Resistant starch consumption promotes lipid oxidation

Janine A Higgins¹ , Dana R Higbee¹ , William T Donahoo² , Ian L Brown³ , Melanie L Bell⁴ and Daniel H Bessesen¹

¹University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Center for Human Nutrition, Denver, Colorado 80262. USA

²University of Vermont, Department of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont 05405. USA

³University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522. Australia

⁴Preventive & Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

author email corresponding author email

Nutrition & Metabolism 2004, 1:8doi:10.1186/1743-7075-1-8


Published:	6 October 2004

Abstract

Background

Although the effects of resistant starch (RS) on postprandial glycemia and insulinemia have been extensively studied, little is known about the impact of RS on fat metabolism. This study examines the relationship between the RS content of a meal and postprandial/post-absorbative fat oxidation.

Results

12 subjects consumed meals containing 0%, 2.7%, 5.4%, and 10.7% RS (as a percentage of total carbohydrate). Blood samples were taken and analyzed for glucose, insulin, triacylglycerol (TAG) and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations. Respiratory quotient was measured hourly. The 0%, 5.4%, and 10.7% meals contained 50 μCi [1-¹⁴C]-triolein with breath samples collected hourly following the meal, and gluteal fat biopsies obtained at 0 and 24 h. RS, regardless of dose, had no effect on fasting or postprandial insulin, glucose, FFA or TAG concentration, nor on meal fat storage. However, data from indirect calorimetry and oxidation of [1-¹⁴C]-triolein to ¹⁴CO₂showed that addition of 5.4% RS to the diet significantly increased fat oxidation. In fact, postprandial oxidation of [1-¹⁴C]-triolein was 23% greater with the 5.4% RS meal than the 0% meal (p = 0.0062).

Conclusions

These data indicate that replacement of 5.4% of total dietary carbohydrate with RS significantly increased post-prandial lipid oxidation and therefore could decrease fat accumulation in the long-term.