Mindy Patterson, an associate professor at Texas Woman’s Houston, is a sought-after expert in the specialized field of resistant starches. She recently spoke with NPR radio about the health benefits of resistant starches.

Resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate, is aptly named since it literally resists digestion. Instead of being broken down and absorbed in the small intestine, this nutrient goes straight to the large intestine, where it provides fuel for beneficial microbes.