ABSTRACT
Resistant starch is present in the diet provided in significant amounts by starchy foods after addition as a native form, after modification for technological purposes, or to increase starch availability in the large intestine. Like fibers sensu stricto, resistant starch affects various metabolic processes, such as glycemic control or lipid metabolism. The presence of resistant starch in the diet tends to enhance the digesta volume, to decrease the energy density, and to promote the digestive absorption of a fraction of the carbohydrate moiety of the diet as short-chain fatty acids. Resistant starch and soluble fibers are extensively broken down by the microflora, and molecules trapped on them are thus released in the lumen. The effect of resistant starch on the metabolism of bile acids by the hindgut microflora has been more extensively investigated. The fact that resistant starch chiefly affects the cholesterol digestive balance and lowers bile acid availability in the large intestine is of interest.
