Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Starchy Foods: Human Nutrition and Public Health

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Food Digestion

Abstract

Starch is the largest source of energy in our diet and also provides an essential supply of exogenous glucose to act as fuel for our brains and red blood cells. Despite this key role in human nutrition, in recent years starchy foods have come to be viewed negatively, as consumption of large quantities of heavily processed starch has been epidemiologically linked to a number of negative health outcomes such as diabetes and obesity.

A key aspect of the role dietary starch plays in the development of these conditions is the physical structure of the starch and the rate and extent of its digestion in the digestive tract. Starches with structures which are more rapidly digested are those most closely linked with the development of disease. Conducting human intervention trials with starchy foods is expensive and time consuming, so a range of in vitro digestion models have been developed as alternatives. There have been significant advances in these models, both in terms of how closely they mimic key aspects of the human digestive system and in terms of kinetic analysis of data obtained from these models.

In this book chapter, the main models used for measuring starch digestibility, and their uses, are reviewed. Additionally, these in vitro approaches are contrasted with in vivo methods for acute interventions, as well as the findings of chronic studies in starchy food consumption.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aronoff, S. L., Berkowitz, K., Shreiner, B., & Want, L. (2004). Glucose metabolism and regulation: Beyond insulin and glucagon. Diabetes Spectrum, 17(3), 183–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, F. S., Foster-Powell, K., & Brand-Miller, J. C. (2008). International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care, 31(12), 2281–2283.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, A. J., Egan, D. L., Warren, F. J., Barker, P. D., Dobson, C. M., Butterworth, P. J., et al. (2015). Investigating the mechanisms of amylolysis of starch granules by solution-state NMR. Biomacromolecules, 16(5), 1614–1621.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ballance, S., Sahlstrøm, S., Lea, P., Nagy, N. E., Andersen, P. V., Dessev, T., et al. (2013). Evaluation of gastric processing and duodenal digestion of starch in six cereal meals on the associated glycaemic response using an adult fasted dynamic gastric model. European Journal of Nutrition, 52(2), 799–812.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bijttebier, A., Goesaert, H., & Delcour, J. (2008). Amylase action pattern on starch polymers. Biologia, 63(6), 989–999.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bornet, F. R. J., Jardy-Gennetier, A.-E., Jacquet, N., & Stowell, J. (2007). Glycaemic response to foods: Impact on satiety and long-term weight regulation. Appetite, 49(3), 535–553.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bornhorst, G. M. (2017). Gastric mixing during food digestion: Mechanisms and applications. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, 8, 523–542.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brand-Miller, J., Hayne, S., Petocz, P., & Colagiuri, S. (2003). Low-glycemic index diets in the management of diabetes. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Care, 26(8), 2261–2267.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brouns, F., Bjorck, I., Frayn, K. N., Gibbs, A. L., Lang, V., Slama, G., et al. (2008). Glycaemic index methodology. Nutrition Research Reviews, 18(1), 145–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butterworth, P. J., Warren, F. J., & Ellis, P. R. (2011). Human α-amylase and starch digestion: An interesting marriage. Starch-Stärke, 63(7), 395–405.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Butterworth, P. J., Warren, F. J., Grassby, T., Patel, H., & Ellis, P. R. (2012). Analysis of starch amylolysis using plots for first-order kinetics. Carbohydrate Polymers, 87(3), 2189–2197.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter, D., Dhar, S., Mitchell, L. M., Fu, B., Tyson, J., Shwan, N. A., et al. (2015). Obesity, starch digestion and amylase: Association between copy number variants at human salivary (AMY1) and pancreatic (AMY2) amylase genes. Human Molecular Genetics, 24(12), 3472–3480.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke, D., & Gidley, M. J. (1992). Loss of crystalline and molecular order during starch gelatinisation: Origin of the enthalpic transition. Carbohydrate Research, 227, 103–112.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crapo, P. A., Reaven, G., & Olefsky, J. (1977). Postprandial plasma-glucose and-insulin responses to different complex carbohydrates. Diabetes, 26(12), 1178–1183.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DeFronzo, R. A., Ferrannini, E., Groop, L., Henry, R. R., Herman, W. H., Holst, J. J., et al. (2015). Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nature Reviews. Disease Primers, 1, 15019–15019.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dhital, S., Warren, F. J., Butterworth, P. J., Ellis, P. R., & Gidley, M. J. (2017). Mechanisms of starch digestion by α-amylase—Structural basis for kinetic properties. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 57(5), 875–892.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz-Sotomayor, M., Quezada-Calvillo, R., Avery, S. E., Chacko, S. K., Yan, L.-k., Lin, A. H.-M., et al. (2013). Maltase-glucoamylase modulates gluconeogenesis and sucrase-isomaltase dominates starch digestion glucogenesis. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 57(6), 704–712.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, J., Salmon, K., Zibrik, L., & Shirazi-Beechey, S. (2005). Expression of sweet taste receptors of the T1R family in the intestinal tract and enteroendocrine cells. London: Portland Press Limited.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, C. H., Grundy, M. M., Grassby, T., Vasilopoulou, D., Frost, G. S., Butterworth, P. J., et al. (2015). Manipulation of starch bioaccessibility in wheat endosperm to regulate starch digestion, postprandial glycemia, insulinemia, and gut hormone responses: A randomized controlled trial in healthy ileostomy participants. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 102(4), 791–800.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, C. H., Warren, F. J., Milligan, P. J., Butterworth, P. J., & Ellis, P. R. (2014). A novel method for classifying starch digestion by modelling the amylolysis of plant foods using first-order enzyme kinetic principles. Food & Function, 5(11), 2751–2758.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Efeyan, A., Comb, W. C., & Sabatini, D. M. (2015). Nutrient sensing mechanisms and pathways. Nature, 517(7534), 302.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Egger, L., Ménard, O., Baumann, C., Duerr, D., Stoffers, S., Schlegel, P. (2017). Digestion of proteins in milk: Comparing different in vitro systems with in vivo data. 5. International Conference on Food Digestion.

