When the weather is hot again, many people start to drink porridge to relieve the heat, especially in families with elderly people, sweet potato porridge is more popular.

In the common people’s perception, sweet potatoes are a kind of coarse grains, which are relatively healthy and delicious no matter how they are made. But many people have doubts: Is the sweet and soft sweet potato good for blood sugar? How can I eat healthy?

1. Sweet potatoes have high nutritional value

Sweet potatoes, also known as sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes, contain a variety of nutrients needed by the human body . Each 500 grams of sweet potatoes contains 11.5 grams of protein, 14.5 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fat, 100 mg of phosphorus, 90 mg of calcium, 2 grams of iron, and 0.5 mg of carotene. It also contains vitamin B1, B2, C, niacin, linoleic acid, etc.

A medium-sized sweet potato can meet the daily requirement of 400% of vitamin A, 37% of vitamin C, 16% of vitamin B6, and 15% of potassium.

Sweet potatoes are divided into red hearts, yellow hearts, white hearts and purple hearts. Sweet potatoes of different colors have different nutrition. Red sweet potatoes have more carotene and relatively less carbohydrates. Baixin sweet potato has a dry taste, weaker sweetness, and contains a lot of dietary fiber .

The content of protein, zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium, and calcium in purple heart sweet potatoes is significantly higher than other sweet potatoes, and it is also rich in selenium and anthocyanins.

2. Can sweet potatoes lower blood sugar?

Some people think that sweet potatoes contain more starch, which can easily affect blood sugar control. Others think that eating sweet potatoes can lower blood sugar. This argument stems from two international studies.

Japanese researchers have done an experiment and found that after 4-6 weeks of eating sweet potatoes, the insulin level of diabetic rats was reduced by 26% and 60% respectively, and it could effectively inhibit the increase in blood glucose after meals, and also lower blood lipid levels. A clinical study in Austria found that patients with type 2 diabetes improved their insulin sensitivity after taking sweet potato extract .

Therefore, many sugar lovers believe that sweet potatoes help control sugar. But in fact, most of the current researches only focus on animal experiments or sweet potato extracts , which is far different from direct human consumption of sweet potatoes.

In fact, as a relatively healthy food, sweet potatoes can also be eaten by diabetics, but the consumption must be controlled .

Sweet potato has a glycemic index of 77 and a blood sugar load of 11.8. It is a medium-to-high glycemic index food . Diabetics are not suitable for large amounts of consumption. If you eat sweet potatoes and rice, the superposition of calories is also not conducive to blood sugar control.

Therefore, it is recommended that diabetics eat sweet potatoes while reducing their intake of staple foods such as rice.

3. Is sweet potato the "king of anti-cancer"?

There are many "anti-cancer food rankings" circulating on the Internet. Sweet potatoes rank first. Some articles point out that the anti-cancer rate of sweet potatoes is as high as 98.7%. Many middle-aged and elderly people are convinced. Can eating sweet potatoes really fight cancer?

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In fact, these anti-cancer lists are all pseudoscience . The mechanism of cancer is very complicated. At present, there is no single food that can prevent cancer, and there is no research to prove that people who eat sweet potatoes have a lower cancer rate.

Sweet potatoes have more dietary fiber than rice and white flour products. In 2017, a report from the World Cancer Research Foundation pointed out that foods rich in dietary fiber are "very likely" to prevent the occurrence of colorectal cancer . Studies have also shown that eating more dietary fiber can reduce the risk of various diseases.

In addition, obesity can increase the risk of cancer. Using sweet potatoes to replace some staple foods can control energy intake and help control weight.

Therefore, the essence of diet to prevent cancer is to take in dietary fiber and control energy intake, but dietary fiber is not unique to sweet potatoes , and weight control is also related to the overall dietary structure and exercise habits.

Therefore, we cannot say that "sweet potatoes can fight cancer". What really prevents cancer is a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle .

Fourth, teach you to eat sweet potatoes healthy

Although sweet potato itself cannot lower blood sugar, nor can it fight cancer, it still has many benefits. Diabetic patients can eat healthy as long as they master the correct way of eating.

1. Use sweet potatoes instead of staple food

The calories of 100 grams of sweet potatoes are equivalent to that of 25 grams of rice. Diabetics need to cut about half a bowl of rice for every 100 grams of sweet potatoes.

From the point of view of the glycemic index, the glycemic index of sweet potatoes is 77, and the glycemic index of rice is 82. Sweet potatoes raise sugar slowly than rice. Therefore, diabetic patients can use sweet potatoes to replace some staple foods, which will help reduce the speed of staple foods . Reducing calorie intake is good for blood sugar control.

2. Reasonable collocation

Although sweet potato has a lower glycemic index than rice, it is still a high-GI food. The Chinese Dietary Guidelines for Residents (2016) recommends that the daily intake of potatoes (sweet potatoes or potatoes, etc.) should be controlled at 50-100 grams , Diabetes patients should eat sweet potatoes in moderation, with a reasonable combination of green vegetables and whole grains , so that the diet structure is diversified.

3. Pay attention to practices

Different cooking methods, the glycemic index of sweet potatoes also changes. The glycemic index of boiled sweet potatoes is 77, and the glycemic index of roasted sweet potatoes is as high as 94. This is because during the roasting process, part of the sucrose is converted into maltose, which has a faster glycemic. Therefore, it is better for diabetics to eat steamed sweet potatoes and boiled sweet potatoes .

In addition, many dried sweet potatoes on the market have added sugar. Regular consumption can easily lead to excessive energy and affect blood sugar.

4. Eat it last

The "China Type 2 Diabetes Dietary Guidelines" recommends that eating in the order of " vegetables-meat dishes-staple food " can help reduce blood sugar fluctuations after meals. Therefore, when diabetic patients eat sweet potatoes, they may wish to eat sweet potatoes at the end.

All in all, people with diabetes can eat sweet potatoes, but they should pay attention to the way they eat them. Don’t be superstitious that sweet potatoes can lower blood sugar or prevent cancer. Diabetes patients should control their blood sugar well, should ensure that the food is diversified, nutritionally balanced, and appropriately control the amount of staple food.