"Eating 'this' instead of rice is effective for improving diabetes and cardiovascular health"

Widely consumed as fried foods, leading to mixed evaluations regarding health A study has found that eating roasted potatoes with the skin on as a meal replacement is highly effective for managing blood sugar and cardiovascular health in patients with type 2 diabetes.

 

According to a team led by Professor Neda Akhavan at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on the 12th (local time), a randomized clinical trial showed that patients with type 2 diabetes who ate baked potatoes instead of white rice experienced a slight decrease in fasting blood sugar levels and improved cardiovascular health indicators.

 

The research team presented these research results at the recent annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (NUTRITION 2024) held in Chicago.

"Professor Akhavan said, 'People think of potatoes as fried or fatty foods, but this depends on the cooking method,' adding, 'Potatoes contain sufficient nutrients to manage weight and blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.'"

 

In this study, the research team divided 24 patients with type 2 diabetes who manage their blood sugar with prescription medication into two groups and conducted a clinical trial in which they ate baked potatoes with the skin on and white rice for 26 weeks, observing their blood sugar, weight, waist circumference, and various cardiovascular health indicators.

 

One group ate 100g of baked potatoes with the skin on as part of their diet for 12 weeks, while the other group ate white rice equivalent to the calories of the baked potatoes, and after a 2-week rest period, they swapped the potatoes and white rice.

 

The results of measuring health indicators at weeks 12 and 26 of the experiment showed that participants who consumed baked potatoes had slightly reduced fasting blood sugar levels, and their body composition, waist circumference, and resting heart rate also decreased significantly.

 

"Professor Akaban stated, 'There were no harmful effects on measured health indicators, and as expected, cardiometabolic health benefits were confirmed.' He added, 'This demonstrates that potatoes are a healthy dietary option for patients with type 2 diabetes to consume instead of other foods with a high glycemic load, such as white rice.'"

 

The research team emphasized that a high-potassium diet is particularly important for preventing high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, and highlighted that potatoes are one of the foods richest in dietary potassium in a Western diet.

 

Professor Akaban said that potato skins contain dietary fiber called 'resistant starch,' which helps regulate blood sugar and improve lipid levels and satiety. He added that while he is not against eating boiled potatoes, he recommends baking them and eating them with the skin on to preserve as much potassium as possible.

 

The research team announced that they plan to expand the study to include a wider variety of participants to investigate the effects of including potatoes in the Mediterranean diet.

 

"Many people are surprised by the fact that potatoes have a higher potassium content than bananas," Professor Akhavan said, adding, "When you want to eat a banana, I recommend eating potatoes, which are one of the most filling foods."

 

 

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Are the benefits of potatoes really this good?

They say it has more potassium than bananas?

 

It gives you a feeling of fullness.

However, since they say it is healthier to eat it with the skin on,

I guess I should fry some in the air fryer and pack it.