Make potato salad part of your summer picnics and BBQs because cold potatoes are good for our gut health.
Gut microbes love cold potatoes
Pre-cooked cold potatoes are great for the gut because they contain resistant starch. This is a particular type of starch which help feed the beneficial bacteria.
Once cooled the sugars in the potatoes become resistant to human digestion, but they travel through the gut to feed the microbes. Resistant starch is sometimes called a prebiotic, which means it feeds the gut microbes.
The good bacteria in our gut use this kind of starch to make beneficial molecules for our health, called Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs). These SCFAs are anti-inflammatory, and support colon cell health.
Resistant starch is slowly fermented
If your digestion gets upset with high FODMAP foods (which quickly ferment in the gut) then try foods with higher resistant starch content. Cold pasta and rice work the same way.
Cold potatoes don’t spike blood sugar levels
The sugars in cold cooked potatoes will release much more slowly than when they are hot. This helps if you’re trying to manage your blood sugars, for example if you are pre-diabetic.
So using up your excess potatoes is great for avoiding food waste, better for your blood sugar, and tasty for your gut microbes.
Cold potatoes really are good for our gut health!
Hi, I’m Anna Mapson, registered nutritional therapist
I help people with IBS and SIBO get control of unpredictable gut symptoms to find long term relief from painful and embarrassing IBS without restrictive dieting.
I can help you to eat more, fear food less and build a healthy gut.
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14 comments
Sonny Silock
After boiling potatoes and refridging them can you reheat and still get the resistant starches?
Anna
Hi Sonny
This is a really good question, I think, after a bit of research that reheating the potatoes makes them less resistant starch again, where as pasta and rice tend to keep a portion resistant starch even when reheated. Thanks for the great question!
Jazzyday2002
No
Bette
No, it’s better not to reheat potatoes. Eating them cold is better for diabetics and for a healthier gut.
Disco bunny
Yes. Reheating potatoes, rice or pasta after refrigerating 12 hours or more will not reduce resistant starch content.
Bob
Hi, my wife is a type2 diabetic but loves potatoes in the mornings. I cut them up with the skin, 1” blocks, rinse them 3 times and then boil them after an hour or so, till they are semi cooked. Then rinse again in cold water. Then, I put EVOoil in a pan, fry some onions, add a bit of salt and paprika, and fry them for for a few minutes, then put them in the fridge for the next day. Reheat them a bit, and then eat it at room temperature. Is this still considered resistant start/prebiotic?
Anna
Hi Bob, the more you cool the potatoes the more resistant starch will be in them, as it heats the changes to the starch mean it’s less resistant. If you want to have the most resistant starch you should eat them cold, but if you want to enjoy the potatoes hot there is still a benefit to eating them, so enjoy them as you like! 🙂
pc
No that is incorrect Anna. Once cooled, reheating doesn’t decrease the resistant starch.
maher ahmed
Dear madam
Eating cold rice is it healthy ،not contaminated by bacteria
Thanks
Hannah MS, RDN, LD
Hi, it’s important to remember that the entire meal should be considered when thinking of glycemic control. Sure, chilled potatoes on their own might warrant lower blood glucose levels, but what else is on the menu? If the meal itself has a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, there is no need to eat cold potatoes, unless you really just want to. And not many people would like to eat cold potatoes. Sincerely, a Registered Dietitian.
Marrie
I rather like cold baked potatoes and cold potato salad.
Vera
Does it help to soak the potatoes and pour off the starchy water
Anna
Hi Vera
It’s not like cooking beans and pulses where you need to remove the FODMAP elements to improve digestion, so just boiling potatoes and then draining normally will be adequate.
JayX
Also it is worth bearing in mind that if you allow them to go cold and*then* reheat them – they still retain all the resistant starch – so it’s not necessary to eat them cold if you don’t enjoy them that way!