WESTCHESTER, Ill.—Ingredion’s HI-MAIZE^® high amylose resistant starch may improve insulin sensitivity in both pre- and post-menopausal women. (Food Science and Nutrition. 2013, March; 1(2): 117-124)

The recent study was conducted by Barbara Gower, Ph.D., in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. The results were presented at the Annual Obesity Week conference on November 4, 2014, in Boston.

Resistant starch is a type of dietary fiber that has beneficial metabolic effects, including lowering blood glucose concentrations and improving insulin sensitivity. The study was conducted in 43 healthy, normal-weight and obese, pre- and post-menopausal women ages 22 to 68 years, using a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover design. HI-MAIZE^®260 corn starch was formulated into snack foods and tested at two doses, 15 g/d and 30 g/d. An isocaloric snack formulated with a highly-digestible waxy corn starch served as a control.

The participants consumed the snack foods for four-week intervals with a four-week washout period between the three test periods. Insulin sensitivity was assessed at the end of each test period using an intravenous glucose tolerance test.

The results showed that HI-MAIZE high amylose resistant starch improved insulin sensitivity in the combined group of pre- and post-menopausal women. Baseline insulin sensitivity and waist circumference affected the response. A subset of women with unusually high insulin sensitivity was identified (n = 12). No improvement was found in this subgroup. For the remainder of the women (n = 28), a 26-percent improvement in insulin sensitivity was found after consuming the snacks containing 30 g resistant starch compared to the snacks containing no resistant starch ( p = 0.02).  The effects were also affected by waist circumference with greater improvements noted in women with larger waists.

Health Canada approved Ingredion's HI-MAIZE resistant starch as a novel fiber source, which allows the product to be declared as a fiber source in food products as permitted by the Canadian Food Regulations.