Whole grain cereals have been shown to provide potential health benefits, when compared to refined carbohydrates. Increased consumption of refined carbohydrates such as sucrose, high fructose corn syrup and refined white flour mirror the increased incidence of lifestyle disease in Western nations. Both clinical trials and epidemiological studies show that whole grain cereals may improve plasma lipid profiles, induce weight loss, decrease appetite and also reduce the glycaemic effects of foods. Most studies have focused on whole grains as a source of unrefined carbohydrate, but less research has been performed on unrefined carbohydrates that are not cereal grains. Some carbohydrate sources other than cereal grains are good sources of fibre and may possess similar properties. One animal study that investigated the effects of complex carbohydrate on plasma lipids fed rats either potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a wheat based starch or sucrose.
Rats fed the potato based diet had an increase in short chain fatty acids in the caecum, suggesting that resistant starch was being fermented by gut bacteria. Increases in propionate were particularly evident. In addition, those rats fed the potato diet had a decrease in total cholesterol compared to the control diet (-37%) and the sucrose diet (-32%); and a decrease in total triglycerides compared to the control diet (-37%) and sucrose (-43%). The antioxidant status of the rats was decreased by sucrose consumption, but increased by potatoes, as rich source of vitamin C, vitamin E and polyphenols. These results suggest that complex carbohydrate other than cereal grains are able to increase short chain fatty acids and improve plasma lipid profiles in rats, when compared to a wheat based starch diet or sucrose. Potatoes may therefore have a similar effect in humans.
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