Resistant Starch Feeds Your Microbiome

Most carbohydrates follow a familiar path through the body. They are broken down into glucose, absorbed in the small intestine and used for energy.

Resistant starch does something completely different.

It passes through the small intestine without being broken down and continues into the large intestine. There, it becomes food for the bacteria in the microbiome.

This is an unusual property among the carbohydrates found in food, and one of the main reasons resistant starch became the foundation of GO100.

We read an interesting article from Harvard Health about why researchers are becoming increasingly interested in this special form of starch.

Resistant starch: Can you make the carbs you eat a little healthier? – Harvard Health

A Carbohydrate That Takes a Different Route

Ordinary starch is found in foods including bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. The body’s digestive enzymes break it down into glucose, which is then absorbed into the bloodstream.

Resistant starch withstands this process. Hence the name.

Instead, it reaches the large intestine, where bacteria can do something our own enzymes cannot: break down and ferment the starch.

Chemically, resistant starch is a carbohydrate, but during digestion it behaves more like a fermentable fibre.

When Carbohydrates Become Beneficial Fatty Acids

When bacteria ferment resistant starch, they produce short-chain fatty acids. One of the most interesting is butyrate, also known as butyric acid.

Butyrate is absorbed and used for energy, particularly by the cells lining the large intestine.

This means that the energy takes a fascinating detour.

It begins as starch, but some of the energy reaches the body as beneficial fatty acids rather than as glucose.

Food therefore does not only provide nutrients directly to us. Some of it first feeds the microbiome, which then transforms it into substances the body can use.

Not All the Calories Come Back

Not all resistant starch is converted into energy that the body can absorb.

Some of the energy is used as bacteria grow and multiply. Part of it is therefore incorporated into bacteria that later leave the body naturally.

As a result, resistant starch provides fewer calories than ordinary starch. As a simple comparison, the commonly used estimates are approximately:

Ordinary starch: 4 kcal per gram
Resistant starch: approximately 2 kcal per gram

Resistant starch therefore provides roughly half as many available calories as digestible starch.

Some becomes nourishment for the body, some is used by the microbiome and some leaves the body again.

We Consume Relatively Little

Resistant starch occurs naturally in foods including pulses, unripe bananas, certain wholegrain products and starchy tubers such as potatoes and tiger nuts. Some is also formed when potatoes, rice and pasta are cooked and then allowed to cool.

Even so, a typical Western diet contains relatively little resistant starch. Average intake has been estimated at around 4–5 grams per day.

There is no officially established recommended daily intake. However, many researchers and nutrition experts believe that intake should be considerably higher. Levels of around 15–20 grams per day are often mentioned as a reasonable target for gut health.

That is a considerable step up from the amount many people consume today.

A Positive Effect on Blood Sugar

Because resistant starch is not broken down into glucose in the small intestine, it does not affect blood sugar in the same way as digestible starch.

The EU has therefore approved a health claim stating that replacing digestible starch with resistant starch in a meal contributes to a lower rise in blood glucose after that meal.

It is not only the total amount of carbohydrate in a food that matters. The route those carbohydrates take through the body also makes a difference.

Why Resistant Starch Became the Foundation of GO100

When we developed GO100, we wanted to create something different from an ordinary energy or protein bar.

Many bars on the market are based on ingredients that are broken down into glucose in the small intestine, such as sugar, syrup, maltodextrin or ordinary starch. Many also use sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners to reduce calories, which can cause bloating and digestive discomfort for some people.

We chose a different route. Instead of compensating with additives, we make use of the unique properties of resistant starch. It naturally provides fewer calories, has less impact on blood sugar and reaches the large intestine, where it becomes food for the microbiome.

That is why we selected both raw potato starch, a starch powder with a particularly high proportion of resistant starch, and tiger nuts. Both come from starchy tubers and contribute resistant starch. Tiger nuts also provide other types of fibre and give the bar a naturally mild, slightly nutty flavour.

Despite the name, a tiger nut is not a nut and is not one of the 14 allergens listed by the EU. This made it particularly interesting when we developed GO100 for allergen-free production.

One GO100 bar contains 11 grams of resistant starch. That is more than twice the amount many people consume during an entire day on a typical Western diet, and a significant proportion of the 15–20 grams per day often discussed in research.

The bar also contains dates, which provide additional plant-based fibre and carbohydrates.

Some is absorbed by the body. Some continues to the microbiome.

That is the balance we set out to achieve with GO100.

A Simple Way to Make It a Habit

Resistant starch can be obtained from ordinary food, but the amount varies depending on what we eat and how the food is prepared.

GO100 was developed to make it easy to include a meaningful amount as part of everyday life.

No special cooking. No powder to measure. No complicated routine.

Just a functional bar developed with both the body and the microbiome in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions About Resistant Starch

What Is Resistant Starch?

Resistant starch is a type of starch that is not broken down in the small intestine. It continues into the large intestine, where it is fermented by the microbiome.

What Happens to Resistant Starch in the Large Intestine?

Bacteria use it as nourishment and produce short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate, also known as butyric acid.

How Much Resistant Starch Do We Consume?

A typical Western diet is estimated to provide around 4–5 grams per day. There is no officially recommended intake, but levels of around 15–20 grams per day are often mentioned by researchers and nutrition experts.

Can Increasing Your Intake Cause Discomfort at First?

A rapid increase in resistant starch can lead to more gas while the microbiome adapts. We therefore recommend starting with a smaller amount and increasing gradually.