High glycemic index (GI) foods like potatoes are usually publicized to have a negative influence on diet. The GI is the standard measure of carbohydrate effects on the levels of blood sugar. However, experts from the University of Otago strive to differ by showing that a meal comprising potato may not necessarily have high GI though the latter is regarded as a high GI food.
The study constituted 30 healthy adults in the age-group 18 to 50. Usually, individual food items are checked for GI, however, in this trial, the GI of the entire meal was calculated.
“I don’t think people should be too afraid of putting high-GI foods into their meals – our work suggests that having a small amount of potato with a meal isn’t going to drive your blood sugar crazy,†specified Dr Bernard Venn, Otago’s Department of Human Nutrition.
Three different meals comprising chicken, peas, carrots, kumara and gravy, along with a principal starchy source such as potato, white rice or spaghetti were used. The outcomes showed that the GI for each of the meals was seemingly not high.
The team anticipated the meal made of potato to have a GI of 65, which is considered to be a moderate value. Surprisingly, it seemed to drop to 53 that is within the lower range. Therefore Venn concluded that though potato is a high GI food, consuming a meal constituting potato will not raise the level of GI.
The analysis has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.