Starchy foods like noodles, rice, steamed buns, and potatoes, which serve as staples, have long held a firm place on people's dining tables. However, the accusations that eating too much of them can raise blood sugar and lead to weight gain are well-founded, to the point that diabetics and obese individuals have to put them on their "blacklists".
The reason starchy foods are said to cause a spike in blood sugar is that they are digested relatively quickly. Foods made from refined white rice, such as rice and rice cakes, as well as sweet breads made from refined white flour, are digested almost as quickly as sugar, another type of carbohydrate. Therefore, they can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar. After blood sugar rises, the body instinctively secretes insulin, which in turn increases fat synthesis and decreases fat breakdown, naturally making weight gain easier. Moreover, excessive insulin secretion can cause blood sugar to drop too quickly, making a person feel hungry again with a greatly increased appetite.
Therefore, if we can find a way to slow down the digestion of these foods, we can fundamentally solve the series of problems mentioned above. So, how can we slow down the digestion of starchy foods? The answer is to eat them cold.
In nutrition, starch is divided into three main categories: "rapidly digestible starch," "slowly digestible starch," and "resistant starch." Among them, resistant starch is digested the slowest in the body. Its properties are similar to soluble fiber, and most of it passes through the intestines, providing very few calories. Research has shown that the cooling method can actually encourage foods to produce more resistant starch, thereby achieving the goal of slowing down digestion. Therefore, it is recommended that when we eat potato noodles, we should not rush to eat them. Waiting for them to cool before eating will be more beneficial to our health.