• It "resists" digestion in the body, and though this is true of many types of fiber, what makes resistant starch so special is the powerful impact it has on weight loss and overall health.
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• It Increases the body's ability to burn fat.
• It Fills you up and reduces overall hunger.
• It Improves blood sugar control, boosts immunity, and may even reduce your cancer risk.

Resistant starch is bulky, so it takes up space in your digestive system. And because you can't digest or absorb it, the starch never enters your bloodstream. That means it bypasses the fate of most carbohydrates, which get socked away as body fat when you eat more than you can burn.

Here are two more key ways resistant starch can help you drop unwanted pounds:

It ups your calorie burn. Unlike some types of fiber, resistant starch gets fermented when it reaches the large intestine. This process creates beneficial fatty acids, including one called butyrate, which may block the body's ability to burn carbohydrates. "This can prevent the liver from using carbs as fuel and, instead, stored body fat and recently consumed fat are burned," explains Janine Higgins, PhD, nutrition research director for the University of Colorado's Adult and Pediatric General Clinical Research Center. In your body, carbohydrates are the preferred source of fuel, like gasoline that powers your car's engine. Butyrate essentially prevents some of the gas from getting into the tank, and your cells turn to fat as an alternative. One study found that replacing just 5.4% of total carbohydrate intake with resistant starch created a 20 to 30% increase in fat burning after a meal.

It shuts down hunger hormones. Animal studies have found that resistant starch prompts the body to pump out more satiety-inducing hormones. A meal with resistant starch triggers a hormonal response to shut off hunger, so you eat less. Research shows that you don't reap this benefit from other sources of fiber.

How to Eat Enough

Right now, there is no specific target for resistant starch intake. But preliminary data shows that the average American woman consumes about 4 g of resistant starch each day. Experts such as Gerbstadt believe the research is strong enough to advocate doubling that.

*Adding just 1/2 to 1 cup of cooled resistant starch–rich food per day can do the trick.

Keep it cool. In cooked starchy foods, resistant starch is created during cooling. Cooking triggers starch to absorb water and swell, and as it slowly cools, portions of the starch become crystallized into the form that resists digestion. Cooling either at room temperature or in the refrigerator will raise resistant starch levels. Just don't reheat. That breaks up the crystals, causing resistant starch levels to plummet.

Look for fortified foods. A growing number of commercial foods have been bolstered with Hi-maize, the brand name of a resistant starch powder made from corn. You can use it in baking (and lower calories) by replacing up to one-quarter of traditional flour in any recipe without affecting taste or texture (King Arthur Hi-maize Natural Fiber, $5.95 per 12-ounce bag; kingarthurflour.com). Or, look for packaged products that include Hi-maize, as another easy way to boost your intake.