A new study says that consuming bananas and potatoes on a regular basis can do good to a person’s health. Specifically, the study has suggested that these foods are rich in resistant starch support gut health and enhance satiety. Researchers examined the potential health benefits of resistant starch, a form of starch that is not digested in the small intestine and is therefore considered a type of dietary fibre. Some forms of resistant starch occur naturally in foods such as bananas, potatoes, grains and legumes and some are produced or modified commercially and incorporated into food products. “We know that adequate fibre intake – at least 30g per day – is important for achieving a healthy, balanced diet, which reduces the risk of developing a range of chronic diseases,” said Dr Stacey Lockyer co-author of the Nutrition Bulletin review. “Resistant starch is a type of dietary fibre that increases the production of short chain fatty acids in the gut and there have been numerous human studies reporting its impact on different health outcomes,” Lockyer added. The findings showed that that resistant starch can support gut health and enhance satiety via increased production of short chain fatty acids. The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial nightshade Solanum tuberosum.