The substance is the most common type of polysaccharide in the human diet. It is found in high amounts in cereals, beans, peas, mangoes, bananas, root vegetables, and tubers. Food starch, which is used as an additive, is produced from wheat, rice, corn, chestnuts, and potatoes.
The benefits and harms of starch due to its low calorie content and high nutritional value have been appreciated by nutritionists. Foods containing a polysaccharide create a “filling the stomach” effect without leading to weight gain.
The benefits of starch are used in cooking, where it is used as a thickener for making jellies, puddings, sauces, soups, gravies, creams, desserts, pills. In industry, it is used in the production of paper, glue and textiles.
There are great benefits of starch in the fight against cancer. Due to the presence of unrefined carbohydrates in products containing the substance, they have anticancer properties.
When you include bread, jelly, porridge in the diet, they slow down the absorption of sugar, and provoke a drop in its level after eating, which is naturally a great benefit of starch for diabetics.
What effect does a polysaccharide have on our body? Vegetables, fruits, cereals, which contain this component, improve bowel function, although eating such foods has an undesirable effect on the body. When overeating, the harm of starch is flatulence, bloating and stomach cramps.
Raw vegetables and fruits, in which the substance is present, are difficult to digest. The harm of starch is possible from the abuse of white bread, potatoes, bananas. Products should not be given in large quantities to children and should not be consumed before bedtime. But dishes containing a food additive, in which the starch has undergone heat treatment, are easily digested by the digestive tract, allow you to regulate sugar levels, and support immunity with properties.
The polysaccharide is of two types. One is found naturally in fruits, grains, vegetables, beans, and nuts. The other (crystalline powder) is obtained industrially. There are no negative health consequences of consuming the former, other than difficulty in digesting food. The harm of starch is from a powder of artificial origin, it leads to metabolic disorders, vision pathologies, the development of atherosclerosis.
The benefits and harms of starch contained in foods were well known in the olden days. In case of burns, the potatoes were cut and applied to the affected area to relieve pain, reduce skin irritation, and eliminate the inflammatory process. Scientists have proven the benefits of “grandmother’s recipes”, in which starch was used to treat gastric ulcers and normalize digestion.