compound
Starch
Starch is a plant storage carbohydrate made of linked glucose units.
Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status
Digestible starch is broken down into glucose, while some starch can resist digestion and behave as dietary fibre.
Food sources
Per 100 g| Food | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| White rice, long-grain, raw | 74.4 g |
| Brown rice, long-grain, raw | 71.6 g |
| Rolled oats | 53.8 g |
| Lentils | 37.1 g |
| Chickpeas, canned and rinsed | 12.8 g |
Show 3 more foods
| Food | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Hummus, commercial | 8.12 g |
| Banana, ripe, raw | 3.66 g |
| Carrots, frozen and unprepared | 0.38 g |
About these amounts
These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.
Portions recorded by the source
- Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 2.75 g.
The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.
How it works
A glucose polymer
Starch is a chain of glucose units. Digestive enzymes can release those units for absorption, but starch structure, food matrix and preparation affect how quickly and how much becomes available.
Related topics
Starch can be digested to Glucose
Digestible starch is broken down into glucose units that can be absorbed and used in metabolism.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for carbohydrates and dietary fibre
Worth knowing
Some starch is resistant. EFSA includes resistant starch among non-digestible carbohydrates considered within dietary fibre when it meets the definition.
It has branched and unbranched forms. Amylose is mostly linear and amylopectin is branched; their structures affect how starch is arranged and digested.
A closer look
Preparation changes the matrix
Cooking and cooling can change starch structure and the proportion that resists digestion. Food structure therefore affects how much starch is available for absorption.
Digestion happens in stages
Digestive enzymes split digestible starch into smaller sugars before the small intestine absorbs glucose.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.
- European Food Safety Authority (opens in new tab)Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for carbohydrates and dietary fibreChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central Foundation Foods, April 2026 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Iron: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-05
- USDA Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData CentralChecked 2026-09-04