Want to sign up for the study please

I would like to sign up for the potato starch study please

Me too please!

Hi. everyone,

I couldn’t find potato starch in supermarkets or health shops, can’t understand why not as it IS used for other things apart from sleeping….I used to use it for making latkes. Anyway, I bought some on-line from a reputable health site and it arrived today.
The book says take early evening …..what time would you think is “early” ? I had my first “dose” at 9.0pm [ Australian time }. Can’t wait to see what happens tonight, if anything! Will keep you all informed.

jillyB

Count me in on potato starch/sleep study

I too would like to enter this study but can’t find a link. I need help in getting off to sleep.

I could not find potato starch in the shop so I got cornflour the internet net says it has the same starch what do u think

I would like to join the potato starch study please

Include me in the potato starch study please. I’ve just ordered my potato starch as I am willing to try anything to give me a better night’s sleep

To Admin

Is anything happening on this potato starch study? I signed up a while ago but have heard nothing to date.

Frankly the level of admin and moderation on the site is quite disrespectful. I am beginning to wonder if it’s just all about a bit of market for the book.

Maybe that wil get a response.

I can understand your frustration Juliant, I think a few others are feeling the same.
Like a number of other bloggers, I decided some time ago to experiment by myself. I wasn’t sure what taking the teaspoon “early evening” should be, presumed it related to what time you retired for the night. I go to bed at about 11.00pm so experimented and found I was taking it too late, so changed to 7.30pm and this worked very well. I don’t know how it works, but it does. It sounds absolutely crazy, I can’t imagine what on earth is in potato starch, but it works for me. I was mixing this in kefir at first, but with no luck. Then one of the bloggers told me that kefir was a bit of a stimulant , so I changed to almond milk, and this appears to be OK. Obviously any other milk is alright, plus any other liquid that you wish. I was not sleeping at all well and had tried all sorts of things and was forced to take the odd sleeping pill just to catch up on sleep….but I do not like doing that, but sometimes you get desperate.
Give it a go, nothing to lose.
Good luck, jillyB

Thanks jilly, yes I agree. Yes me too – I found 7ish is about right. I THINK that I get best results when I mix about 1.5 tsp into food rather than liquid. There are so many variables that effect my sleeep but I do feel it helps. Inulin has also been good but is more expensive that potato starch.

I think the theory is that the starch feeds your good gut organisms – keeping them happy and doing all the good things for u and your system that we now now they do …which somehow also directly or indirectly enables better sleep.

I think the theory goes something like this: There is an intimate connection (via the vagal) nerve between the gut and the brain. The vagal nerve extends brain tissue “fronds” deep into the gut via the mesentery (the so-called gut-brain axis). Some even call the mesentry a second brain.

The microbiota produce all sorts of things, including neurotransmitters (eg serotonin) which affect mood, behaviour and sleep. So if the microbiota are unhealthy (aka dysbiosis) it doesn’t just affect physical well being but equally psychological wellbeing. Hence if you can optimise the microbiota (essentially that is about food and sleep quality) you will be happier, healthier and sleep better.

Potato starch is a pro-biotic (fertiliser for the good bugs) for a healthy microbiota. This is turn helps re-balance your neurotransmitters in a good way and thus aids sleep and mental health.

You might find this interesting:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07pj2pw

Thanks Graham – that’s what I meant 😉

Seriously though, fascinating stuff. Is it in fact a prebiotic?

My error! It is indeed a PRE-biotic ..

Also Graham thanks for the iPlayer radio link, I will listen to that. Did you catch ‘Hunting with the Hadza’ earlier this year? That was fascinating.

Yes indeed and I’ve created an information resource on my own website.. fill your boots!

http://www.manorpharmacygroup.co.uk click on the icon to map my gut

I bought Bob’s red Mill Potato Starch from the iherb website, now I have to try it, thanks for the ideas 🙂

As I cant eat nightshades I bought Inulin powder. Two nights ago I took 1 tsp in milk at 7.30 and went to bed at 10.10 – didnt sleep at all well. Last night took 1 1/2 tsp sprinkled over rhubarb and yogurt at 7, bed the same time – very restless all night and woke about 4. Am I doing something wrong? Do I just keep taking it and hope it eventually helps me to sleep better?

