Lasagna, baguettes, fried rice, are among staples found on many restaurant menus. Unfortunately, these items are what plagues our body, as well as our society; these days massive emphasis is placed around high starch foods such as rice, bread, potato, and pasta. Though all these items are delicious and filling, with our current lack of movement, starch heavy diets are a slow poison rather than a savior.
To put it simply, starch is a complex carbohydrate, meaning there are multiple types of sugar attached to it. When starch is consumed, it breaks down into a sugar called glucose. This glucose provides a slow and gradual release of energy, hence when food with high starch content is consumed, they can sustain bodily functions for several hours. On the other hand, simple carbohydrates (fruits, milk, products with refined sugar-cake, candy, etc.) cause a rapid increase in glucose but also a rapid decrease, also known as a ‘sugar crash’.
White bread, white rice, potato and pasta are the four main culprits of high starch content, and under prehistoric ‘normal’ criteria, should be the largest portion on the plate. A huge portion of these foods contributes to a significant part of the average person’s caloric intake (average recommended calorie intake: males 2500 calories, females 2000 calories) while also providing a proportionally large amount of energy.
From the financial aspect, starchy food is relatively cheap and provides a sufficient source of energy, while bringing the feeling of satisfaction and fullness to the eater. This combination was ideal centuries ago when the purpose was to eat to survive from day to day as generally, work being more labor intensive. was highly prevalent. However, in this day and age in a developed city, a worker might stay on a desk and chair for 8+ hours, followed by Netflix for another 3 hours, only to fall asleep for 6-8 hours.
Whereas years before high starch foods would be a savior, now to the worker described above, there is no outlet to release this abundance of energy. This ultimately causes a fat build-up, inevitably followed by a plethora of health problems. To a labor worker, starch is a necessity and inherently not a bad substance, but unfortunately as society has evolved, the desk job worker’s dependence on them has not. As everything in life, balance and control is key, and if elimination cannot be sustained, then moderation is required.
One study found that participants who ate less starchy carbohydrates experienced marked improvements in their reported fatigue, emotional well-being, and food cravings. Avoidance of high starch content foods is highly recommended for diabetic and hypertension (high blood pressure) patients.
There have been other studies conducted comparing diabetic patients with a calorie deficit (500 calories) diet vs low carbohydrate diet (20-60 grams of carbohydrates per day = 80-240 calories), and in 95 percent of the patients with low carbohydrate diets the medication for diabetes were reduced or removed as compared to 62 percent for a 500-calorie deficit. Likewise, similar results in a different study showed that 47 percent of the hypertension patients who did a low carbohydrate diet, were able to reduce or completely remove their hypertension medication compared to 21 percent of the hypertension patients who had a low-fat diet.
If four of those foods – rice, bread, potato, and pasta- are decreased in consumption or to absolutely no intake, it will result in the body shifting from using sugar as the main supply of energy to a fat-based source of energy. So, not only would there be weight loss, but also fat loss, both of which contribute to significant health benefits that will last for years.
Although an affordable source of satiation and energy, the shift in workload and lifestyle over the years requires humans to adapt by changing their dependency on high starch foods, as it is an inevitable fast track to a myriad of diseases. With a little determination, small day to day actions, and an open mind, big benefits can be reaped for decades.
– By Omar Sajjad
6th Year Medical student in Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
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