Starch - Nature Cures®

Starch (polysaccharides) must be broken down through digestion before the body can use it as a glucose source for energy. Starch also provides food for the colon bacteria thus improving gut health. Different ‘bacteria food’ produces different kinds of short chain fatty acids and other products, so it is important to consume a wide variety of fibre and starch in food.

The commensal bacterium in the large intestines breaks down starch in the diet into short-chain fatty acids which can then be absorbed by the large intestine by passive diffusion. The bacteria also produce gas (flatus), which is a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, with small amounts of hydrogen, methane and hydrogen sulphide gases. These result from the bacterial fermentation of the undigested polysaccharides.

It has been discovered that the gut bacteria have an influence on the health of the brain so providing food for them is a way to help reduce the risk of degenerative disorders such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease. The gut bacteria are responsible for many vital bodily functions.

What processes are intestinal bacteria responsible for?

Constructing many nutrients and helping with the absorption of minerals.
Lowering the levels of toxins and toxicity from nitrites added to processed foods
Producing enzymes which enable digestion of various types of food
Manufacturing natural antibiotics which help control or destroy the harmful bacteria
Manufacturing short-chain fatty acids, most are absorbed into the bloodstream, but some are used to feed the cells of the colon.
Crowding out the pathogenic bacteria that cause acid indigestion, leaky gut, salmonella, stomach ulcers and lead to cancers of the colon and various organs in the intestinal system
Protecting the intestinal mucosa tissues from harmful fungus or yeast infestation – mainly by crowding out the yeast and fungus organisms and preventing them from adhering to the tissue where they could grow and spread.

What nutrients do friendly bacteria produce in the body?

Short-chain fatty acids
Vitamin A
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Vitamin B3 (niacin)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
Vitamin B7 (biotin)
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)
Vitamin K2. The beneficial bacteria in the colon can produce at least half of the estimated requirement of 100 mg per day of vitamin K.

Gut bacteria also promote further absorption of some minerals that have escaped the small intestine, including calcium and magnesium and vitamin K2 which is vital to direct calcium to the bones and is needed in conjunction with vitamin D.

Starch, diabetes and weight loss

Foods rich in a carbohydrate called resistant starch pass through the body without counting calorically because they “resist” immediate digestion while still giving a full feeling. Plus, they help burn fat fast, improve digestion and fight disease. Resistant starch can also help to balance the blood sugar which is beneficial for those with diabetes.

Natural sources of starch in alphabetical order

Acorns
Amaranth
Arrowroot
Arracacha
Bananas (barely ripe)
Barley
Black eyed peas
Breadfruit
Buckwheat
Burdock root
Butternut squash
Canna rhizomes
Cassava
Chestnuts
Chickpeas
Chicory root
Corn
Dandelion root
Flax seed
Garlic
Jerusalem artichoke
Katakuri bulbs
Kudzu (Japanese arrowroot)
Legumes (beans that have been dried)
Lentils
Maize
Malanga root
Millet
Mung beans
Oats
Okra
Onions
Parsnips
Peas
Plantains
Polynesian arrowroot
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Rice
Rye
Sago
Spelt
Sorghum
Sweet potatoes
Taro corms (Colacasia)
Water chestnuts
Wheat
Winter squash
Yacon root
Yams

NOTE: The highest sources of starch are in beans, oats, potatoes, rice and wholegrains such as amaranth and wheat.

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