Taking a resistant starch supplement before meals has been linked to weight loss in a small study. AdvertisementAfter a four-week break, participants were given sachets containing regular starch and asked to do the same for another eight weeks. AdvertisementStool samples taken during the study suggested that the resistant starch helped levels of several bacterial species in the participants' guts to increase. AdvertisementResistant starch converts into sugar more slowly than regular starch and means the carbs' fiber content is higher. However, more resistant starch isn't necessarily beneficial for everyone — those with irritable bowel syndrome sometimes find that it leads to bloating and discomfort, McManamon said.

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Persons: —, Rhiannon Lambert, Rebecca McManamon, Lambert, McManamon Organizations: Service, British Dietetic Association, New