The starchy secret to the success of the Morning Banana Diet

October 17, 2:38 PMWeight Loss ExaminerGail Gedan Spencer

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A reader of one of my previous posts on the Japanese Morning Banana Diet reminded me about something I had read a few months ago in Prevention magazine -- resistant starch.

Turns out bananas (slightly greenish ones especially) are high in resistant starch. Resistant starch is bulky, so it takes up space in your digestive system. And because you can't digest or absorb it, the starch never enters your bloodstream. More from Prevention:

Unlike some types of fiber, resistant starch gets fermented when it reaches the large intestine. This process creates beneficial fatty acids, including one called butyrate, which may block the body's ability to burn carbohydrates.

Like other fibers, resistant starch helps control blood sugar levels. "Because it skips routine digestion, we see lower blood sugar and insulin levels following a resistant starch-rich meal," says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, CDE, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Even Dole has jumped on the banana wagon with a page on the Banana Diet.

And here's Cynthia Sass from Prevention magazine talking about resistant starch on the Today show: