Meta title: Are Sweet Potatoes Good For Diabetes?
Meta description: Learn more about controlling diabetes with starchy food intake, including sweet potatoes.
Diabetes patients often have to restrict their consumption of starchy foods like potatoes. But what about sweet potatoes, a starchy relative of potatoes? They have always been utilised in conventional heart disease therapy to lower blood cholesterol levels. But how do they help control diabetes? What is the glycemic index (GI) of sweet potatoes? How many sweet potatoes should a person with diabetes eat? Let’s find out if sweet potato is good for diabetes and if including it in our diabetic diet plan is a good idea.
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, and B6 and niacin, potassium, manganese, and copper. Additionally, this vegetable, particularly the purple and orange one, is high in antioxidants, which protect our bodies from the harm that free radicals bring. Free radicals are molecules that are unstable and can cause damage to the DNA as well as inflammation.
There is a connection between the damage from free radicals and several chronic illnesses, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and ageing. Thus, antioxidant-rich meals are beneficial to our health. And there is some evidence that the antioxidants included in sweet potatoes might help the intestines.
Research suggests, the antioxidants in purple sweet potatoes encourage the development of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, including species of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.
There is a correlation between higher levels of certain kinds of bacteria found inside the intestines, improved gut health, and decreased risk of illnesses such as digestive disorders and infectious diarrhoea.
Sweet potatoes and diabetes management
The term diabetes refers to a set of metabolic illnesses characterised by an abnormally high blood sugar level. Proper nutrition, regular physical exercise, and the use of oral medicines may all help control diabetes to a significant degree. And sweet potatoes are heavy in fibre, which is an essential nutrient to help control diabetes.
Is sweet potato good for diabetes?
- Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
- They provide fibre and slow-release carbs, which lowers blood sugar levels.
- The phytochemical adiponectin, which decreases blood glucose in people with type-2 diabetes, may be responsible for sweet potatoes’ anti-diabetic effects.
- The fibre in sweet potatoes lowers cholesterol levels.
Glycemic index (GI) of sweet potatoes
Glycemic index, sometimes known as GI, is a measure that some people with diabetes use in addition to counting carbs to determine how a meal may affect their blood glucose levels. The impact of pure glucose is used as a standard in GI testing. The impact of the tested meal is compared to this standard. A GI of 55 or below is considered low, GI of 55 to 69 is moderate, and a GI of 70 or higher is considered high.
According to most sources, sweet potatoes have an average glycemic index of 70, which places them squarely in the high category but only by the narrowest of margins. More significantly, the test findings have been inconsistent, indicating GIs ranging from 44 to 94. The American Diabetes Association recommends counting carbohydrates since it is more accurate. We may also use the glycemic index (GI) as an additional method to further hone the number of carbohydrates we eat if we are trying to understand how to control diabetes.
How to eat sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are excellent for any meal, but people with diabetes benefit significantly from them. Sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes and are a top source of vitamin A. The potassium helps lower blood pressure, while the fibre aids weight management and blood glucose regulation.
So how can we control diabetes with sweet potatoes? We should avoid using all the additional sugar, butter, or candies that many recipes ask for while cooking our sweet potatoes. We can try roasting, mashing, or even puréeing sweet potatoes into soup. Furthermore, we can boost the taste by throwing them in a marinade heavy on herbs or a dry spice rub before placing them in the oven. This will cause the sweet potatoes to caramelise, which will add flavour. The roasted pieces may be stuffed into a veggie taco or burrito prepared with a low-carb tortilla, served hot as a meal, mixed with a salad, or served as a side meal.
Conclusion
So, is sweet potato good for diabetes? Yes. The nutritional content of sweet potatoes is relatively high. Antioxidants, vitamins, fibre, and minerals are abundant in this vegetable. It is safe for consumption in modest amounts when boiled or roasted, with or without the skin, depending on the preparation method.
When boiled first, sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index, making them a healthy food option for those with diabetes. They have several health advantages and the ability to treat metabolic diseases.