Which Foods Are High in Polysaccharides?

December 20, 2025 •

3 min read

According to a 2024 review in Frontiers in Nutrition, dietary polysaccharides have diverse and crucial influences on human health, affecting everything from gut microbiota to energy metabolism. This guide explores which foods are high in polysaccharides, including starches and dietary fibers, and why they are so beneficial for your body.

Quick Summary

Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates found in various plant-based foods, including whole grains, legumes, and certain fruits and vegetables. These vital nutrients provide sustained energy and support healthy digestive function.

Key Points

Whole Grains: Excellent source of complex starches and dietary fibers like beta-glucans, providing sustained energy.
Legumes: Beans, lentils, and peas are packed with resistant starch, which nourishes beneficial gut bacteria.
Starchy Vegetables: Potatoes and corn are rich in starch; their resistant starch content increases when cooked and cooled.
Fruits and Vegetables: Contain structural polysaccharides like pectin and cellulose, crucial for digestive regularity.
Immune-Boosting Foods: Mushrooms contain beta-glucans, a type of polysaccharide known to support immune function.
Marine Sources: Seaweeds offer unique polysaccharides like alginates and carrageenans, used as gelling agents and for gut health.
Cooking Matters: The process of cooking and cooling certain starchy foods can significantly alter and increase their resistant starch content.

Polysaccharides are long-chain carbohydrate molecules formed by linking simple sugars (monosaccharides). Unlike simple sugars, they are digested slowly, providing a sustained release of energy. This slow digestion and their fiber content contribute to digestive health, blood sugar control, and overall wellness. Food polysaccharides include digestible starch for energy storage and indigestible fiber like cellulose and pectin for structure.

Polysaccharides in Whole Grains

Whole grains are rich in polysaccharides like starch, cellulose, hemicellulose, and beta-glucans. Starch provides slow-releasing glucose, while cellulose and hemicellulose in the bran add bulk for digestion. Beta-glucans in oats and barley can lower cholesterol and support immune function. Choose whole grains such as brown rice, oats, barley, and whole-wheat products for maximum benefits.

Polysaccharides in Legumes

Legumes like beans, lentils, and peas contain starch and various fibers. They are notable for resistant starch, which bypasses small intestine digestion and ferments in the large intestine, feeding beneficial gut bacteria and producing health-promoting short-chain fatty acids. Cooked and cooled legumes, particularly lentils and white beans, are excellent sources of resistant starch.

Polysaccharides in Starchy Vegetables and Tubers

Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn are primary sources of starch. Cooking and then cooling these foods increases their resistant starch content through retrogradation, enhancing their prebiotic effects. Cooled potato salad, for instance, offers more resistant starch than hot potatoes. Yams and cassava are also significant sources of polysaccharides.

Polysaccharides in Fruits and Non-Starchy Vegetables

Fruits provide polysaccharides like the structural fibers pectin and cellulose. Pectin, a gelling polysaccharide, is found in apples, berries, and citrus fruits. Green bananas contain resistant starch that converts to sugar as they ripen. Non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and leafy greens contribute cellulose and hemicellulose fibers.

Polysaccharides in Mushrooms and Seaweed

Mushrooms contain beta-glucans, known to support immune health. Some fungi also contain chitin. Seaweeds like nori and kelp offer unique marine polysaccharides such as alginates and carrageenans, used as thickeners and beneficial for digestive health.

Comparison of Polysaccharide Sources and Benefits


Food Group	Primary Polysaccharides	Key Health Benefits
Whole Grains	Starch, Cellulose, Beta-glucans, Hemicellulose	Sustained energy, digestive regularity, lower cholesterol
Legumes	Starch, Resistant Starch, Soluble/Insoluble Fiber	Blood sugar control, prebiotic effects for gut health
Starchy Vegetables	Starch, Resistant Starch, Cellulose	Steady energy, improved digestion (especially when cooled)
Fruits & Non-Starchy Veg.	Pectin, Cellulose, Hemicellulose, Resistant Starch	Digestive regularity, nutrient absorption, cholesterol management
Mushrooms	Beta-glucans, Chitin	Immune system modulation, antioxidant properties
Seaweeds	Alginates, Carrageenans, Fucoidans	Gut health, gelling properties, antioxidant effects

Incorporating More Polysaccharides Into Your Diet

Increase polysaccharide intake by including diverse, whole plant-based foods. Combine whole grains like oats and brown rice, various legumes, and plenty of fruits and both starchy and non-starchy vegetables. Cool cooked starchy foods to boost resistant starch. Examples include using chilled potatoes in salads or making overnight oats. Consider adding mushrooms and seaweeds for unique polysaccharides.

Conclusion

Polysaccharides are vital complex carbohydrates providing energy and fiber for long-term health. Foods from potatoes and grains to fruits and legumes are excellent sources. Prioritizing whole, plant-based foods ensures adequate intake for sustained energy, digestive support, and other health benefits.

An Important Note on Health Information

Consult a registered dietitian or healthcare provider for personalized dietary advice. For detailed information on the health impacts of polysaccharides, resources like the National Institutes of Health provide analyses on topics such as metabolic health.

Frequently Asked Questions

A polysaccharide is a long-chain carbohydrate molecule made up of multiple simple sugar units, called monosaccharides. They serve as either energy storage (e.g., starch) or structural components (e.g., cellulose) in living organisms.

Yes, resistant starch is a type of polysaccharide. It's a starch that resists digestion in the small intestine, functioning similarly to dietary fiber by fermenting in the large intestine and feeding beneficial gut bacteria.

Good sources include whole grains (oats, barley), legumes (beans, lentils), fruits (apples, berries, citrus), and many vegetables. These foods contain fibers like cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and beta-glucans.

You can increase resistant starch through a process called retrogradation. This is done by cooking starchy foods like potatoes or rice and then allowing them to cool, ideally overnight in the refrigerator. You can also consume high-amylose varieties of starches or use raw potato starch.

Both are polysaccharides made of glucose units, but they have different chemical bonds. Starch has alpha-glycosidic bonds that human enzymes can break down for energy, while cellulose has beta-glycosidic bonds that are indigestible for humans and act as dietary fiber.

Yes, complex carbohydrates are polysaccharides. This means any food rich in complex carbs, such as whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables, is also high in polysaccharides.

Yes, foods rich in fiber-based polysaccharides can aid in weight management. They promote feelings of fullness and satiety, which can help reduce overall calorie intake.