Influence of physical and structural aspects of food on starch digestion

High consumption of starch-based foods is associated with type 2 diabetes, which has developed into a worldwide epidemic. Further, type 2 diabetes is also closely linked with obesity, as obese individuals often develop exacerbated insulin resistance. As changing the dietary habits of consumers is difficult, efforts may be directed at increasing the content of resistant starch in foods. Precluding starch digestibility through food product formulation or processing may be a reasonable alternative to reduce starch digestibility, slowing-down associated glycemic response. In this chapter, we examine main steps of starch digestion in the body, using a mass transfer perspective, in order to get a better understanding about how food properties (food composition and structure) as well as food processing may influence starch digestion.