Sweet Potato Myth

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

I came across this the other day. Thoughts???


Sweet Potatoes are Better

Myth #2: "Sweet potatoes are better for you than white potatoes."


The origin: Because most Americans eat the highly processed version of the white potato—for instance, french fries and potato chips—consumption of this root vegetable has been linked to obesity and an increased diabetes risk. Meanwhile, sweet potatoes, which are typically eaten whole, have been celebrated for being rich in nutrients and also having a lower glycemic index than their white brethren.


What science really shows: White potatoes and sweet potatoes have complementary nutritional differences; one isn't necessarily better than the other. For instance, sweet potatoes have more fiber and vitamin A, but white potatoes are higher in essential minerals, such as iron, magnesium, and potassium. As for the glycemic index, sweet potatoes are lower on the scale, but baked white potatoes typically aren't eaten without cheese, sour cream, or butter. These toppings all contain fat, which lowers the glycemic index of a meal.


The bottom line: The form in which you consume a potato—for instance, a whole baked potato versus a processed potato that's used to make chips—is more important than the type of spud.

["Maximus"]

No comments mate, great find and very insightful as well.

[Phate]

lol, they are arguing that because most people add 1000cal from fat to there potatoes then that lowers the GI to close to that of a sweet potato, so therefore white and sweet potatos are just as good(as long as you load the white potato with cheese, sour cream and lard)

nice argument

nice find bigsexy

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

lol, they are arguing that because most people add 1000cal from fat to there potatoes then that lowers the GI to close to that of a sweet potato, so therefore white and sweet potatos are just as good(as long as you load the white potato with cheese, sour cream and lard)

nice argument

nice find bigsexy

lol pretty much what I said as read it...



but all fat aside lol, baked potatoes have more essential minerals...


So if you just ate both of them plain, it wouldn't make or break a diet????

[abbot138]

I came across this the other day. Thoughts???


Sweet Potatoes are Better

Myth #2: "Sweet potatoes are better for you than white potatoes."


The origin: Because most Americans eat the highly processed version of the white potato—for instance, french fries and potato chips—consumption of this root vegetable has been linked to obesity and an increased diabetes risk. Meanwhile, sweet potatoes, which are typically eaten whole, have been celebrated for being rich in nutrients and also having a lower glycemic index than their white brethren.


What science really shows: White potatoes and sweet potatoes have complementary nutritional differences; one isn't necessarily better than the other. For instance, sweet potatoes have more fiber and vitamin A, but white potatoes are higher in essential minerals, such as iron, magnesium, and potassium. As for the glycemic index, sweet potatoes are lower on the scale, but baked white potatoes typically aren't eaten without cheese, sour cream, or butter. These toppings all contain fat, which lowers the glycemic index of a meal.


The bottom line: The form in which you consume a potato—for instance, a whole baked potato versus a processed potato that's used to make chips—is more important than the type of spud.

Very true. Just about any tuber is better than some of the more frequently used carb sources, ie- brown rice, whole grain/whole wheat anything, etc....I just use sweet bc of like you stated the lower GI, plus I enjoy the taste more....Also, going back to a previous thread (not sure if you recall this one Bigsexxy) but I stated that raw red skins have a low GI, but then the GI shoots way up when cooked(89). I recently discovered that if you stick them in the fridge for a day and consume them cold the next day, the GI shoots all the way back down to around 59 (I believe the same basic concepts applies to US Russet spuds)....kind of cool i thought.

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

Whats the GIs of the two?


Im too lazy too look right now lol

[abbot138]

of which 2?

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

Very true. Just about any tuber is better than some of the more frequently used carb sources, ie- brown rice, whole grain/whole wheat anything, etc....I just use sweet bc of like you stated the lower GI, plus I enjoy the taste more....Also, going back to a previous thread (not sure if you recall this one Bigsexxy) but I stated that raw red skins have a low GI, but then the GI shoots way up when cooked(89). I recently discovered that if you stick them in the fridge for a day and consume them cold the next day, the GI shoots all the way back down to around 59 (I believe the same basic concepts applies to US Russet spuds)....kind of cool i thought.

I do kind of recall you talking about that.

Thats interesting. Where did you find that?

So, cook the potato, then put it in the fridge. Eat cold the next day. Is this what you do?

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

of which 2?

baked potato

and


sweet potato


sweet 54 and baked 85???? sound right?

I didn't think it was that big of a difference

but if you boil a potato, its 56????

