PE <[log in to unmask]>:
>   Do any studies document the notion that raw starch is less
>digestible? (I know about granules exploding in moist heat, but
>find the greater digestibility a non sequitur).         Pet

Tom:
Heat and acid degrade the crystalline structure of starch, making it more
accessible to digestion via our digestive enzymes, and our stomach acid.
Cooked starch foods typically have a high glycemic index, while the same
foods raw do not.  Most of the preceding info can be found in the McGraw
Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (article on starch). As for
papers comparing the digestibility of various types of treated starches,
one would have to search the food science and/or nutrition journals for that...

Regards,
Tom Billings
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