At TÜBİTAK MAM Food Institute, 90.5 percent enzyme-resistant starch was produced from wheat, corn and potato starch
In this way, an important step will be taken in the fight against obesity, heart and diabetes diseases with the introduction of resistant starch, which reduces the energy and glycemic index of foods used as additives.
Providing information on the subject, TÜBİTAK MAM Business Development Manager Nuh Yılmaz stated that the number of people suffering from health problems related to diabetes and heart disease continues to increase dangerously in our country as well as worldwide, and that more than 5 million people between the ages of 20 and 79 suffer from diabetes in Turkey. Emphasizing that the most important factor that triggers diabetes and heart diseases is dietary habits, Yılmaz stated that fast-food style nutrition, abundant sugary foods and weight gain due to inactivity pave the way for these diseases. Emphasizing that the production of the newly recognized resistant starch product at the TÜBİTAK MAM Food Institute is an extremely important step, Yılmaz said: "In clinical studies, it has been determined that the addition of resistant starch to foods at certain rates reduces the carbohydrate level by % 25 and the energy level by % 20, and most importantly, it has been observed that the glycemic response level, in short, the potential to increase blood sugar, has been reduced by % 50. As a result of various studies, it has been revealed that insulin resistance will be affected by the consumption of foods to which resistant starch is added and accordingly, the risk of diabetes and heart diseases can be reduced."
"Resistant starch is also beneficial for intestinal health"
The product developed by the TÜBİTAK MAM Food Institute is defined as starch that cannot be digested in the small intestine but can be digested in the large intestine and is similar to dietary fiber in terms of its health effects. Resistant starch, which can be fermented more easily in the large intestine than dietary fibers, is of high importance for intestinal health, especially for the prevention of colon cancer, as it produces butyrate and abundant short-chain fatty acids in addition to its potential as a prebiotic. In 2011, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approved functional health claims for resistant starch and gave a positive opinion on claims that its use in certain proportions in carbohydrate-rich bakery products may help regulate postprandial blood sugar and insulin.
"We started negotiations to bring our product to the national economy"
Dünyada modifiye nişasta pazarının 2020 yılına kadar 11.1 milyar $ olması beklendiğini ifade eden Yılmaz, 2015 yılı verilerine göre modifiye nişasta pazarının yaklaşık %25’ini dirençli nişasta ürünlerinin oluşturduğunu belirtti. Yeni çıkacak olan “Türk Gıda Kodeksi Beslenme ve Sağlık Beyanları Yönetmeliği” taslağında dirençli nişasta katkılı ürünler ile ilgili EFSA’da olduğu gibi olumlu adımların atılmasını beklediklerini ve bu ürünün üretimde kullanılması için istekli firmalara lisans verilmesi için görüşmelere başladıklarını söyledi.
