A study has shown that baking potatoes with the skin, which have been considered a foe to dieting and diabetes due to their high carbohydrate content, is effective for managing blood sugar and cardiovascular health when used as a meal substitute.

 

Professor Neda Akavan's team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in the United States recently announced at the American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting (NUTRITION 2024) in Chicago that patients with type 2 diabetes who replaced rice with baked potatoes for their meals experienced a slight decrease in fasting blood sugar levels and improvements in cardiovascular health indicators.

 

Professor Akaban said, "I enjoy researching foods that are nutritionally stigmatized," and added, "People tend to think of potatoes as fried or fatty foods, but it depends on the cooking method. Potatoes contain enough nutrients to help manage weight and blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes."

A 26-week study involved 24 patients with type 2 diabetes who managed their blood sugar levels with prescribed medication. The research team divided them into two groups: one group ate a 100g baked potato with the skin as part of their meal for 12 weeks, while the other group ate baked potatoes and white rice with similar carbohydrate content. After a two-week rest period, the groups switched their diets, exchanging the baked potatoes and white rice.

Participants could add herbs, spices, or up to half a tablespoon of butter to the potatoes, but were advised not to fry them.

 

As a result of observing the blood sugar levels, body weight, waist circumference, and various cardiovascular health indicators of the experimental participants, the research team found that the fasting blood glucose levels of participants who consumed baked potatoes at weeks 12 and 26 of the experiment showed a slight decrease. Body composition, waist circumference, and resting heart rate also decreased significantly.

 

Professor Akaban said, "There was no harmful effect on the measured health indicators, and the expected cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits were confirmed," adding, "This shows that potatoes can be a healthy diet option for type 2 diabetes patients, instead of high glycemic load foods like white rice."

 

Furthermore, the research team emphasized that potatoes are one of the most potassium-rich foods in Western diets, and a high-potassium diet is important for preventing hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

 

Potato skins contain dietary fiber called resistant starch, which has effects on blood sugar regulation, lipid improvement, and satiety. The research team recommended baking and eating them with the skin intact rather than boiling to preserve as much potassium as possible.

 

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They say to eat potatoes and sweet potatoes with the skin on.

Do you eat things that are boiled or grilled recently?

 

Eating something that is left for a while is like eating the whole peel.

It's not that easy.

 

Don't leave it and eat it later; I should eat it as I go.