[abbot138]

http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retri...02822305000040 heres one study, somewhat vauge with numbers... and heres another one........ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...8/ai_n14880366

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retri...02822305000040 heres one study, somewhat vauge with numbers... and heres another one........ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...8/ai_n14880366

nice find. Thanks.

[abbot138]

baked potato

and


sweet potato


sweet 54 and baked 85???? sound right?

I didn't think it was that big of a difference

baked is around 78.....sweet potato hard to say, the official site puts it at 48, but thats for the Canada version, doesnt list a US one (which usually have a higher GI) some sites put it as high as 65, so I split the difference and just say somewhere in the mid 50's..........Its a pretty big difference in the US, most of our "baked potatoes" or "white potatoes" are Russet potatoes which have a relatively high GI.

[abbot138]

nice find. Thanks.

Yeah, im kind of psyched about the red skin thing. Im gonna give it a go. Do some homemade potato salad with low fat miracle whip (which as you already stated will help further lower GI) little mustard, some garlic, yummy.

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

So are we coming to the conclusion of boiling sweet potatoes, putting them in the fridge, and eating cold the next day, is the way to go?


wait, is there a difference between sweet and red skin potatoes?

[abbot138]

So are we coming to the conclusion of boiling sweet potatoes, putting them in the fridge, and eating cold the next day, is the way to go?


wait, is there a difference between sweet and red skin potatoes?

Yeah, completely different. Red skins are the little round ones.

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

Yeah, completely different. Red skins are the little round ones.

lol oh, new potatoes?


why are potatoes so confusing

[abbot138]

LOL! I dont know, it is a mess, different names for all of them in different areas. Then you have grocery stores making people think that the sweet potatoes they are buging are yams when its damn near impossible to get real yams in the US....thats why i just stick with the sweets and ingore the rest....i am gonna try this red skin/new thing.....What i wanna know is why the GI of all of them is lower in Canada, what are we doing wrong down here, lol.

[abbot138]

http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...potatoes&gbv=2 red skin taters

[abbot138]

And yeah im pretty sure they are the same thing.

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

LOL! I dont know, it is a mess, different names for all of them in different areas. Then you have grocery stores making people think that the sweet potatoes they are buging are yams when its damn near impossible to get real yams in the US....thats why i just stick with the sweets and ingore the rest....i am gonna try this red skin/new thing.....What i wanna know is why the GI of all of them is lower in Canada, what are we doing wrong down here, lol.

Its a mystery. Its a government conspiracy


I wonder if being organic or non-organic has an effect on GI values??

[abbot138]

Its a mystery. Its a government conspiracy


I wonder if being organic or non-organic has an effect on GI values??

LOL! Its very possible. I was thinking that or something to do with the soil????? who knows. sweet taters for this guy.

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

LOL! Its very possible. I was thinking that or something to do with the soil????? who knows. sweet taters for this guy.

Yeah, who knows...


How do you fix your sweet tatters?

[abbot138]

Yeah, who knows...


How do you fix your sweet tatters?

microwave and just chomp em. Sometimes I use reduced sugar ketchup (Heinz makes one thats sweetened with Sucralose- 1carb per tbsp) or I will use a few quirts of smart balance spray and then cover them with a pack of splenda and some cinnamon (this one is delicious).

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

microwave and just chomp em. Sometimes I use reduced sugar ketchup (Heinz makes one thats sweetened with Sucralose- 1carb per tbsp) or I will use a few quirts of smart balance spray and then cover them with a pack of splenda and some cinnamon (this one is delicious).

how long in the microwave?


I like to put Promise activ® Light spread and cinnamon on mine.

[abbot138]

depends on how many. 7-8 oz usually about 5-6 minutes.

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

depends on how many. 7-8 oz usually about 5-6 minutes.

cool. Ima try it. lol I never have microwaved a potato


I assume you would need to poke holes in it? So the steam can vent through?

[pump.joe]

Try sweet potatoes grilled on the foreman... really good.

[abbot138]

cool. Ima try it. lol I never have microwaved a potato


I assume you would need to poke holes in it? So the steam can vent through?

I use to, but you know what I think the cook faster and get softer since i stopped doing it....They make some scary nosies in there if you dont, but im yet to have one expload on me, lol.

[abbot138]

Try sweet potatoes grilled on the foreman... really good.

Good call man, Ill try that. I use to cut them into slices and bake them in the ovening with some garlic and what not. That was pretty good too. I just get lazy.

