Eating More of These Staple Foods Can Greatly Improve Fatty Liver Disease

Nowadays, whole grains have become synonymous with healthy diet. The main component of whole grains is resistant starch. What is Resistant Starch? As the name suggests, it is a type of starch that is difficult to digest and is found in many foods such as green bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, corn, beans, and whole grains.

Recently, a study has found that a diet rich in resistant starch has a positive impact on improving non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a finding that has attracted widespread attention. In this study published in the journal "Cell Metabolism", titled "Resistant starch decreases intrahepatic triglycerides in patients with NAFLD via gut microbiome alterations", the researchers mentioned that resistant starch can reduce the risk of NAFLD by changing the composition of intestinal microbiomes. Liver damage and inflammation are associated with lower triglyceride levels, thereby alleviating the symptoms of NAFLD.

The researchers conducted a four-month clinical trial in which 200 NAFLD patients were recruited and randomly divided into two groups, one receiving corn-derived resistant starch and the other receiving non-resistant starch. After a four-month experiment, researchers found that patients who received resistant starch had significantly lower levels of triglycerides in their livers, while their weight, BMI, fat content and other indicators also improved. Further analysis showed that resistant starch regulates liver fat metabolism by affecting the composition and function of intestinal microbiota. In particular, resistant starch reduces fecal levels of Bacteroidetes, a bacterium closely associated with liver fat metabolism. What’s more interesting is that the researchers experimentally confirmed by transplanting patients’ fecal microorganisms into mice that the microbial transplanted mice in the resistant starch group showed significant liver improvement, which further verified the benefits of resistant starch for NAFLD patients.

How exactly does resistant starch work?

Researchers pointed out that on the one hand, resistant starch cannot be completely digested and absorbed in the intestine, so it will be fermented by probiotics in the intestine to produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids, such as butyric acid and propionic acid. These short-chain fatty acids not only help to maintain intestinal health and can also affect body metabolism. On the other hand, the intake of resistant starch can slow down the digestion of food and reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, thereby benefiting weight and blood sugar control.

In summary, resistant starch is not only a nutritious food ingredient, but also a natural treatment method that can improve metabolic diseases such as NAFLD by regulating the composition and function of intestinal microorganisms.

Therefore, we can eat more foods rich in resistant starch in our daily life, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, oats, etc., to maintain intestinal health and promote metabolic balance throughout the body.