Resistant Starch - Digestive System

Digestive System

Natural resistant starch appears to help maintain a healthy colon and a healthy digestive system, possibly via several mechanisms.

• It encourages the growth of healthy bacteria in the bowel and discourages the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, and, therefore, is called "prebiotic fiber." The fermentation of natural resistant starch reduces intestinal pH and the production of potentially harmful secondary bile acids, ammonia, and phenols.

• It is predicted to help maintain "regularity" with a mild laxative effect due to increased microbial activity in the large intestine. Its bulking effects are generated by increasing the bacterial mass, and not through water holding, which accounts for its milder regularity effects compared to non-fermenting, bulking fibers like cellulose.

• It may help to keep colon tissue healthy by producing protective compounds called short-chain fatty acids. One of these, called butyrate, is particularly important for colon health because it is the primary energy source for colonic cells and has anti-carcinogenic as well as anti-inflammatory properties that are important for keeping colon cells healthy. Published research has shown that butyrate inhibits the growth and proliferation of tumor cell lines in vitro, induces differentiation of tumor cells, producing a phenotype similar to that of the normal mature cell, and induces apoptosis or programmed cell death of human colorectal cancer cells.

• Resistant starch may contribute to oral rehydration solutions for the treatment of diarrhea.

• Laboratory studies indicate that RS protects against experimental colo-rectal cancer and diet-induced colonocyte genetic damage through short-chain fatty acids However, resistant starch did not prevent colon cancer in two international clinical trials in individuals with Lynch Syndrome, or in young people with familial adenomatous polyposis. It has been speculated that the colon cancer prevention trials did not feed their subjects sufficient quantities of resistant starch. Human studies suggest that >20 g of RS/day is needed to raise SCFA as reported by faecal levels. The clinical trial in individuals with Lynch Syndrome only fed their subjects 9 grams of resistant starch/day.