{"id":555767,"date":"2026-07-18T08:26:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T08:26:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/555767\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T08:26:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T08:26:43","slug":"how-to-transform-carbs-into-a-gut-friendly-prebiotic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/555767\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Transform Carbs Into a Gut-Friendly Prebiotic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reheating last night\u2019s spaghetti may not sound like the most glamorous lunch suggestion, but consider it for your gut health<\/a>. Why? It comes down to a process called starch retrogradation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When carb-rich foods like pasta<\/a>, potatoes<\/a>, or rice<\/a> are cooked and cooled, \u201cthe starch molecules reorganize into a more tightly packed, crystalline structure,\u201d says Julie Pace<\/a>, RDN, a dietitian specializing in women\u2019s gut, hormone, and metabolic health<\/a>. \u201cThis restructuring promotes the formation of resistant starch<\/a>, which resists digestion in the small intestine and instead functions more like dietary fiber<\/a>, helping to nourish beneficial gut bacteria<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, the resistant starch acts as a prebiotic<\/a>, feeding the bacteria in your large intestine. \u201cAs these bacteria ferment resistant starch, they produce short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyrate<\/a>,\u201d Pace says. This nutrient \u201cnourishes the cells lining the colon, helps maintain a healthy gut environment<\/a> in which beneficial bacteria thrive, and has been associated with reduced gut inflammation<\/a> and improved bowel regularity,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

According to The Johns Hopkins Patient Guide to Diabetes<\/a>, other benefits of resistant starch include lower cholesterol levels<\/a>, increased satiety, reduced blood sugar spikes<\/a>, and a lower risk of colon cancer<\/a>. For more on how to make the most of your carbs, keep scrolling.<\/p>\n

How to transform your carbs into resistant starch<\/p>\n

After cooking, Pace recommends allowing your carb<\/a> of choice to chill in the refrigerator\u2014make sure it\u2019s set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below\u2014for 12 to 24 hours to maximize resistant starch formation.<\/p>\n

During this process, it\u2019s important to prioritize food safety. \u201cNever leave cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours, as harmful bacteria can multiply rapidly,\u201d she says. \u201cTo cool starch safely, spread food in a shallow container no more than two inches deep and let the steam dissipate for about 15 to 30 minutes\u201d before putting it in the fridge.<\/p>\n

Then, enjoy within three to four days. \u201cSome of my favorite ways to incorporate resistant starch are potato salad, pasta salad, or lentil salad,\u201d Pace adds.<\/p>\n

Do you have to eat it cold?<\/p>\n

No, you can reheat the food once it\u2019s completely cooled if that\u2019s your preference. \u201cOnce resistant starch forms during cooling, much of it remains even after reheating,\u201d Pace says. However, one exception to this could be russet potatoes; according to Johns Hopkins<\/a>, their resistant starch content \u201cmay slightly decrease\u2026after reheating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are other nutrients affected by this process?<\/p>\n

\u201cRetrogradation primarily changes how starch is digested rather than the food\u2019s overall nutrient content,\u201d Pace says. \u201cProtein<\/a>, fat, vitamins, and minerals<\/a> remain largely unchanged, although the cooking method itself can reduce some heat-sensitive and water-soluble vitamins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are there naturally occurring sources of resistant starch?<\/p>\n

Yes\u2014lima beans, kidney beans<\/a>, sourdough bread<\/a>, unripe bananas, and plantains are some examples of foods that contain resistant starch, Harvard<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n

Curious about a beauty or wellness trend? We want to know! Email Vogue\u2019s senior beauty and wellness editor at beauty@vogue.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Reheating last night\u2019s spaghetti may not sound like the most glamorous lunch suggestion, but consider it for your…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":555768,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[17381,103,61,60,446,1184],"class_list":["post-555767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-gut-health","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-nutrition","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=555767"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555767\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/555768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=555767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=555767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=555767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}