New Studies Highlight Glycemic Health Benefits of Resistant Starch

The latest clinical trial, which will be published in the April 2012 Journal of Nutrition, found more than a 50% improvement in insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese men after consuming three tablespoons of Hi-maize resistant corn starch as a supplement in their diet.

Mar 14 2012 --- National Starch Food Innovation announced promising results on two recently published studies that support Hi-maize resistant starch’s benefits for glycemic health.

The latest clinical trial, which will be published in the April 2012 Journal of Nutrition, found more than a 50% improvement in insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese men after consuming three tablespoons of Hi-maize resistant corn starch as a supplement in their diet.

The study found that overweight or obese but non-diabetic male participants showed a 73% improvement in insulin sensitivity after receiving a 30 grams/day (g/d) dose of resistant starch from Hi-maize 260 resistant starch and a 56% improvement in insulin sensitivity from a 15 g/d dose (statistically significant, P<0.05) – this was the first study conducted using the lower 15 g/d dose of resistant starch.

Insulin resistance is a condition where the muscles and tissue lose their sensitivity to the effects of insulin: higher levels of insulin are required to effectively transport blood glucose into the muscle and tissues, where it is used as energy or stored as fat. As people age and/or gain weight, their insulin resistance rises. It may take years for insulin resistance to increase to the point where the prediabetes occurs.  The American Diabetes Association defines prediabetes as a non-disease state where blood sugar (glucose) levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Dietary approaches to increasing insulin sensitivity can help to reduce the risk of developing prediabetes and will help to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. “With the costs in human suffering and medical treatment associated with high blood sugar levels, we should be doing everything we can to meet this enormous challenge,” said. Christine Pelkman, Ph.D., Clinical Research Manager at National Starch Food Innovation and co-author of the Journal of Nutrition study.

A second recently published study in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism concludes that the fermentable resistant starch component of whole grains and legumes may be responsible for the subsequent meal glycemic and insulin effects of these whole foods. In other words, eating intact whole grains and legumes at one meal helps to reduce the glycemic and insulin responses of the next meal, and even meals consumed the next day, because of the resistant starch.

“Hi-maize resistant starch can be formulated into functional foods or added by consumers to their favorite home recipes to help maintain health blood sugar levels”, said Rhonda Witwer, Senior Business Development Manager of Nutrition with National Starch Food Innovation. “Hi-maize resistant starch may help to shift several important hormones, including insulin, that significantly affect glucose metabolism beyond the immediate meal.”

Hi-maize resistant starch is available to consumers from several sources, including ready-to-eat foods such as Aunt Millie’s Healthy Goodness Whole Grain White Bread, in bakery mixes like FACT Group’s Nutrition First bakery mixes, in gluten free products including Maninis Miracolo Pane classic peasant bread mix or as an ingredient – Hi-maize dietary fiber is available from King Arthur Flour.

Source: Journal of Nutrition, National Starch & Corn Products International