[AdamGH]

cool. Ima try it. lol I never have microwaved a potato


I assume you would need to poke holes in it? So the steam can vent through?

yes, couple jabs with a fork.

[pump.joe]

Good call man, Ill try that. I use to cut them into slices and bake them in the ovening with some garlic and what not. That was pretty good too. I just get lazy.

Yeah, exactly -- cut them into slices, add garlic and a little salt/pepper, then throw them on the grill. Mmmm... now I'm hungry.

[Jakspro]

Very true. Just about any tuber is better than some of the more frequently used carb sources, ie- brown rice, whole grain/whole wheat anything, etc....I just use sweet bc of like you stated the lower GI, plus I enjoy the taste more....Also, going back to a previous thread (not sure if you recall this one Bigsexxy) but I stated that raw red skins have a low GI, but then the GI shoots way up when cooked(89). I recently discovered that if you stick them in the fridge for a day and consume them cold the next day, the GI shoots all the way back down to around 59 (I believe the same basic concepts applies to US Russet spuds)....kind of cool i thought.

This is true with all starchy carbs. The starch structure is altered at a cool temperature. Some call this 'resistant starch'. However, there are also some consequences to this. The main one being is that you don't digest all the carbs. For instance, some of starches aren't able to be digested properly (having a laxative effect and acting like fiber) and thus you aren't getting all the full amount of carbs per gram.

Also to note, the reheating of the starched DOES modify the starch structure yet again, increasing the GI (rendering it more digestible), albeit still at a lower index than when originally cooked. This is later argued in subsequent articles and to the extent that it is taught in nutrition classes to date.

[abbot138]

This is true with all starchy carbs. The starch structure is altered at a cool temperature. Some call this 'resistant starch'. However, there are also some consequences to this. The main one being is that you don't digest all the carbs. For instance, some of starches aren't able to be digested properly (having a laxative effect and acting like fiber) and thus you aren't getting all the full amount of carbs per gram.

Also to note, the reheating of the starched DOES modify the starch structure yet again, increasing the GI (rendering it more digestible), albeit still at a lower index than when originally cooked. This is later argued in subsequent articles and to the extent that it is taught in nutrition classes to date.

Ahhh, thank you very much for the follow up insight. Much appreciated

[Jakspro]

http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retri...02822305000040 heres one study, somewhat vauge with numbers... and heres another one........ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...8/ai_n14880366

Good articles, however, the first is only the abstract and one needs a subscription to view the study proper. I have a subscription to Science Direct but through a VPN at work, and can't look at the entire study but notice how in their Experiment 1 they only have N = 10. This leads me to believe its a HUGE robust effect, or Type I error... They got published in a peer journal though, so I'd be interested to see the responses and the citations of this paper. If I have time tomorrow I'll have a look.

[Jakspro]

So are we coming to the conclusion of boiling sweet potatoes, putting them in the fridge, and eating cold the next day, is the way to go?


wait, is there a difference between sweet and red skin potatoes?

Incorrect. Frenandes et al. (2005) show NO effect for boiling potatoes. Thus, eating boiled potatoes right away, or cold and reheated the next day, to have the same GI. It is only in their 'other' cooking methods that showed a difference. They do not site that in their abstract though, nor to reasons as to why - Which is the question we should really be asking.

[T3/T4 GSR]

Good call man, Ill try that. I use to cut them into slices and bake them in the ovening with some garlic and what not. That was pretty good too. I just get lazy.

Try this one....cut em into half inch thick or so slices and then put em in a big bowl and add a tablespoon of canola oil and mix em around really good till it is on the fries and then add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and mix it up and then add some chili seasoning and mix it up and bake em for 35 min at 400 and flip em over half way through. You can also add soem salt and pepper if you like.

[abbot138]

Try this one....cut em into half inch thick or so slices and then put em in a big bowl and add a tablespoon of canola oil and mix em around really good till it is on the fries and then add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and mix it up and then add some chili seasoning and mix it up and bake em for 35 min at 400 and flip em over half way through. You can also add soem salt and pepper if you like.

Pumpkin pie spice! Might have to try this one. Sounds unique. Thanks bro

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

When micro-waving a potato, and it comes out slightly hard in some spots.

Am I taking it out to soon or too late?

[T_Own]

too soon.

very interesting thread so far

[abbot138]

I do about 6 minutes for about 9 oz if this helps.