Cooling Carbs: A Simple Trick to Tame Sugar Spikes

When people try to shed pounds, a new idea catches attention: chill cooked starches before eating them. The concept is based on the science of two kinds of starch found in foods like rice, pasta and potatoes. One type, amylose, is hard for the body to break down quickly; the other, amylopectin, dissolves fast and can push blood sugar up sharply. Raw foods usually contain more amylose, but cooking turns it into the easier‑to‑digest form. The twist is that if you cool a cooked starch, it undergoes “retrogradation, ” turning some of the quick‑digesting amylopectin back into resistant starch. This means the food takes longer to digest even after you reheat it. Studies mainly look at how this affects blood sugar, especially for people with diabetes. Several experiments since 2015 found that cooled rice can lower post‑meal glucose levels compared with freshly cooked rice.What about calories? A researcher from Boston Children’s Hospital says the total calorie count stays about the same. However, the slower digestion may influence hormones that help people feel fuller and reduce the urge to overeat. Lower blood sugar spikes mean less insulin release, which in turn can lessen fat storage and curb cravings. So, is it worth the effort? Experts say that if you regularly eat refined starches, cooling them might help reduce their negative impact. Yet the benefit depends on the type of grain; some varieties respond better than others, and manufacturers often choose rice that cooks quickly but contains less resistant starch. Also, cooling does not bring back the fiber or nutrients lost during processing. A practical alternative is to choose whole grains that are naturally low in refined starch. Cooking them normally can provide similar benefits without the extra step of cooling and reheating.