Topaz: whole foods, food extracts and nutrient supplements are not interchangeable. Resistant starch and inulin will support different microbial populations or communities. Potato starch extract will have a different effect on your health than whole cooked potato.

Similarly a single megadose will have a different effect on the microbiome than a series of modest doses. Start with an eighth or quarter teaspoon (level) and work up slowly.

The overall balance and variety in the diet is important in any supplement regime. Ensure you are eating the widest possible variety of prebiotic wholefoods, and wholefoods rich in other nutrients that support energy production and normal sleep patterns. These include magnesium (certain seeds/ cocoa), long chain omega-3s (oily fish), vitamin D (oily fish again), zinc (seafood esp. molluscs) and B group vitamins (many sources).

Lastly be patient and consistent. Healthy diet and lifestyle choices interact over the long term, there are no magic bullets unfortunately.

Thanks Firefox. Are you saying that potato starch wont have the ‘nightshade’ effect? I am seeing a Naturopath/Nutritionist. My diet is good and I’m taking all the supplements you suggest.
I’ll start again with small doses of Inulin and build up.
I could do with a magic bullet having had ME/CFS for 23 years!

Hi Topaz
Yes but inulin and potato starch aren’t identical. Try taking the inulin at breakfast or lunch instead and see how you get on
Let us know?
BW

Graham

Topaz: Sorry to read you have been struggling with your wellbeing for so long. ((hugs))

Potentially yes *for food sensitivities or food intolerances* because the problematic component is likely to have been removed or substantially reduced. You hopefully already know to be cautious when testing ‘new’ foods or new supplements. But for anyone else reading please start low and go slow with dosing: ideally do not make any other changes to your diet or lifestyle during the test period. *If a true allergy is suspected, only retest suspect foods under medical supervision*.

I did not suggest any micronutrient supplements, only nutrient dense wholefoods. To what level is your naturopath/ nutritionist qualified? ‘Nutritionist’ is not a protected title worldwide, whereas ‘medical doctor’ or ‘registered dietician’ invariably are. Here in the UK registered dieticians must hold a recognised honours degree or higher qualification, and have one year of pre-registration experience, and undertake continuous professional development. I am not certain how far we have progressed in requiring nutritionists to become registered, but a few years ago level 2/ GCSE (age 16 qualification!) was acceptable.

HTH!

Thanks for the advice Firefox. My Naturopath/Nutritionist has a string of qualifications and is so busy/helpful that people wait months to get to see her.

Thanks Graham, will do.

I continued to alter time of and dosing quantity until I found 2 hrs before bed and 1/2 tsp gave me a decent night. This worked for about 3 weeks then didnt work at all! Am now taking a magnesium supplement instead.

Hi Topaz,

I also went through this exercise with the potato starch.
I found a rounded teaspoon early evening, about 7.30pm
worked for a few days then no more. I have tried many ‘natural’
suggestions, every time I see another, I try it. But I have finally
succumbed to sleeping pills again, which I am not happy with
as I like to give those things a miss. I take half a dose of Imovane which is less addicted
than others.
Good luck in your quest for sleep.
jillyB

I don’t have problems falling asleep but when I wake up for any reason through the night, I have trouble falling asleep again. No cramps or pain, just can’t sleep. Not particularly stressed about anything but aware of digestive system working. Will try the potato starch to see how it goes.

Two weeks in and I find the potato starch is giving me a better nights sleep. Able to fall back to sleep after waking to go to the loo in the middle of the night. I finish work at different times and sometimes quite late but find that no matter what time I get home, I take about a teaspoon in lukewarm water and it helps. Very relieved.

Hello,
I’m also curious to try the potato starch thingy. My question is, is starch the same than flour? I have been looking online and the show flour when I have searched for starch. Which brand have you bought?
Another question is, is potato starch the same that resistant starches? I have understood that resistant starches are the ones that develop after cooking and cooling rice and potatoes (I think I remember), we cannot digest them but the microbiota likes them. So, what is what?
To the question about Inulin. It is also another type of fibre but there is no reason that inulin would help you sleep just because of that (bran should do the same, using that rule). Although, who knows, I get the imporession that we know so little about this topic that it may work as well (give fibre to bacteria, bacteria is happy, bacteria release stuff that makes us happy).

That’s all.
Steph.