Starch digestibility of foods: A nutritional perspective
1984
Dreher, Mark L. | Dreher, Claudia J. | Berry, James W.
Current knowledge of the digestibility of native and modified starches, alpha amylase inhibitors ("starch blockers"), and starch interferences of the assimilation of nutrients is reviewed and discussed. Three native starch types exist: poorly digested starches (potato and banana); immediately digested starches (legume starches); and highly digested starches (cereals, cassava, tara). The addition of chemically modified starches to foods can have beneficial effects (improved texture, consistency, and shelf life) but intakes of some chemical components can result in adverse physiological effects (poor weight gain, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal distension). Attention also is given to alpha amylase inhibitors present in cereals, legumes, and tubers, and their nutritional significance. The influence of starch on nutrient utilization appears to be through its interference on digestibility. (wz)
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