New clinical research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has indicated that the quantity of resistant starch in foods correlates with blood glucose response and reduced food intake after two hours.

A University of Toronto research team, led by G. Harvey Anderson, PhD, also found that Hi-maize whole grain corn flour and Hi-maize resistant starch, from National Starch Food Innovation, increased satiety and reduced food intake after two hours.

This randomized, crossover, two-part study investigated the short-term effects of consuming Hi-maize whole grain corn flour and Hi-maize resistant starch in a group of healthy men, ages 20-30 years.

After consuming a standard breakfast, participants consumed one of five soups—three soups contained 50 grams of added starch-based ingredients while two soups served as controls. Fifty grams of maltodextrin in one soup served as a high glycemic control and another soup containing no additional carbohydrate ingredients served as a low-calorie control. Glycemic response, subjective satiety and subsequent food intake (with participants instructed to eat until they were comfortably full) information was collected after a defined period of time. Each treatment was separated by a one-week washout period.

Sixteen men participated in part one of the study, which collected the glycemic and satiety responses at 30 minutes after consumption of the test soups. The study found that the high glycemic control boosted satiety at 30 minutes, but did not reduce cumulative food intake. Ingredients with high resistant starch content had no effect on satiety or food intake at 30 minutes.

Seventeen men participated in part two of the study, which collected glycemic and satiety responses at 2 hours after consumption of the test soups. At 2 hours, resistant starch correlated with satiety and reduced food intake. Ingredients with the highest levels of resistant starch had the most pronounced effect. Hi-maize whole grain corn flour had the highest resistant starch content (66%) and reduced cumulative food intake by 15% (244 kilocalories) compared to the high glycemic control. Hi-maize 260 (48% resistant starch) reduced food intake by 7% (116 kilocalories) and uncooked cornstarch (39% resistant starch) reduced food intake by 7% (113 kilocalories), also compared to the high glycemic control. All of the soups containing resistant starch (including the ones with low dietary fiber) reduced food intake at 2 hours. For further information: www.foodinnovation.com