Supplement
Resistant starch is a carbohydrate that escapes digestion and reaches the colon, where it feeds friendly gut bacteria that make butyrate. People mostly look at it for digestive wellness, and the evidence is strong: trials found fecal short-chain fatty acids rose. Support was moderate for lower blood glucose in type 2 diabetes, while very limited work on PCOS inflammation and kidney markers found no clear difference.
Sources: PMID 32959735
- Updated
- How we grade
- 6 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade A
- Conditions studied
- 9
- Outcomes
- 50
- Graded outcomes
- 1305
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fecal Short Chain Fatty Acids Moderate Improvement | Improves (the measure goes up) | Moderate effect | 136 people | |||
| Fecal Weight | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 138 people | |||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood glucose Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 503 people | ||
Studies that measured blood glucose | ||||||
| TNF-Alpha | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 467 people | |||
Studies that measured tnf-alpha | ||||||
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) | Improves (the measure goes down) | 467 people | ||||
| HbA1c | Improves (the measure goes down) | 503 people | ||||
| Insulin | Changes; see studies | 503 people | ||||
| Insulin Resistance | Improves (the measure goes down) | 503 people | ||||
| Interleukin 6 | Improves (the measure goes down) | 467 people | ||||
| Oxidative Stress Biomarkers | Improves (the measure goes down) | 467 people | ||||
| Superoxide Dismutase Activity | Improves (the measure goes up) | 467 people | ||||
| Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 467 people | ||||
Overweight
- Blood glucose: improves
- HbA1c: improves
- Insulin: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood glucose Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 503 people | ||
Studies that measured blood glucose | ||||||
| HbA1c | Improves (the measure goes down) | 503 people | ||||
| Insulin | Changes; see studies | 503 people | ||||
| Insulin Resistance | Improves (the measure goes down) | 503 people | ||||
Prediabetes
- Blood glucose: improves
- HbA1c: improves
- Insulin: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood glucose Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 503 people | ||
Studies that measured blood glucose | ||||||
| HbA1c | Improves (the measure goes down) | 503 people | ||||
| Insulin | Changes; see studies | 503 people | ||||
| Insulin Resistance | Improves (the measure goes down) | 503 people | ||||
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
- Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
- Serum Phosphorus: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) No effect | NoneNo effect | 203 people | ||||
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) No effect | NoneNo effect | 167 people | ||||
| Serum Phosphorus | Changes; see studies | 2 studies | 205 people | |||
Studies that measured serum phosphorus | ||||||
| TNF-Alpha | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 116 people | |||
Studies that measured tnf-alpha | ||||||
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 158 people | ||||
| Interleukin 6 | Improves (the measure goes down) | 213 people | ||||
| Kidney Function | Improves (the measure goes up) | 197 people | ||||
| Serum Albumin | Improves (the measure goes up) | 284 people | ||||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 158 people | ||||
| Triglycerides | Improves (the measure goes down) | 158 people | ||||
| Uric Acid | Improves (the measure goes down) | 168 people | ||||
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
- TNF-Alpha: improves
- Interleukin 6: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) No effect | NoneNo effect | 467 people | ||||
| TNF-Alpha | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 467 people | |||
Studies that measured tnf-alpha | ||||||
| Interleukin 6 | Improves (the measure goes down) | 467 people | ||||
| Oxidative Stress Biomarkers | Improves (the measure goes down) | 467 people | ||||
| Superoxide Dismutase Activity | Improves (the measure goes up) | 467 people | ||||
| Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 467 people | ||||
End-Stage Renal Disease
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
- TNF-Alpha: improves
- Interleukin 6: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) No effect | NoneNo effect | 467 people | ||||
| TNF-Alpha | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 467 people | |||
Studies that measured tnf-alpha | ||||||
| Interleukin 6 | Improves (the measure goes down) | 467 people | ||||
| Oxidative Stress Biomarkers | Improves (the measure goes down) | 467 people | ||||
| Superoxide Dismutase Activity | Improves (the measure goes up) | 467 people | ||||
| Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 467 people | ||||
Metabolic Syndrome
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
- TNF-Alpha: improves
- Interleukin 6: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) No effect | NoneNo effect | 467 people | ||||
| TNF-Alpha | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 467 people | |||
Studies that measured tnf-alpha | ||||||
| Interleukin 6 | Improves (the measure goes down) | 467 people | ||||
| Oxidative Stress Biomarkers | Improves (the measure goes down) | 467 people | ||||
| Superoxide Dismutase Activity | Improves (the measure goes up) | 467 people | ||||
| Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) | Improves (the measure goes up) | 467 people | ||||
Appetite Regulation
- Appetite: changes; see studies
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appetite | Changes; see studies | 1 study | 264 people | |||
Key findings
- Fecal Short Chain Fatty AcidsImproves (the measure goes up)
- Blood glucoseImproves (the measure goes down)
- Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
Third-party tested Resistant Starch products, in the forms the graded studies used where we can match them.
- Grade A
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Studies cited
6 studies from PubMed
- Positive effects of resistant starch supplementation on bowel function in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- The effect of acute consumption of resistant starch on appetite in healthy adults; a systematic review and meta-analysis of the controlled clinical trials
- Effects of resistant starch on glycaemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- The Effects of Resistant Starch on Biomarkers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Effects of resistant starch supplementation on renal function and inflammatory markers in patients with chronic kidney disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Effects of Resistant Starch on Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.