Resistant wheat starch, appetite and food intake in healthy adults
What it found
In 27 healthy adults, muffins made with resistant wheat starch lowered insulin levels and cut daily calorie intake by 179 kcal, but did not change feelings of appetite or how much people ate at lunch.
What they found
Studies in people
Appetite unchanged
Replacing standard wheat flour with resistant wheat starch had no effect on subjective appetite.
Lunch intake unchanged
Energy intake at the lunch meal was no different between the two types of muffin.
Daily calories lower
Total daily energy intake, including the breakfast meal, was 179 kcal lower when participants ate the resistant wheat starch muffins.
Insulin lowered
Replacing standard wheat flour with resistant wheat starch reduced plasma insulin.
Other blood markers unchanged
There was no effect on plasma glucose, cholecystokinin, glucagon-like peptide-1, or peptide YY 3-36 concentration.
What the authors conclude
“These results indicate that replacing SWF with RWS decreases plasma insulin concentration and reduces energy intake over a 24-h period.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that replacing standard wheat flour with resistant wheat starch decreases plasma insulin concentration and reduces energy intake over a 24-hour period.
How it was done
Twenty-seven healthy adults, aged 23 on average with a body mass index of 23.0, ate muffins at breakfast in a randomised, single-blind, crossover study. One version used only standard wheat flour, and the other replaced 40% of that flour with resistant wheat starch. Appetite questionnaires and blood samples were taken before the meal and at 10 points afterwards, lunch was offered 240 minutes later, and food intake was tracked for the rest of the day.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a single meal test in 27 healthy adults, so it cannot show what happens with long-term use.
- The study cannot show whether the lower daily calorie intake would lead to weight loss over time.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Iowa State University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Effect of resistant wheat starch on subjective appetite and food intake in healthy adults
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Emilien CH, Hsu WH, Hollis JH (2017). Effect of resistant wheat starch on subjective appetite and food intake in healthy adults. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.). doi:10.1016/j.nut.2017.06.020PubMed 28935147DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error