Having pasta for dinner this weekend? This one trick can make it healthier

According to her, resistant starch is easier to digest and reduces the overall calorie count of the dish by 30-50%. It also increases the fiber content which makes it a great source of food for all those who have diabetes and a trying to lose weight.

How does resistant starch work?

The expert noted that:

• It ‘resists’ the breakdown of starch into sugars in the small intestine and moves to the large intestine.
• There, it ferments and feeds good gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA)
• SCFAs further break down into butyrate, which helps improve intestinal integrity, reduce inflammation and populate the good gut bugs.

Do you like eating pasta? (Source: Freepik)

What are its health benefits?

Resistant starch also has a lower glycemic index. It promotes satiety, reduces impact on postprandial blood glucose levels as compared to easily digestible carbs, improves insulin sensitivity. It works as a prebiotic, improves absorption of minerals and boosts liver function. This makes resistant starch a preferable choice for diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, metabolic syndrome, gut health and immunity.

Concurring, Dr Vidhi Dhingra, Senior Dietician, vHealth by Aetna told indianexpress.com that if we include these foods in moderation and try the cooling post-cooking rule, it helps in increasing resistant starch which may reduce the glycemic index and, in turn, improve insulin sensitivity.