Potatoes have a terrible reputation as a meal to avoid due to their association with insulin resistance and weight gain, both of which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
But according to Newswise, the current study from Pennington Biomedical Research Center, published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, reveals no indication that potatoes increase this risk while delivering other benefits.
Candida Rebello, a Ph.D. candidate and associate professor at Pennington Biomedical, investigated the effects of a potato-rich diet on various health indicators. “We proved that, contrary to common belief, potatoes do not significantly alter blood glucose levels,” said Rebello, a qualified dietician.
“People prefer to eat the same weight regardless of calorie level,” Rebello explained. Choosing larger-weighted but lower-calorie meals can allow you to eat more densely without eating more overall. The most important outcome of the study is that using potatoes in cooking decreases calorie consumption without affecting serving size.
While the calorie amount of each participant’s meal was customized to their unique requirements, many people did not complete their meals when some meat was substituted with potato. As a result, it is possible to reduce weight with less effort.
Thirty-six people between 18 and 60 were overweight, obese, or insulin resistant. Glucose cannot enter cells and create energy because of insulin resistance. Obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes are all associated with insulin resistance.
Subjects were served either white potatoes with meat or fish or beans and peas with meat or fish. Both diets were high in vegetables and reduced meat consumption by roughly 40% in favor of beans and tubers. Eating beans and peas has been found in studies to assist people with type 2 diabetes in regulating their blood sugar levels when they are first diagnosed.
The potatoes were cooked with their skins still on before being refrigerated for 12-24 hours to increase their fiber content. Potatoes are used in dishes such as shepherd’s pie and creamy shrimp and potatoes, as well as the complementing sides of mashed potatoes, oven-roasted potato wedges, potato salad, and scalloped potatoes.
The researchers cooked the potatoes to increase their nutritional fiber content. They discovered that the health advantages of potatoes, beans, and peas were highly similar. Most people will soon leave a diet plan if the meal alternatives are dull or inadequate. The range of meals accessible within the meal plans demonstrates that individuals attempting to eat properly have many alternatives. Potatoes are a low-cost vegetable option.
“Obesity is an incredibly complex disease that Pennington Biomedical is tackling on three fronts: research that looks at how and why our bodies react the way they do, research that looks at individual responses to diet and physical activity, and policy-level discussions and community programs that bring our research into the stratosphere,” said John Kirwan, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and Executive Director of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
Recent findings on the effect of potatoes on our metabolism offer considerable support to that notion.
