Resistant Starch in Beans

Lunch was black beans, steamed broccoli/cauliflower, pine nuts, a tiny bit of cheese and nitrate free deli turkey, with a few olives.  It was so, so good, and I’m actually over-full.  I have been reading about the benefit of beans and learned that you don’t absorb most of their calories, because of the resistant starch (RS) in them. The small amount of RS that does get absorbed doesn’t do so until it gets to your colon, where the beneficial bacteria turn it into a type of healthy fat (short chain fatty acid…especially butyrate).  You absorb a little bit of the SCFA, which helps your body break down other fats and aids in weight loss, heart health, and other desirable things.

There are many other health benefits of beans, including that they help keep your blood sugar levels in a good range, and they offer lots of micronutrients.  I don’t have time to post a picture of my lunch right now, nor do I have time to go into more detail about the health benefits, but I just had to share this about the RS.

Plus, they’re pretty funny…