Resistant Starch Foods: Will They Make You Thin?

It's like the anti-Atkins diet.

Resistant starch foods will make you thin, says Health magazine. These foods help people "eat less, burn more calories, feel more energized and less stressed, and lower cholesterol," according to the International Business Times.

So what are resistant starch foods?

Bread, cereal, potatoes, bananas, black beans, oats, barley, bulgur, brown rice, corn flakes, and granola are just a few foods that are a part of what's become known as "The Skinny Carb Diet," according to the IB Times.

These foods, according to About.com, actually spur digestion as they provide fuel for bacteria in the colon that aid the process.

Resistant starch has come into the media lately as they have received praise from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO). The Health Magazine piece is based on research from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center for Human Nutrition, according to the IB Times.

From the International Business Times:

The research claims that Resistant Starch foods also shrink fat cells, increase muscle mass, curb cravings, and keep people feeling full for longer.

The WHO also confirmed that they promote satiation and decreases subsequent hunger.

Furthermore, of the 4,451 subjects studied by the University of Colorado, the slimmest ones ate the most carbs (from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) and the heaviest ones ate the least carbs.

UPDATE: The book from the HEalth MAgazine editors is entitled The Carb Lovers Diet: Eat What You Love, Get Slim For Life. As separate publication, The Skinny Carbs Diet: Eat Pasta, Potatoes, and More! Use the power of resistant starch to make your favorite foods fight fat and beat cravings by David Feder, also addresses resistant starch foods.

Comments

[ManwithaParachute]

08:55 PM on 01/30/2011

Having just read so many of the comments below, i am left with the impression that people will demonstrate religious extremist type devotion to just about anything. Carbs or no carbs, Atkin's or anti-Atkin's. Crazed. Arguing over this material is silly at best. If you lose weight following one program it does not negate the effects of another program on someone else. In general, consume less calories than you expend and do it through a balanced variety of food choices with limited processed foods and you will have a stable and healthy existence.

[Alvarask]

02:30 PM on 01/31/2011

Wrong. It's not about calories in and calories out. It's about good nutrition. The fact that so much disinformation is around on this subject is costing lives. Perhaps that's why some people get a bit passionate about the subject.

[ManwithaParachute]

04:37 PM on 01/31/2011

"In general, consume less calories than you expend and do it through a balanced variety of food choices with limited processed foods and you will have a stable and healthy existence."

So, your wisdom is to state that the above quote is wrong. Interesting.

[maribelles]

01:36 PM on 01/29/2011

What a load of crap!! Another day, another diet opinion.

[BangkokTrainer]

06:02 AM on 01/29/2011

OMG...Seriously? One study to counter all the other studies against these types of carbs.

[Alvarask]

02:42 PM on 01/29/2011

One study to rule them all,
One study to find them
One study to bring them all
And in the darkness bind them!

[Peace Walker]

10:59 PM on 01/29/2011

With nothing but carbs, yep you bet... there will be a 'binding' Frodo.

[RoughCollie]

01:06 AM on 01/29/2011

OMG...this entire article is just media fluff based on the 1 SENTENCE OF SUBSTANCE hidden away as the last line of this misleading article.

OF COURSE "the 4,451 subjects studied by the University of Colorado, the slimmest ones ate the most carbs (from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables)", they obviously were on a PRIMARILY PLANT BASED eating program (GOOD, HEALTHY, in it's NATURAL state CARBs, a list, btw, that does not include the refined sugars and white flour products found in most breads and cereals).

This is the kind of poofy nutrition article that plays such a key role in public misunderstanding which contributes to obesity (as they read " bread and cereal" and think they can live on bread and cereal every day and get thin) and if you don't think so, then ask yourself WHY the last sentence isn't the first sentence or at least in the first paragraph and why that one sentence wasn't explained in specific detail. Sorry, but this is an example of the kind of irresponsible reporting that helps giant food companies bottom lines as well as people's bottoms swell.

[katmeyster]

12:28 AM on 01/29/2011

How about health? Low carb diets lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. They also relieve many other health problems. In addition to being one of the best ways to lose weight. I'll stick with real food (meat, cheese, green veggies) and you can have all that stuff that does not make you healthier. There are plenty of ways to lose weight but a long-term healthy body is much preferable.

[RoughCollie]

01:47 AM on 01/29/2011

May I kindly suggest you set your browser to research The China Study? Not only will you be completely surprised (I was stunned) by what you will discover but you may be back to share the exact opposite viewpoint of what you currently believe creates a healthy lifestyle.

[BlackCatBone]

08:24 AM on 01/29/2011

The China Study has been pretty heavily criticized. Have you read Denise Minger's critique of it? There are others as well. A lot of Campbell's methods are questionable. Some people do well on a mostly plant based diet but many actually thrive on low carb diets. Myself included. I eat no grains, very limited fruit, very low starch, lots of high quality meat and eggs, veggies (quality being key) and all of my markers for heart disease and inflammation are perfect. This, even with an autoimmune disorder which stays in remission. I've lost weight, my ADHD is more manageable and I have more energy.

