Starch Types Table
Nutrition & Sports Nutrition Reference Tables
Starch Types Table
Starch can be classified by molecular structure or digestion behavior; these are different classification axes.
| Type or fraction | Defining feature | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Amylose | Predominantly linear glucose chains | Structure alone does not fix digestion speed |
| Amylopectin | Branched glucose polymer | Major starch component |
| Rapidly digestible starch | Rapid digestion under a stated test | Preparation affects the measured fraction |
| Slowly digestible starch | Slower digestion under a stated test | Not identical to resistant starch |
| Resistant starch | Escapes small-intestinal digestion | Several structural categories exist |
Starch is a plant storage polysaccharide and major carbohydrate source in grains, potatoes and pulses. Much ordinary starch is digestible, but structure and processing influence how much becomes available and at what rate.
Cooked rice can provide recovery carbohydrate, but rice weight is not starch weight. Water absorbed during cooking and portion size matter. Nor should starch within a whole food be judged without considering that food's fibre, protein and structure.
Starch contains mainly linear amylose and branched amylopectin. Its predominant chain linkages are alpha bonds, unlike cellulose's beta linkages. Their proportions, starch-granule organisation and placement within food tissue interact with preparation to influence enzyme access. A composition label alone cannot describe all of these structural features.
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