Effects of rice with different amounts of resistant starch on mice fed a high-fat diet: attenuation of adipose weight gain.

Abstract

Increasing the amount of resistant starch (RS) in the diet may confer protective effects against chronic diseases. Rice, a good dietary source of carbohydrates, also contains RS. However, it remains unclear if RS at the amount consumed in cooked rice has health benefit. To address the question, we examined the effects of cooked rice containing different levels of RS in a diet-induced obesity rodent model. Rice containing RS as low as 1.07% attenuated adipose weight and adipocyte size gain, induced by a moderately high-fat (HF) diet which correlated with lower leptin levels in plasma and adipose tissue. Rice with 8.61% RS increased fecal short chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels, modulated HF diet-induced adipose triacylglycerol metabolism and inflammation related genes expression, and increased fecal triglyceride excretion. Hence, including rice with RS level at ≥ 1.07% may attenuate risks associated with consumption of a moderately high-fat diet.