[eLucida]

11:38 AM on 01/29/2011

Denise Minger wrote a solid debunking of Campbell's China Study:
http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-fallac/

Dr. Mike Eades' critique is a little easier reading:
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/cancer/the-china-study-vs-the-china-study/

[David Saunders]

10:05 PM on 01/28/2011

Getting off your butt and moving helps to lose weight.
What you put in your engine/body helps as much as putting the right type of gas in for your car.

Please just use common sense.

[Anna Garibay]

03:35 PM on 01/28/2011

Of course no one diet is acceptable for everyone, and I would urge extreme caution to anyone trying this diet who suffers from IBS, chronic fatigue syndrome, or fibromyalgia to do a lactose breath test before eating this way. Recent studies show that bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine contributes to and sometimes even causes these conditions, and eating this way would actually feed the bacterial overgrowth causing worsening of the digestion. As someone who has suffered with IBS caused by bacterial overgrowth, I would NEVER eat like this even though I've done the antibiotic course and I'm essentially cured.

[BangkokTrainer]

06:05 AM on 01/29/2011

Agreed 100% with that comment Anna.

[w84it]

12:57 PM on 01/30/2011

How could you have done the "antibiotic course" and be cured of IBS?? Antibiotics are directly linked to the killing of "good" bacteria in the GI tract, causing the proliferation of "bad" bacteria that contributes to IBS. This is why many doctors recommend live culture yogurt or other probiotic rich foods during the course of antibiotic treatment...to avoid IBS!

[w84it]

03:02 PM on 01/28/2011

I see a lot of people calling B.S. on the article in the comments. OK.

So maybe someone can tell me how I lost 10 pounds this year when I eat bananas, steel cut oats, beans or short grain brown rice EVERY DAY. No meat. Lots of veg and fruit. And those 10 pounds I lost got me to a set of six pack abs.

Had a full physical. Perfect health.

Hmmm...I must be doing something wrong.

[HerrMonk]

06:14 PM on 01/28/2011

Restricting calories will lower body weight.

Health is not determined by body weight: we have plenty of skinny-fat people running around living off these diets.

[TheBaffler]

12:41 AM on 01/30/2011

Yes, but w84it's is a healthy one. It's the Atkins dieters that are unhealthy, even though they may have lost weight.

[w84it]

12:54 PM on 01/30/2011

Yes. And they are usually on the Atkins or other carb restricting diet.

[Tags]

08:04 PM on 01/28/2011

Since losing weight doesn't increase muscle tone, I'm going to assume you were lifting weights and/or doing abdominal exercises to get that sixpack.

[eLucida]

11:40 AM on 01/29/2011

Not intending to be contrary, but sometimes just the disappearance of overlying adipose tissue will reveal better muscle definition.

[w84it]

12:42 PM on 01/30/2011

I'm a distance runner. I incorporate a lot of "core" work into my routine.

[MossyOak]

12:50 PM on 01/28/2011

The first sentence of this article tells the story: "It's like the anti-Atkins Diet.

The success of lo-carb is a serious problem for the corn/wheat industry because, guess what, lo-carb works and it works really well. Not only do people lose weight, their health improves and long-term studies are backing up the health claims made my Dr. Atkins, especially after his organization added more vegetables and fruits to the acceptable list. Eating Atkins Smart (whole organic foods only) is even better.

Processed FrankenFlakes? I'll pass, thanks.

[BangkokTrainer]

06:09 AM on 01/29/2011

Absolutely agree with you. The money that pours into these big lobbyists for rice and so called "whole grains". This industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that relies on these products that are low cost and keep people feeling full, but at the end of the day it's not the best thing for their body in the large amounts consumed. It may have been fine in the days when humans were out in the fields all day or laboring. We needed to store grains during winter months to hold us through those long cold periods of time. But in today's age, I'd say we'd be better off consuming more vegetables in place of refined products.

[sabelmouse]

11:55 AM on 01/28/2011

hi jeremylh1 .
absolutly agree with you. more exercise is very much needed for most people.
why that was removed beats me.

[Alvarask]

03:14 PM on 01/28/2011

Removed?

[sabelmouse]

08:02 AM on 01/29/2011

it was when i went to answer. the moderation is a little off.

[essbird]

10:56 AM on 01/28/2011

Can someone explain how better digestion (meaning more of the food is broken down into glucose and absorbed rather than passed through the alimentary canal, right?) will make you thinner than if you don't digest it so well?

Solution for healthy weight: Eat a moderate amount of various foods, eat some stuff our primitive ancestors ate while evolving, don't binge, don't starve yourself, and take a nice walk every day.

[kerriberri]

11:02 AM on 01/28/2011

Great advice!

