A critical review on anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects of dietary resistant starch

“Diabesity” is the term to illustrate the interdependent relationship between obesity and diabetes. About 80% of the diabetic patients are diagnosed with obesity. Diabesity can be prevented by dietary interventions, especially by incorporating sufficient amount of resistant starch (RS). In the past few decades, RS has inspired the researchers due to its various health benefits. Differing from digestible starch, RS remains undigested in the small intestine, but in the large intestine, it is subjected to fermentation. This review intends to encapsulate the current information related to the dietary RS on diabetes and obesity. RS attenuate hyperglycemic, hyperinsulinemic and hyperlipidemic response in various subjects by restricting gluconeogenesis, bolstering glycogenesis, maintaining glucose and lipid homeostasis and ameliorating pancreatic dysfunction. Various food products were fortified with RS to enhance its dietary intake and were found to exhibit positive impact on human and animal models. This review identified and summarized the research gaps in the available literature.