When boiled, sweet potatoes are a low glycemic index (GI) food, meaning they won't spike your blood sugar as much as regular potatoes, according to research published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.
“Sweet potatoes are a source of carbohydrates, which raise blood sugars,” says White. “People with diabetes can eat carbs but need to watch portions of foods with carbs.” What this means: Limit portions to half a sweet potato per meal or snack.
"If you have prediabetes or diabetes, choosing sweet potato over white potato can help reduce your chance of a blood sugar spike," adds Willingham. "Just be aware that this only holds true if you're boiling or air frying the sweet potato.
Low-carb diets that allow vegetables in moderation can include simply prepared sweet potatoes — in moderation.
[1] However, potatoes don't count as a vegetable on Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate because they are high in the type of carbohydrate that the body digests rapidly, causing blood sugar and insulin to surge and then dip (in scientific terms, they have a high glycemic load).
Whole Grains
Some common whole-grain foods are brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, oats, and whole-grain bread. Oats are whole grains that have been shown to improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, which, in turn, help keep blood sugar levels low.
If you consume too many carbs, your body reverts to using glucose for energy, thereby throwing you out of ketosis. This is why many types of high carb foods, including starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, are usually considered off-limits on a ketogenic diet.
Because some of that starch is resistant starch, this breakdown takes time and effort, so although both potatoes and sweet potatoes are high in carbs, they don't act the same way in our body as high-carb processed foods.
Sweet potatoes are mainly composed of carbs. Most of the carbs come from starch, followed by fiber. This root vegetable is also relatively low in protein but still an important protein source in many developing countries.
Yes diabetics can eat sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes contain carbohydrates which can raise blood sugar levels. However if you eat the right serving size of a sweet potato you can control the amount of sugar you take in. Also what you put on the potato is important.
Sweet Potato Nutrition Facts
Sweet potatoes also have something in common with bananas: lots of potassium. That's good news for people with diabetes since low levels of this mineral are linked with blood sugar dysfunction.
The glycemic index rating of potatoes makes them a “bad” carb. Any GI score above 70 is high, indicating the food causes a rapid spike in blood sugar. The GI of potatoes is variable between 58 and 111; on an average, it is 78 for a boiled one and 87 for an instant cooked one.
Kaufman recommends half of a medium-size sweet potato for most people with diabetes because this is the equivalent of 15 grams of carbohydrates.
They contain slow-release carbohydrates and fiber, which help reduce blood sugar levels. The anti-diabetic property of sweet potato may be attributed to phytochemical adiponectin, which lowers blood glucose in type 2 diabetic patients. Sweet potato contains fiber and helps reduce cholesterol levels.
The variety of potato you eat can also affect how quickly its sugar goes into your blood. Some, like the Carisma variety, have a GI as low as 53. In general, waxy potatoes like fingerling or red potatoes have a lower GI. Starchy types like the Russet and Idaho are on the high end of the scale.
Sweet potatoes fall into the healthy carb category. A medium sweet potato has about 140 calories and 5 grams of fiber. Sweet potatoes also have a low glycemic index score.
However, sweet potatoes have gained a reputation for being a fattening vegetable due to its high-calorie content. But that's not true. In fact, sweet potatoes are considered as a healthy alternative to normal potatoes and have scientifically been proven to help in weight loss.
Both white rice and sweet potatoes provide similar amounts of carbohydrates and calories, but while white rice tends to be processed more than its cousin, sweet potatoes contain more fiber and offer a greater amount of nutrients. The result? It's better for your health to eat sweet potatoes instead of white rice.
The high water content in sweet potatoes makes them great for weight loss. Dehydration slows down your metabolism, further causing weight gain and other health problems. Consuming sweet potato helps rehydrate your cells and boost metabolic activity in the body.
While many vegetables are welcome on the keto diet, sweet potatoes are not one of them.
Certain high-carb foods (for example, white bread, white-flour pasta, sugary drinks, and french fries) are among the most common foods that spike blood sugar, she explains.
Or maybe bananas are maligned because they're believed to have high glycemic index (GI), causing your blood sugar and insulin to spike quickly after eating one. False, again. Bananas are actually low on the GI scale, having a glycemic index value of 51.
Follow a lower-carb eating plan
Of the three macronutrients — carbohydrates, protein, and fat — carbs raise blood sugar and insulin levels the most. Even though carbs are an essential part of most balanced, nutritious diets, lower-carb diets can be very effective for losing weight and managing diabetes ( 5 , 6 ).