    Google Scholar 

  • Englyst, H., & Cummings, J. (1987). Resistant starch, a ‘new’ food component: A classification of starch for nutritional purposes. In I. D. Morton (Ed.), Cereals in a European context. Chichester: Ellis Horwood.

    Google Scholar 

  • Englyst, H. N., Kingman, S., & Cummings, J. (1992). Classification and measurement of nutritionally important starch fractions. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 46, S33–S50.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Englyst, H., Wiggins, H., & Cummings, J. (1982). Determination of the non-starch polysaccharides in plant foods by gas-liquid chromatography of constituent sugars as alditol acetates. Analyst, 107(1272), 307–318.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Falchi, M., Moustafa, J. S. E.-S., Takousis, P., Pesce, F., Bonnefond, A., Andersson-Assarsson, J. C., et al. (2014). Low copy number of the salivary amylase gene predisposes to obesity. Nature Genetics, 46(5), 492–497.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • FAO. (1998). Carbohydrates in human nutrition (Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Report, paper 66). Rome: FAO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fässler, C., Arrigoni, E., Venema, K., Hafner, V., Brouns, F., & Amadò, R. (2006). Digestibility of resistant starch containing preparations using two in vitro models. European Journal of Nutrition, 45(8), 445–453.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foster-Powell, K., Holt, S. H., & Brand-Miller, J. C. (2002). International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76(1), 5–56.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goff, L. M., Cowland, D. E., Hooper, L., & Frost, G. S. (2013). Low glycaemic index diets and blood lipids: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 23(1), 1–10.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goñi, I., Garcia-Alonso, A., & Saura-Calixto, F. (1997). A starch hydrolysis procedure to estimate glycemic index. Nutrition Research, 17(3), 427–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, G. M. (1970). Carbohydrate digestion and absorption. Gastroenterology, 58(1), 96–107.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guerra, A., Etienne-Mesmin, L., Livrelli, V., Denis, S., Blanquet-Diot, S., & Alric, M. (2012). Relevance and challenges in modeling human gastric and small intestinal digestion. Trends in Biotechnology, 30(11), 591–600.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hardy, K., Brand-Miller, J., Brown, K. D., Thomas, M. G., & Copeland, L. (2015). The importance of dietary carbohydrate in human evolution. The Quarterly Review of Biology, 90(3), 251–268.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Henrissat, B. (1991). A classification of glycosyl hydrolases based on amino acid sequence similarities. Biochemical Journal, 280(2), 309–316.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Janeček, Š., Svensson, B., & MacGregor, E. (2003). Relation between domain evolution, specificity, and taxonomy of the α-amylase family members containing a C-terminal starch-binding domain. The FEBS Journal, 270(4), 635–645.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, D. J. A., Kendall, C. W. C., Augustin, L. S. A., Franceschi, S., Hamidi, M., Marchie, A., et al. (2002). Glycemic index: Overview of implications in health and disease. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76, 266S–273S.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, D. J. A., Wolever, T. M. S., Taylor, R. H., Barker, H., Fielden, H., Baldwin, J. M., et al. (1981). Glycemic index of foods: A physiological basis for carbohydrate exchange. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 34(3), 362–366.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, B.-H., Rose, D. R., Lin, A. H.-M., Quezada-Calvillo, R., Nichols, B. L., & Hamaker, B. R. (2016). Contribution of the individual small intestinal α-glucosidases to digestion of unusual α-linked glycemic disaccharides. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 64(33), 6487–6494.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, A. H.-M., Hamaker, B. R., & Nichols Jr., B. L. (2012). Direct starch digestion by sucrase-isomaltase and maltase-glucoamylase. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 55, S43–S45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, S., Willett, W. C., Stampfer, M. J., Hu, F. B., Franz, M., Sampson, L., et al. (2000). A prospective study of dietary glycemic load, carbohydrate intake, and risk of coronary heart disease in US women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 71(6), 1455–1461.