Potatoes glycemic index

In the case of complex carbohydrates the glycemic index is a measure of how quickly the carbohydrate is broken down. An example is to compare potato starch and polydextrose. Both are polymers of dextrose but potato starch in the form of mashed potato is rapidly broken down and causes a surge in blood sugar, i.e. it has a high glycemic index. In contrast, polydextrose, which has the dextrose units linked 1 - 6, a link that is rare in nature, is only 25% metabolised and has a very low glycemic index. 

Nutritional Value of Potatoes Digestibility, Glycemic Index, and Glycemic Impact... 

Potatoes should not, however, be disadvantaged because of glycemic indices measured in initial studies. More critical analysis is required of the meaning of glycemic index, of the roles that potatoes may play in the diet, and of the validity of generalizing from a limited number of studies to potatoes and potato products as a whole. There is a need to appreciate that many layers of variables determine the relationship between potato consumption and glycemic response in any... 

Buyken, A. E., Kroke, A. (2005). Glycemic index of potatoes myth and reality from a European perspective. British Journal of Nutrition, 94, 1035-1037. 

Tahvonen, R., Hietanen, R. M., Sihvonen, J., Salminen, E. (2006). Influence of different processing methods on the glycemic index of potato (Nicola). Journal of Eood Composition and Analysis, 19,372-378. 

Vegetables all are okay, many may be eaten raw. Eat fewer of those with high glycemic index (e.g., potatoes and sweet potatoes). Fruits apples, pears, apricots, cranberries... 

A recent commentary in the Lancet suggests that there are (Katan, 1999). In one case study, the diets of over 65,000 women were examined over a six-year period (Herman, 1997). Results from these studies showed that women who consumed a low-fiber diet along with plenty of soft drinks were two and a half times more likely to get diabetes than those who consumed a high-fiber diet with very few soft drinks. This study showed that sugar was not the only culprit. Other dietary culprits included white bread, white rice, and potatoes. This finding led to the controversial glycemic index (GI) concept, which was developed as a tool to help people monitor and stabilize their blood sugar level. 

Relevance to potatoes Gl gives an inflated idea of the glycemic impact of entire potatoes (Table 13.2) because it refers to the available carbohydrate alone, yet potatoes contain only about 20% available carbohydrate. Because it is an index, Gl does not directly indicate how glycemic impact is affected by the quantity of food consumed, unlike RGI. 

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