First Foods Most: After 18-Hour Fast, People Drawn to Starches First and Vegetables Last

I read with interest the study by Wansink et al. [1] and the accompanying commentary by Yaroch and Pinard [2]. While the study results are interesting, they are by no means novel and the conclusions the authors have drawn are inaccurate, in my opinion.  That we crave starches in the setting of hunger is not a new concept. Rice, corn, potatoes, wheat, and other starches have fueled the human species for thousands of years. Positive selection for salivary amylase encoding genes supports the important role of starch digestion in human evolution [3]. There is a large body of clinical and anthropologic evidence supporting the notion that humans thrive when the bulk of their calories are derived from starchy foods [4]. More nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits are intended to complement the diet and cannot provide the majority of one’s required daily caloric intake all by themselves.

Starches are not always high in calorie-density as the authors imply. Starchy vegetables and intact whole grains, at approximately 450-500 calories per pound, are slenderizing food choices. One can safely consume an ad libitum diet centered on these foods without gaining weight [5]. As a matter of fact, the Asian population centered their diet on rice for millennia and they were one of the trimmest civilizations in recorded history. Starches only become high in calorie-density when they are overly processed or when they are cooked and prepared with other more calorie-dense ingredients. 

Oils, at approximately 4000 calories per pound, are the most calorie-dense food on the planet. French fries are not properly classified as starches. They are better classified as fats because the majority of their calories are often derived from the oil they are prepared with. 

An appropriate conclusion for the study is to replace overly processed and fried starches with healthier ones that can safely be consumed to satiety without compromising health. Humans are going to crave starches. They always have and always will. The solution is to consume the right ones and not just to avoid the wrong ones.

References

1. Wansink B, Tal A, Shimizu M. First foods most: after 18-hour fast, people drawn to starches first and vegetables last. Arch Intern Med 2012;172(12):961-3. 

2. Yaroch AL, Pinard CA. Are the hungry more at risk for eating calorie-dense nutrient-poor foods?: comment on “first foods most: after 18-hour fast, people drawn to starches first and vegetables last”. Arch Intern Med 2012;172(12):963-4.

3. Perry GH, Dominy NJ, Claw KG, Lee AS, Fiegler H, Redon R, Werner J, Villanea FA, Mountain JL, Misra R, Carter NP, Lee C, Stone AC. Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation. Nat Genet 2007;39(10):1256-60.

4. McDougall JA, McDougall M. The starch solution: eat the foods you love, regain your health, and lose the weight for good! Rodale; New York: 2012.5. Bell EA, Castellanos VH, Pelkman CL, Thorwart ML, Rolls BJ. Energy density of foods affects energy intake in normal-weight women. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;67(3):412-20.