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mace, O. J., Affleck, J., Patel, N., & Kellett, G. L. (2007). Sweet taste receptors in rat small intestine stimulate glucose absorption through apical GLUT2. The Journal of Physiology, 582(1), 379–392.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mandel, A. L., des Gachons, C. P., Plank, K. L., Alarcon, S., & Breslin, P. A. (2010). Individual differences in AMY1 gene copy number, salivary α-amylase levels, and the perception of oral starch. PLoS One, 5(10), e13352.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mathers, C., & Loncar, D. (2006). Projections of global mortality and burden of disease from 2002 to 2030. PLoS Medicine, 3(11), e442.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mente, A., de Koning, L., Shannon, H. S., & Anand, S. S. (2009). A systematic review of the evidence supporting a causal link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(7), 659–669.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Minekus, M., Alminger, M., Alvito, P., Ballance, S., Bohn, T., Bourlieu, C., et al. (2014). A standardised static in vitro digestion method suitable for food – An international consensus. Food & Function, 5(6), 1113–1124.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Minekus, M., Marteau, P., & Havenaar, R. (1995). Multicompartmental dynamic computer-controlled model simulating the stomach and small intestine. Alternatives to Laboratory Animals, 23, 197–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, K. G., & Bloom, S. R. (2006). Gut hormones and the regulation of energy homeostasis. Nature, 44, 854–859.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, G., Hoon, M. A., Chandrashekar, J., Zhang, Y., Ryba, N. J., & Zuker, C. S. (2001). Mammalian sweet taste receptors. Cell, 106(3), 381–390.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Otto, H., & Niklas, L. (1980). Different glycemic responses to carbohydrate-containing foods. Implications for the dietary treatment of diabetes mellitus. Medicine & Hygiene (Geneve), 38, 3424–3429.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qian, M., Haser, R., & Payan, F. (1995). Carbohydrate binding sites in a pancreatic α-amylase-substrate complex, derived from X-ray structure analysis at 2.1 Å resolution. Protein Science, 4(4), 747–755.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ring, S. G., Gee, J. M., Whittam, M., Orford, P., & Johnson, I. T. (1988). Resistant starch: Its chemical form in foodstuffs and effect on digestibility in vitro. Food Chemistry, 28(2), 97–109.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Röder, P. V., Geillinger, K. E., Zietek, T. S., Thorens, B., Koepsell, H., & Daniel, H. (2014). The role of SGLT1 and GLUT2 in intestinal glucose transport and sensing. PLoS One, 9(2), e89977.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rydberg, E. H., Li, C., Maurus, R., Overall, C. M., Brayer, G. D., & Withers, S. G. (2002). Mechanistic analyses of catalysis in human pancreatic α-amylase: Detailed kinetic and structural studies of mutants of three conserved carboxylic acids. Biochemistry, 41(13), 4492–4502.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sandstedt, R., & UEDA, S. (1969). Alpha-amylase adsorption on raw starch and its relation to raw starch digestion. Journal of the Technological Society of Starch, 17(1), 215–228.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwimmer, S. (1945). The role of maltase in the enzymolysis of raw starch. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 161(1), 219–234.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slaughter, S. L., Ellis, P. R., & Butterworth, P. J. (2001). An investigation of the action of porcine pancreatic α-amylase on native and gelatinised starches. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-General Subjects, 1525(1), 29–36.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tahir, R., Ellis, P. R., Bogracheva, T. Y., Meares-Taylor, C., & Butterworth, P. J. (2010). Study of the structure and properties of native and hydrothermally processed wild-type, lam and r variant pea starches that affect amylolysis of these starches. Biomacromolecules, 12(1), 123–133.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thondre, P. S., & Henry, C. J. K. (2011). The glycaemic index: Concept, recent developments and its impact on diabetes and obesity. London: Smith-Gordon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van de Wiele, T., Van den Abbeele, P., Ossieur, W., Possemiers, S., & Marzorati, M. (2015). The simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem (SHIME®). In K. Verhoeckx, P. Cotter, I. López-Expósito, C. Kleiveland, T. Lea, A. Mackie, T. Requena, D. Swiatecka, & H. Wichers (Eds.), The impact of food bioactives on health (pp. 305–317). Cham: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Der Maarel, M. J., Van Der Veen, B., Uitdehaag, J. C., Leemhuis, H., & Dijkhuizen, L. (2002). Properties and applications of starch-converting enzymes of the α-amylase family. Journal of Biotechnology, 94(2), 137–155.