that are normally provided by a healthy gut flora.
          Antibiotics cripple gut flora needed for development of the immune system.
          Common medicines have significant antibiotic activity and modify gut flora.

  10. Chris Kresser previously said not to consume RS if you have GERD. Is this recommendation still in effect?

    • People with GERD often have SIBO, and RS is *potentially* (but not always) problematic with SIBO. I would exercise caution for sure.

  11. Are all potato starches equal and are all potato starches unmodified? Just bought some but the store didn’t have Bob’s Red Mill, so I bought what they had out of the bulk bin. Only wondered about this afterwards. I’m basically paleo, except I do have unhomogenized guernsey milk with coffee. I plan on experimenting with RS. Will have some mashed potatoes one day and see what that does to my BG, then another day, cool the mashed potato and then add RS and see if it makes a difference in BG. I think Tatertot has done this with success at lowering the glucose effect of the potato.

    I got very interested in this from Tatertot. Thank you Amy for this article so timely for me.

    • The only thing you need to be concerned with when buying potato starch in a food aisle of a food store is whether or not it is actually potato FLOUR. To test, mix a spoonful in a glass of water, if it all settles to the bottom in a hard, cement-like paste–it’s starch. If it clumps and globs like biscuit dough, it’s flour. If you really want to be sure, buy some known potato flour and some known potato starch and compare the two. Then you’ll have a baseline. In the US, starch is always starch and flour is always flour, in other countries the terms are used interchangeably.

      The deal with modified, you won’t see it in a food store except maybe the laundry aisle–it will say ‘modified’ don’t use it, not food grade!

      • Thank you so much, Tim. I did as you suggested and yes it’s starch. Never buy in the bulk bin, except this time. Thank you also for all the help you gave me and others, on your comments here and on freetheanimals. I’ve learned so much from you. I’m definiately a fan.

  12. Bagged potato starch is a PROCESSED FOOD–to make it UNprocessed, boil potatoes, then allow to cool for at least 24 hours before eating. Eat cold for maximum resistance effect.

    I do potato salad in this manner, because Hubby’s BG cannot tolerate the processed stuff. We feed our gut bacteria with probiotics and Bubbie’s pickles.

    This is Hubby’s weekly Carb Nite solution for controlling FBG.

    • Hi, Wenchypoo!

      You are right, but people like easy. I do, too. You know, I often make my own potato starch. It is so simple and you can get so much out of 1 potato you wouldn’t believe.

      I wish there were a minimally processed potato starch on the market with nothing added, non-GMO certified and organic. It would be grayish is color, but who cares?

      The only real additive of concern in potato starch is sulfur, but there is much, much less than a glass of wine or a dried apricot. they add it to keep it bright white. Other than that, nothing else is added. they just clean, grind, and separate the starch. Much less processing than say, whey protein powder or inulin supplements.

      Your concern is noted and welcome, potato starch is not everyone’s cup of tea and I’m glad there are alternatives.

    • Cooking is also a form of processing. While I think the goal of eating the whole food is a good one, cooking is not without risk. Cooking produces some toxic byproducts like advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) associated with aging that there is lots of research showing negative effects from at high doses (though low doses theoretically might be hormetically beneficial).

      The level of aging-related toxins like AGEs in the skin has started to be used as a marker for biological age in Europe. I know a mature raw omnivore who reported that she was found to have so few of these toxins in her skin that she was measured as having the biological age of a young child! While that’s not solid evidence, it is an interesting anecdote that gives me pause and fits with my own experience. I think we’ll see more about this in the coming years.

      • Good stuff, Paloephil. I completely agree, and prefer to lightly cook foods. But, it’s worth pointing out that at least when it comes to plants, cooking can reduce non-AGE toxins down to hormetic levels. We don’t want people eating raw or undercooked kidney beans 🙂

        • Yeah, kidney beans would be a food I would cook (low and slow). There are also other traditional forms of food processing beyond cooking, such soaking, fermenting, sprouting, drying, freeze-drying, freezing, smoking, and others.

  13. I am interested in the proper prepartion of legumes, black beans in particular. What is their RS content? I am also curious about raw peas too, both English and sugar snap. I am way more inclined to put some cold beans on a salad, than buy packages of powders.

    I also wondered about folks who get histamine reactions, can anyone speak to that?

      • Thanks for your reply Tim, I checked out the link. I think my soaked overnight, pressure cooked black beans are ok. 🙂

      • Hi Chris, thanks for the inquiry. I certainly get a histamine reaction from grass pollen and found that if I stayed away from high histamine foods during that time, I could somewhat manage my allergy symptoms, up until the wind really blows or the farmers are making hay and stirring everything up. After the pollen abates, I seem to be able to manage high histamine foods without overt symptoms, but I know I have a sensitivty to them. Years ago (before dietary changes) I had a full on histamine reaction to red wine and reggiano parmesan. So, just curious if RS would feed histamine producing gut flora and would a histamine sensitive person want that?

        • I haven’t seen any research on this question specifically. However, my experience clinically is that restoring a healthy gut microbiome with both prebiotics (including RS) and probiotics typically leads to improvements in histamine tolerance.

  14. So, can I just supplement with RS in pill form? Any products or brands anyone can recommend?

    • Not yet, but I’ll bet in a few years there will be all kinds of RS magic potions at GNC. For now, potato starch is cheapest and easiest. I will lay a wager that most commercial RS blends will contain potato starch.

    • Your best bet is probably just to find some kind of food you enjoy and add potato starch to it. In my case, I love milkshakes with frozen raw milk and a touch of coffee and cocoa and stevia for sweetening. I add yucca starch to that, as potato starch isn’t available where I live. It’s truly delicious, which makes it a pleasure to get my RS.

  15. Dunno about potato starch, used to bake GF with it. Instead, found a ground larch fiber from Dr Marshall, who said it is the highest butyerate developing fiber he has ever seen. Works well when I remember to include it, but please heed the warning to start really slow, and gradually increase usage, especially if you have any gut or autoimmune condition. Here’s the thing: sugar and refined carbs feed pathogenic gut bacteria, so you need a clean diet first, or it is mostly a waste of time.

    • Larch is great! Contains arabinogalactin, a very selective prebiotic. It’s downside is cost. When you buy an expensive jar of Larch AG pills, the dose is like 1g. I believe you’d want 10-20g for good effect. Similar to inulin, manufacturers keep the recommended dose so low it doesn’t make consumers fart, God forbid!

      Glucomannan is another great prebiotic similar to Larch AG.

  16. Is it ok to use prebiotics/RS when there is a intestinal yeast overgrowth? I was told that prebiotics could feed the yeast so it is best to stay away. Thanks!

    • Hi Rebecca,

      As with other types of gut dysbiosis, as you work towards rebalancing your microbiome, it is probably best to avoid RS and other prebiotics for a time while you treat the yeast.