This neglected starchy food could improve the cardiovascular health of diabetics

Mashed, sautéed or baked… Potatoes can be prepared in different ways and are appreciated by many. But people with diabetes generally avoid consuming them. A new study shows that there is no reason to exclude it from your menus.

Eating potatoes is recommended for diabetics… if they are baked

Potatoes contain many healthy nutrients, such as potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. Researchers from the University of Nevada are even restoring the image of the starchy food by giving it back its place as part of a healthy diet for diabetics.

In their study, they selected 50 men and women aged 45 to 80 years old with type 2 diabetes. They were first questioned, via a questionnaire, about their consumption habits regarding potatoes.

Then they were divided into two groups:

• One consuming a baked potato every day, which contained only 20 grams of carbohydrates and 100 grams of skin. They could, if they wished, season their potato with herbs or spices, or add up to a spoon and a half of butter;
• The other, as a control group, ate a 75-gram serving of cooked white rice, containing the same number of calories and carbohydrates.

Decrease in fasting blood sugar for volunteers consuming potatoes

For 12 weeks, the volunteers follow this diet. “Measurements of blood pressure, vascular function, blood draws and anthropometric assessments, body composition, diet and physical activity will be repeated at the 6 and 12 week visits for both intervention periods, with a 2-week washout period between each intervention period“, we can read in the publication.

Result: adults who ate potatoes experienced a modest drop in their fasting blood sugar levels. Their body composition also improved with a decrease in their waist circumference and resting heart rate. According to the authors, no negative effects on their results were observed.

The potato, a food to include in the diet of diabetics

For Neda Akhavan, the lead author of this study, these conclusions “prove that potatoes can be healthily incorporated into the diet of people with type 2 diabetes when replacing other foods with a high glycemic load, such as long-grain white rice“.

However, be careful with the cooking method of the potato. “For people who are short on time, consider making a large batch of baked or roasted potatoes and making meals that will last you a while. I’m not against the idea of ​​boiling potatoes earth, but you have to keep as much potassium in the skin as possible, and you lose some of it when you boil them” she concludes.

Therefore, opt for cooking in the oven, in order to make the most of the benefits of this delicious starchy food.

Slide: The 5 unsuspected benefits of potatoes