Resistant starch, blood sugar and kidney health in diabetes
What it found
Swapping simple carbohydrates for resistant starch may help control blood sugar and protect the kidneys in people with obesity-related diabetes.
The authors say more clinical studies are still needed.
What they found
Studies in people and animals
Blood sugar and kidneys
Replacing simple carbohydrates with resistant starch could be a highly effective dietary strategy. The authors suggest it may prevent complications caused by high blood sugar, including kidney damage.
Other findings
How resistant starch works
Fermentable carbohydrates like resistant starch are broken down by gut bacteria. This process produces short-chain fatty acids that may benefit people with obesity-related diabetes.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest replacing simple carbohydrates with resistant starch as a dietary strategy for people with obesity-related diabetes.
- They note that extensive clinical studies are still needed before firm recommendations can be made.
How it was done
Diabetes is expected to affect 439 million people worldwide by 2030. It raises the risk of kidney disease and heart problems, which affect how long patients live.
The authors gathered and summarised existing research on resistant starch, a type of fermentable fibre. They looked at how it affects blood sugar balance and kidney health in obesity-related diabetes. They also examined the biological reasons behind any protective effects.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work gathers existing research rather than running a new trial, so it cannot prove cause and effect on its own.
- The authors note that more clinical studies in people are still needed to confirm these benefits.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Iowa State University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Resistant starch as a novel dietary strategy to maintain kidney health in diabetes mellitus
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Koh GY, Rowling MJ (2017). Resistant starch as a novel dietary strategy to maintain kidney health in diabetes mellitus. Nutrition reviews. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nux006PubMed 28444346DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error