Abstract: With the improvement of people's living standard and the change of dietary structure,the incidence of diet-related metabolic disorders such as hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia is increasing gradually. As a new kind of dietary fiber,resistant starch can significantly affect human metabolism and improve metabolic syndrome caused by unreasonable dietary structure. Resistant starch is also called indigestible starch,which cannot be digested by the body's digestive enzymes in the stomach and small intestine,but can be fermented by probiotics in the colon,producing short chain fatty acids such as acetic acid,propionic acid and butyric acid. Resistant starch can regulate glycolipid metabolism,improve the structure and metabolism of intestinal microbiota. Resistant starch type 3(RS3)is known as retrograded starch(aging starch),has greater thermal stability than the other kinds of resistant starch. It also shows white color and lustre,with no objectional odor,low water-holding capacity,and delicate taste. RS has broad application prospects in the food industry,and more and more scientists at home and abroad have paid attentions to it. In this paper,the preparation methods,structural characteristics,physiological functions of RS3 and its applications in food are reviewed in order to provide reference and basis for the research and development of RS3.