The Study
The In Vivo Net Energy Content of Resistant Starch and Its Effect on Macronutrient Oxidation in Healthy Adults
This study gave people different kinds of starch to eat and carefully measured what happened in their bodies—like whether they burned more fat or sugar. Because the researchers randomly assigned what people ate and didn't tell them which one they got, we can say the starch probably caused the changes they saw. But it only lasted one day, so we don't know if it would help people lose weight over time.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Some starches aren't broken down in your gut—but your gut bacteria ferment them into energy your body can use.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 574 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This means eating RS2 won't make you burn more calories overall, but it may help your body burn fat instead of carbs and improve how your body handles sugar later in the day.
- 2RS2 gives 2.95 kcal/g (not 0), boosts fat burning by 32%, cuts carb burning by 18%, and makes your body use less insulin after lunch.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2019
Authors
Erin D. Giles, I. L. Brown, P. MacLean, Zhaoxing Pan, E. Melanson, Kennon Heard, M. Cornier, Tyson Marden, J. Higgins
Related Content
Claims (6)
Some types of starch pass through the small intestine without being broken down, so no glucose is absorbed from them.
Consuming resistant starch type 2 does not change the total number of calories the body burns in a day.
Consuming resistant starch type 2 results in lower insulin levels 300 minutes after breakfast in healthy adults, even when blood glucose levels are unchanged, indicating a delayed reduction in insulin response linked to gut fermentation.
Resistant starch type 2 supplies 2.95 kilocalories per gram when digested by healthy adults aged 25–45 with normal glucose tolerance, which is more than the 0 kcal/g assigned to it in U.S. food labels and equals 66–74% of the energy from regular starch.
When healthy young adults consume resistant starch type 2 instead of digestible starch, their bodies burn more fat and less carbohydrates, but total daily energy use and protein burning remain unchanged.
When the amount of resistant starch type 2 is fixed, changing the total amount of dietary fiber in the diet does not change how much fat is burned, how well insulin works, or the total energy absorbed from the starch.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.