If you're concerned about your blood sugar levels, it's important to be aware of the carbohydrates in the foods you eat. Simply put, the carbohydrates we eat are what our bodies break down into sugar. This sugar then enters the bloodstream, raising blood sugar levels. This can be very important for someone with a condition like diabetes.
Potatoes are an indispensable part of our diet, aren't they? Potatoes are delicious cooked in oil, boiled, fried, mashed... no matter how you prepare them. Potatoes, even with their skins, are high in fiber, low in calories, and contain many nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6. But with all this, potatoes are a starchy food. Starch is also a type of carbohydrate.
The problem here is that even though potatoes are considered a "complex" or "healthy" carbohydrate, our bodies take much less time to digest them. This means that the carbohydrates in potatoes are converted into sugar very quickly and are immediately added to our bloodstream. This causes a sudden increase in blood sugar levels (blood sugar spike).
What is the Glycemic Index?
To understand how a carbohydrate-rich food like potatoes works in our body, it's important to know its glycemic index , or GI for short.
Simply put, the GI is a measure of how quickly the carbohydrates in a food raise blood sugar levels. It ranges from 0 to 100.
- High GI foods: These are digested quickly and raise blood sugar levels quickly. (Value 70-100)
- Medium GI foods: (value 55-69)
- Low GI foods: These are digested slowly. Therefore, the sugar is added to the blood gradually. (Value 55 or less)
Just think, some studies show that eating a cup of potatoes has the same effect on your blood sugar as drinking a can of sugary drink.
Unfortunately, potatoes are classified as a high-GI food . One study found that women who regularly eat a lot of potatoes have an increased risk of developing diabetes. So, constantly filling your plate with potatoes means you're making it harder for yourself to control your blood sugar.
However, the GI value of potatoes also varies depending on how they are cooked. Take a look at these examples.
| The method of preparing potatoes | Average GI value |
|---|---|
| Baked potato | 111 |
| Boiled potato | 82 |
| Instant mashed potatoes | 87 |
| French fries | 73 |
As you can see, all of these values are in the High GI category.
What is Glycemic Load?
Another important measure of how much a food will raise your blood sugar is the glycemic load , or GL value .
While the GI value measures how quickly sugar enters the bloodstream, the GL value measures how much sugar levels rise . In other words, the GL value measures the effect on blood sugar levels with the amount eaten.
- High GL: 20 or higher
- Medium GL: 11 - 19
- Low GL: 10 or less
For example, a baked Russet potato has a GL of 33. A boiled white potato has a GL of 25. Both of these values are higher than the GL of a donut or a sweet treat like a jelly ball.
So what should we do? Should we stop eating potatoes?
No, you don't have to stop eating potatoes completely. But if you add potatoes to your diet regularly, it can be difficult to control your blood sugar. Therefore, it is important to limit the amount of potatoes you eat . On the day you eat potatoes, make sure to eat a very small amount.
Also, here are some delicious, healthy alternatives that can replace potatoes.
- Sweet Potatoes: Use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. Baked sweet potatoes have a GI of about 64. While that's high in the medium GI range, it's still much better than baked potatoes, which have a GI of 111. But don't fill your plate with sweet potatoes.
- Legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and peas: These also provide you with starch. But because they also contain a lot of fiber and protein, they don't spike your blood sugar levels all at once.
- Whole grains: You can get carbohydrates from whole grains like brown rice or quinoa. These don't spike your blood sugar levels.
- Cauliflower: If you're craving mashed potatoes, try boiling and mashing cauliflower instead. This is a great alternative that's very low in carbohydrates.
A little extra fact
The GI value can also vary depending on the type of potato you choose. In general, waxy potatoes, such as red potatoes, have a slightly lower GI value. However, starchy white potatoes have a much higher GI value.
Take-Home Message
- Potatoes are a high-GI food, rich in carbohydrates and starch, which can quickly raise blood sugar levels.
- It is important to be aware of the Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) when planning your meals.
- The GI value of potatoes varies depending on how they are cooked. Boiling is relatively better than frying or baking.
- If you are managing diabetes, you don't need to completely stop eating potatoes. The most important thing is to control portion size .
- Instead of potatoes, add healthy alternatives like sweet potatoes, lentils, chickpeas, brown rice, and cauliflower to your diet.
- Talk to your doctor for advice on the best diet plan for your health condition.
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