fbpx

Make potato salad part of your summer picnics and BBQs because cold cooked potatoes are good for our gut health.

Gut microbes love cold potatoes

Cold cooked potatoes are great for your gut health because they contain resistant 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 bugs.

The good bacteria is our gut use this kind of starch to make beneficial molecules for our health, called Short Chain Fatty Acids. 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:

  • understand your digestion better, so you recognise your triggers
  • eat a well balanced diet, with tasty meals that are simple to prepare
  • develop better digestion and more energy

Find more about my 3 month 1:1 Gut Reset programme

Bile Acid Diarrhoea – A Forgotten Reason For IBS-D?
Bile Acid Diarrhoea – A Forgotten Reason For IBS-D?

Struggling with IBS-D? Did you know it could be related to bile acid diarrhoea (BAD)? You might not have heard of this, but some studies show that around 34% of people with Diarrhoea predominant IBS may have BAD. What are bile acids? Bile is made in the liver, and...

Best gut health hack for better digestion
Best gut health hack for better digestion

Stop scrolling all those blogs about better gut health! This is my best gut health advice, the one thing you need to do to get better digestion.  If you're looking to improve your gut health my number one tip is to eat more variety.  Specifically, we need to aim to...

Red flags for bowel movements, and what’s a perfect poo
Red flags for bowel movements, and what’s a perfect poo

You might not often discuss your bowel habits with your nearest and dearest, but here's a list of red flags for bowel movements you would need to speak to your doctor about. Red flags to look out for around bowel movements In general terms ongoing bleeding or pain...