Article about the GI of potatoes

**caddilac** · 11-13-2008, 02:49 PM

I thought this article was really interesting and wanted to share it (although I'm sure many are already familiar with this concept). Basically, the article states that the more you cook and cool potatoes, the lower the GI becomes.

"It is clear that both the method of cooking and variety of potato can affect glycemic index. What was most interesting was that when a red potato was boiled, refrigerated, and consumed cold the next day, the glycemic index plummeted 37%, from the upper end of a high glycemic index food (89) to one point away from classification as a low glycemic index food (56).

When potatoes are cooked, the starch granules absorb water. This is called gelatinization, and it tends to change the structure of the starch, making it more susceptible to the digestive enzymes. When the cooked potato starch is cooled, the molecules bond in an irregular fashion, making it more difficult to be hydrolyzed by enzymes. The authors mention that repeating the cooking-cooling cycle will continue to result in a more resistant starch. The more resistant a starch is, the longer it will take the body to break it down, digest, and absorb it."

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...8/ai_n14880366

**abbot138** · 11-13-2008, 02:56 PM

Maaaaan I already posted about this

Sweet Potato Myth...... Just playin. That article changed the way I eat my red skin taters. Good stuff.

**caddilac** · 11-13-2008, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by abbot138

Maaaaan I already posted about this

Sweet Potato Myth...... Just playin. That article changed the way I eat my red skin taters. Good stuff.

Oh I didn't even see that thread. Yeah it's very interesting. It's definitely gonna change the way I eat them too. Do you eat them cold, or re-heat?

**abbot138** · 11-13-2008, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by caddilac

Oh I didn't even see that thread. Yeah it's very interesting. It's definitely gonna change the way I eat them too. Do you eat them cold, or re-heat?

Don't reheat. After I posted, someone replied to mine with an article mentioning that cooking, cooling and then reheating was bad for the red skins. Sweets i just heat in microwave and eat hot. Red skins I bake in oven then refridgerate and eat cold, i make kind of a potato salad with low-fat miracle whip, mustard and spices, its very good.

**caddilac** · 11-13-2008, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by abbot138

Don't reheat. After I posted, someone replied to mine with an article mentioning that cooking, cooling and then reheating was bad for the red skins. Sweets i just heat in microwave and eat hot. Red skins I bake in oven then refridgerate and eat cold, i make kind of a potato salad with low-fat miracle whip, mustard and spices, its very good.

Awesome. Thanks for the good info... sorry to re-post your topic.