Looking after our gut health is essential and according to one doctor, we can do it while still enjoying all of our favourite starchy foods like pasta, rice and bread.
Personally? Immediately sold.
In a recent video, Dr Karan Rajan said that a “very easy way to improve gut health” without any extra effort is just by eating leftover carbs. Leftover pasta, rice, bread, and potatoes can all be beneficial to our gut health.
This is because of resistant starch and a chemical process called retrogradation.
Why leftover carbs are good for gut health
When carbs are heated, the starch granules absorb water and lose their crystalline structure. Then, once the carbohydrate is cooled down, the starch chains reform and realign in a way that’s more resistant to digestion.
This process means that the carbs are now known as retrograded or resistant starch.
This means it’s more resistant to digestion in your small intestine and less likely to be absorbed. The food instead makes its way to the large intestine, meaning that your body gets fewer calories from the leftover rice, potatoes or pasta.
In effect, Dr Raj says, it feeds your gut bacteria rather than you. So, it’s great for gut health. Additionally, the glycaemic load is reduced meaning it takes longer for your blood sugar to go up than it would if eaten immediately from the pan.
As for bread, if you freeze it, thaw it, and toast it, that gives similar benefits. Oats, beans, legumes and green bananas also offer resistant starch benefits.
Dr Raj adds that food should be stored in a fridge or freezer within a couple of hours of cooking and should never be reheated multiple times.