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Venn, B. J., & Green, T. J. (2007). Glycemic index and glycemic load: Measurement issues and their effect on diet-disease relationships. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61(S1), S122–S131.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Waigh, T. A., Gidley, M. J., Komanshek, B. U., & Donald, A. M. (2000). The phase transformations in starch during gelatinisation: A liquid crystalline approach. Carbohydrate Research, 328(2), 165–176.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, A. W., Ince, J., Duncan, S. H., Webster, L. M., Holtrop, G., Ze, X., et al. (2011). Dominant and diet-responsive groups of bacteria within the human colonic microbiota. The ISME Journal, 5(2), 220.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Warren, F. J., Butterworth, P. J., & Ellis, P. R. (2013). The surface structure of a complex substrate revealed by enzyme kinetics and Freundlich constants for α-amylase interaction with the surface of starch. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-General Subjects, 1830(4), 3095–3101.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Warren, F. J., Royall, P. G., Gaisford, S., Butterworth, P. J., & Ellis, P. R. (2011). Binding interactions of α-amylase with starch granules: The influence of supramolecular structure and surface area. Carbohydrate Polymers, 86(2), 1038–1047.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Warren, F. J., Zhang, B., Waltzer, G., Gidley, M. J., & Dhital, S. (2015). The interplay of α-amylase and amyloglucosidase activities on the digestion of starch in in vitro enzymic systems. Carbohydrate Polymers, 117, 192–200.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wickham, M., Faulks, R., Mann, J., & Mandalari, G. (2012). The design, operation, and application of a dynamic gastric model. Dissolution Technologies, 19(3), 15–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolever, T. M. S., Jenkins, D. J. A., Vuksan, V., Jenkins, A. L., Buckley, G. C., Wong, G. S., et al. (1992). Beneficial effect of a low glycaemic index diet in type 2 diabetes. Diabetic Medicine, 9(5), 451–458.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ze, X., David, Y. B., Laverde-Gomez, J. A., Dassa, B., Sheridan, P. O., Duncan, S. H., et al. (2015). Unique organization of extracellular amylases into amylosomes in the resistant starch-utilizing human colonic Firmicutes bacterium Ruminococcus bromii. MBio, 6(5), e01058–e01015.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ze, X., Duncan, S. H., Louis, P., & Flint, H. J. (2012). Ruminococcus bromii is a keystone species for the degradation of resistant starch in the human colon. The ISME Journal, 6(8), 1535.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, X., Caner, S., Kwan, E., Li, C., Brayer, G. D., & Withers, S. G. (2016). Evaluation of the significance of starch surface binding sites on human pancreatic α-amylase. Biochemistry, 55(43), 6000–6009.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zou, W., Sissons, M., Gidley, M. J., Gilbert, R. G., & Warren, F. J. (2015). Combined techniques for characterising pasta structure reveals how the gluten network slows enzymic digestion rate. Food Chemistry, 188, 559–568.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK

    Cathrina Hanse Edwards & Frederick James Warren

Authors
  1. Cathrina Hanse Edwards
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Frederick James Warren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frederick James Warren .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    Ourania Gouseti

  2. Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

    Gail M. Bornhorst

  3. Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

    Serafim Bakalis

  4. School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Alan Mackie

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Edwards, C.H., Warren, F.J. (2019). Starchy Foods: Human Nutrition and Public Health. In: Gouseti, O., Bornhorst, G., Bakalis, S., Mackie, A. (eds) Interdisciplinary Approaches to Food Digestion. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03901-1_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation