People in developing nations, where whole-plant foods are more common
and where diseases like type 2 diabetes and colon cancer are rare,
consume 30 to 40 grams of resistant starch per day. In the United States
and Europe, people typically eat about 3 to 8 grams of resistant starch
daily. So unless you already focus on eating foods high in resistant
starch, it’s safe to assume you’re not getting enough.While there is no recommended daily allowance — that research is under way — Stephen O’Keefe, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, says doubling your intake of resistant starch is a good place to start. If you have bloating, gas, and discomfort from the fermentation (a possible side effect of getting too much resistant starch at once, especially if you suffer from a digestive disorder like IBS), scale your portions back and increase them slowly over a few weeks.
Though resistant-starch supplements — such as raw potato starch — are available, real foods are the healthiest sources. The whole foods shown here are rich in resistant starch (note that cooking sometimes affects the amount in food). Experiment with working them into your eating plan, and see if you notice an improvement in your digestive health.