Resistant Starch Produces Hydrogen Gas for 24 Hours in Rat Digestive System
Sufficient intake of high amylose cornstarch maintains high colonic hydrogen production for 24 h in rats
Research hubs: Oxidative Stress · Digestive System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Naomichi Nishimura, Hiroki Tanabe, Tatsuro Yamamoto
- Journal
- Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry
- Year
- 2017
- PMID
- 27885933
- Study Type
- Rat
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 20% high amylose cornstarch (HAS) diet for 14 or 28 days
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 6 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Eating a certain type of cornstarch can help maintain beneficial hydrogen production in the gut for a full day, which may protect against cell damage.
Key Finding
Rats fed a diet containing 20% high amylose cornstarch maintained high colonic hydrogen production for 24 hours, while a 10% dose did not sustain production throughout the day.
Summary
This rat study investigated how much of a special type of cornstarch (high amylose cornstarch) is needed to keep hydrogen gas production in the colon steady for a full day. Researchers fed rats different amounts of this cornstarch and measured hydrogen levels in their breath and gas. They found that a 20% cornstarch diet maintained high hydrogen production throughout the day, but a 10% diet did not—suggesting there's a minimum amount needed to keep the process going continuously.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing that the amount and type of starch consumed may affect how much hydrogen gas the colon produces. However, these results are from rats, not humans, so it's unclear whether the same principles would apply to people or what practical benefits sustained hydrogen production might have. More research in humans would be needed to determine if this finding has relevance for dietary strategies.
Abstract (excerpt)
AbstractColonic hydrogen (H2) can suppress oxidative stress and damage in the body. We examined the minimum requirement of high amylose cornstarch (HAS) to maintain high colonic H2 production for 24 h. Ileorectostomized and sham-operated rats were fed a control diet supplemented with or without 20%…