Bridgewater, NJ—National Starch, based here, completed a study indicating its Hi-maize resistant starch could benefit those with prediabetes.

A team from Biofortis-Provident Clinical Research found that overweight men who consumed 30 grams of the starch (a dietary fiber) daily had nearly a 73% improvement in insulin sensitivity. Smaller doses yielded good results, too, with 57% of men having better insulin sensitivity with a 15-gram dose. Of note, women did not experience the same benefit. According to National Starch, “responses in women might have differed, as they were less insulin-resistant at baseline and changes over the menstrual cycle may have obscured the effects.”

These data were presented at Experimental Biology 2011 in Washington, DC.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, July 2011 (online 5/31/11)