[kerriberri]

10:54 AM on 01/28/2011

Who funded this study? Kelloggs, Post, and Quaker Oats?

Hate to be so cynical, but I don't see the healthy nutritional profiles in these foods; maybe it's the result of a higher fiber diet?

Need more info before I'm convinced. I've seen too many studies funded by companies like Mars, proving the health value of massive chocolate ingestion.

[BoFo]

05:08 AM on 01/30/2011

And the meat industry didn't profit from the Atkins fad?

BTW, hope all you Atkins true-believers are enjoying all those wonderful antibiotics and yummy BGH.

[kerriberri]

07:35 AM on 01/30/2011

Agree with you; my husband's had to periodically go on high protein/low carb diets in the past (and recently)--not healthy at all, IMHO! And it is almost an insurmountable challenge to do creative cooking with low carb.

Hormones/antibiotics in our meat supply is a nightmare and there's no doubt it's impairing people's ability to lose weight (hello: antibiotics given to cattle to fatten them up--what happens when YOU eat that meat? Don't believe anyone who tells you there's no proven link there. Look around.).

For me, the secret is balanced grazing, all day, & lots of greens. That's why I'm skeptical of these particular diet claims--no way am I a low-carber (see what it did to Palin's brain?) or a ultra-high carber like this new "diet" pushes.

[kerriberri]

07:49 AM on 01/30/2011

Before I get flamed by all the low-carbers; I'm referring to the levels of carbs at Induction (under 30 carbs/day)--this is not healthy, long-term, in my experienced opinion. Thanks, BoFo--couldn't reply to my own reply to your reply for this reply : ).

[SpeakupNation]

10:44 AM on 01/28/2011

This is such bunk. What are the essential Carbohydrates? There are none. There are essential fats and protein (amino acids), but you really do not need much in the way of cabs, except for fiber.

[eLucida]

11:55 AM on 01/28/2011

Not even for fiber.

From http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/

'“You need the fiber!”'

"Okay, for one: no, I don’t. If you’re referring to its oft-touted ability to move things along in the inner sanctum, fiber has some unintended consequences. A few years back, scientists found that high-fiber foods “bang up against the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract, rupturing their outer covering” which “increases the level of lubricating mucus.” Err, that sounds positively awful. Banging and tearing? Rupturing? These are not the words I like to hear. But wait! The study’s authors say, “It’s a good thing.” Fantastic! So when all those sticks and twigs rub up against my fleshy interior and literally rupture my intestinal lining, I’ve got nothing to worry about. It’s all part of the plan, right?

"Somehow, I’m not convinced that a massive daily infusion of insoluble grain fiber is all that essential. And that “lubricating mucus” sounds an awful like the mucus people with irritable bowel syndrome complain about. From personal experience I can tell you that once I completed my exodus from grains, the IBS completely stopped. If you’re not yet convinced on the fiber issue I’ll refer you to Konstantin Monastyrsky’s Fiber Menace. Anyway, there’s plenty of fiber in the vegetables and fruit I eat."

[Alvarask]

03:18 PM on 01/28/2011

You're right. We don't need fibre and we get plenty in any diet that has some vegetables and a small amount of fruit.

[Fred Butters]

12:19 PM on 01/28/2011

Yeah, there's a lot of confusion regarding carbohydrates. We've been told for quite a while that they're essential, and required for energy, but now we're learning that they're not required for anything.

If you feel that you need fiber, a good idea is to get it from a nutrient dense source like spinach, or Avocado. However, most people find that when they remove whole grains (especially wheat) from their diet and cut back on some dairy products (other than full fat like butter, whipping cream, full fat yogurt,etc) they have no need for "extra" fiber in the diet.

[chaya]

09:47 AM on 01/28/2011

Nutritionists have almost come full-circle. Eventually they're going to get around to telling us that the way Americans always ate before they started inventing "diets"--the way our grandparents ate--was perfect.

Which makes sense, since obesity wasn't a problem back then.

[Fred Butters]

12:23 PM on 01/28/2011

Haha... they already have. There are a lot of books/articles that have come out in the last five or so years stating that exact thing. "Eat like grandma ate" is something I hear a lot.

It's actually a great idea. Imagine an ALL whole foods diet, with real fat and meat from grass-fed, pasture raised animals, and fruits and vegetables from the local farm. Sounds healthy to me.

[Darwin48]

09:20 AM on 01/28/2011

In other words. "We in the bread and starchy food industry have taken a real hit since everybody found out we really aren't good for their diets.................HEY!!! I KNOW!!! Let's put out some BS story that bread, potatoes, and cereals will actually help people LOSE weight"
"Can we do that?"
"Why not? Americans who are trying to lose weight are just LOOKING for an excuse to eat bread...well, let's give it to them...who do we know at Health Magazine?"

[carybcary]

09:37 AM on 01/28/2011

You got that right!

[katmeyster]

12:30 AM on 01/29/2011

Yup. Follow the money.